When we talk about bad decisions by college players considering going pro, we usually focus on guys who should have stayed in school for an extra year. Maureece Rice of George Washington, however, has spent this season proving that it can work the other way as well. Rice averaged 15.8 points and hit 43% of his threes while leading the Colonials to a third straight tournament bid and declared for the NBA draft. His prospects weren't great, though, so he came back to GW for his senior season. And that's where it all went kablooey. Rice's scoring average dropped to 9.2 a game, he failed in a transition to point guard after Travis King got hurt and ran afoul of coach Karl Hobbs all season. He was suspended on two different occasions and, finally, was kicked off the team last night. The Colonials, wrapping up an awful season, lost to Charlotte shortly after the dismissal but Hobbs refused to credit Rice's absence for the loss.
"It didn't affect us whatsoever," Hobbs said. "I don't know if you guys have been watching the last few games, but it didn't affect us at all."Since the loss dropped them to 9-16, I think Hobbs is probably right. Rice, Hobbs and the entire GW team would probably be better off if he'd just gone to the D-League, Europe or the local community center instead of coming back to school.
