The NBA Finals have not even begun but it is already time for most of the league to start preparing for next season. The lottery will be held on May 12th, the final deadline for early entry withdrawal is June 16th, and the draft will take place on June 26th/27th. We will spend the next several weeks interviewing as many members of this year’s draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with Rice F Max Fiedler about being an Academic All-American and what it would mean to him to get drafted.
You were born/raised in Florida: what made you choose Rice? I really liked what they had going with their program, and I had a great relationship with all the coaches. It is a world-class institution so I liked that I could play high-level basketball while also getting a great degree.
In January of 2023 you became the 1st D-1 player in a decade to have a 20-PT triple-double while shooting 85 FG%: where does that game (24 PTS/12-14 FG/13 REB/11 AST in a 7-PT OT win at UTSA) rank among the greatest all-around performances of your career? That was a very fun game: getting a road win is always nice for the team. I had a good performance that night and I am glad that things fell our way. We were shaky for the 1st 38 minutes before pulling it out in OT:
Photo credit: kenpom.com
In the 2023 CBI quarterfinals you had 22 PTS/9-12 FG/16 REB in a 2-PT loss to Southern Utah: how close did you come to pulling off the upset after trailing by 14 PTS with under 5:30 to play? We were very close! We were down by 3 at the end before Travis Evee hit a jumper with 15 seconds left to tie it, but then Tevian Jones made a fadeaway jumper with 2 seconds left to win it. That loss stung a lot.
You finished that season #1 in the nation with 73.5 FG%: what is the secret to being a great shooter? Just looking for the right opportunity to score and not forcing it. You must be aggressive and take what the defense gives you.
Last summer your school switched from C-USA to the AAC: any thoughts on conference realignment? For us it was good: the higher level of competition is good for the program, and you must change with the times and be ready to go.
You are a 3-time conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and last month you were named an Academic All-American: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom, and what the heck is mathematical economic analysis?! It is economics with more of an emphasis on data analysis/statistics. You need good time-management and always keep the main things the main things.
Your parents Tristan/Sandy rowed at Miami, your uncle Brian Bollinger played for the 49ers, your cousin Brooke Bollinger played soccer at Florida State, and your cousin Ben Bollinger played football at Air Force: who is the best athlete in the family? We have some good athletes. I will say myself…but I am sure that everyone else would disagree!
Last month you played at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: which of your fellow seniors impressed you the most (Sean East III/Aaron Estrada/DJ Horne/other)? It was a great event/experience. There are a lot of good players out there so everyone just went out and did their thing.
You are the only player in NCAA history with career stats of 1000+ PTS/1000+ REB/500+ AST/100+ STL/100+ BLK: what makes your skill set so unique, and do you think that anyone will ever match your numbers? I pride myself on being a versatile player who can score/rebound/get others involved. I had good teammates along the way who made things easier on my end. I am sure that someone will match my accolades 1 day and I will congratulate them when they do.
What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? It would be a great honor: there are a lot of good players around the world, and I just want to make my mark. If not, it is not the end-all-be-all: I am just focused on finding a good situation where I can help teams win.