ASSOCIATED PRESS Michael Harris, front, of Rice fought for a ball with Kevinn Pinkney of Nevada on Saturday.

Enjoyed expectations

Michael Harris and his senior
teammates aim to complete
Rice’s hoops revival

Michael Harris doesn't view pressure as an obstacle to be overcome.

Instead, the Rice forward sees the heightened expectations facing both himself and the Owls basketball team this season as the impetus to take the next step in their ascent in the Western Athletic Conference.

Rice at Hawaii When: Today, 7:05 p.m. Where: Stan Sheriff Center TV: Live, KFVE (Ch. 5) Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM Internet: HawaiiAthletics.com Tickets: $20 (lower level, single seats only); $15 (upper level, adults); $5 (upper level, students); $3 (upper level, UH students); $5 (Super Rooter/Manoa Maniacs). Parking: $3

"I like the pressure," Harris said. "When people expect more out of you instead of expecting you to finish seventh or eighth, you play with a lot more confidence."

Over the past three-plus seasons, Harris and fellow seniors Jason McKrieth and Brock Gillespie have helped transform Rice from WAC afterthought to contender for the league crown.

And in his final season at Rice, Harris knows the longer the Owls stay in contention the more the pressure will build with each contest.

"This year there's a lot more because we've come up short the last three years," he said. "We haven't really achieved our goals, we haven't won a WAC championship, we haven't been to the NCAA Tournament."

Rice (10-5, 5-2 WAC) will try to continue its climb toward a WAC title when the Owls take on Hawaii (10-5, 2-5) tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Rice had posted 43 wins over the four years prior to the arrival of Harris, McKrieth and Gillespie on the Houston campus in 2001. The Owls have won 61 games since, going 22-11 last season and breaking the 20-win mark for the first time since 1992.

"They've had a tremendous impact," Rice coach Willis Wilson said of the senior class. "Those three guys came to Rice on the heels of a couple of tough seasons. ... It looked like everything was falling apart, but those guys came in very committed to the program and to turning Rice basketball around and they've done just that.

"They've done it with sweat equity; they've put in the hard work. When those guys leave they'll leave a legacy of winning, but they'll also leave behind a legacy of a brand-new attitude in terms of the expectations and how people view Rice basketball."

The return of this year's senior class contributed to the Owls being picked to finish second in both the WAC preseason coaches and media polls. Both groups also tabbed Harris as the preseason Player of the Year following an All-WAC season as a junior.

The powerfully built 6-foot-6, 240-pounder has responded by averaging 19.7 points and 11.4 rebounds despite facing double teams most times he touches the ball, and he will certainly have the attention of the UH defense tonight.

Harris averaged 21.7 points while shooting 72 percent (28-for-39) from the field in three games against the Rainbow Warriors last season. His 29 points and seven rebounds helped Rice eliminate UH from last year's WAC tournament with a 70-68 quarterfinal win.

"We have to play smarter basketball," UH forward Julian Sensley said. "We'll probably have to double down on Harris. We'll have to concentrate, double down on their big guys, follow the ball and then just play great on-ball defense."

With opponents gearing their defenses to try to contain him, Harris has adjusted his game as well, floating out to the perimeter more often to complement his post game.

"When you're not getting looks you have to find different ways to try to score," he said. "I've been studying tape and just noticing different angles from where the double teams are coming and noticing where my teammates are going to be."

McKrieth and Gillespie have helped keep defenses honest with their back-court play over the years. McKrieth, who posted Rice's first triple-double earlier this season, averages 13.4 points this season with his ability to knife to the basket or pull up for jumpers. Gillespie leads the Owls with 28 3-pointers and scores 10.1 points per game while coming off the bench.

"(Harris) will be the first one to tell you that he can't do it without his teammates," Wilson said. "His teammates are incredibly valuable to him and I think he'll tell you the other two seniors are a big, big part of his success, a big part of why Rice is where it is."

While power in the post puts him in the spotlight, Harris maintains that the Owls' guard play not only eases the burden on him, but could be the key to the team taking that next step.

"That's what you're going to need when it comes to postseason," he said. "You have to have an outside threat, you have to have guards who can put the ball on the floor, you have to have a guy who can shoot the ball like Brock.

"I feel we have all the key elements this year to do something really great. If we stay focused on the prize and not get complacent then we'll get there."