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We are still about 3 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Rice JR G Dominique Ennis, who talked about being a great 3-PT shooter and her expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Canada: how did you 1st get into basketball? I am from a huge basketball family with 3 brothers who all played collegiately. It all started with me following in their footsteps, and basketball up north has gotten a lot more popular.
What made you choose Rice? It was the only visit I took and the only visit I needed. It was a family atmosphere from day 1 because they see me as a human, not just a basketball player. I have built myself up from freshman year and continued to grow…and the world-class education on top of it was a nice bonus!
You play for Coach Lindsay Edmonds: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? Her patience goes a long way: she never gets too high or too low. Even if our shots are not falling or if we drop a game, we do not dwell on it. At each practice we try to win the day, which translates into games. She has great relationships with all of us off the court, so we know that all her on-court instructions come from a place of love.
You played in all 32 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? Just being a sponge and taking it all in. I was not trying to come in and score a bunch of points: I just took everything with a grain of salt and tried to play my role, whether that involved facilitating on the wing or knocking down a big shot.
You led the team last year with 61 3PM, which was 6th-best in school history: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? My teammates: they find me and make the right read so all the credit in the world goes to them. My coaches/teammates trust me to do my job, and I work on it every day to build the confidence after doing the rep a million times.
You missed the final 3 games of the season last year due to injury: how is your health doing now? Good! I got back this summer and have been progressing well. It is something you do not want to happen but it helped me by teaching me to never take anything for granted and lit a fire under me. I am grateful that it happened because it gave me a new outlook to take everything day by day.
You were named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2023 and the AAC Honor Roll last January: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? By having a balance of being both a student and an athlete. Rice does a good job of accommodating us and getting us tutors so I try not to procrastinate. During the season we will miss some classes during road trips, so creating relationships with my professors goes a long way. It allows me to stay locked in on the court.
Your non-conference schedule includes games against BYU/Georgia Tech/Gonzaga/Houston: is there any 1 game that you feel will present your biggest test or that you are looking forward to the most? All our games will be a big test, especially since we won our conference last year. We have a target on our backs and are excited to play everyone, especially traveling to Cancun next month to play BYU/Vermont. We cannot expect anything to be handed to us regardless of who we are playing.
Your brother Dylan played pro basketball overseas, your brother Tyler played in the NBA, and your brother Brandon played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? I am biased so I would say myself…but my younger brother Tyylon is a high school freshman and looks pretty good.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Winning conference again and making it back to the NCAA tourney is our biggest goal. Winning non-conference games will help our seeding: it would be nice to not have to play LSU at LSU! Every game matters so we want to be consistent. I want to become 1 of the best defensive players on the team so that is an emphasis for me: accolades are always nice but winning as a team is the most important.