Teo Rice is a 6-foot-2 Yale men’s basketball junior from Bethesda, Md. who was just elected as captain of the 2024-25 Bulldogs. Rice appeared in 11 games this season off the bench. He recently sat down with Ivy Hoops Online for an interview:
Ivy Hoops Online: Your dad and mom both went to Yale and were student-athletes. Did that influence your decision to attend Yale?
Teo Rice: They put no pressure on me. I was considering Johns Hopkins and Williams. I was accepted at Yale. It was too hard to say no. I went to coach [James] Jones’ camp, and he said that I could be a walk-on.
IHO: Talk about this Yale season.
TR: After we saw what Princeton did last season [a Sweet 16 appearance], we thought that we could be better. Our mindset was getting to and winning the Ivy tourney. Going to Greece over the summer really helped us. [That] gave us a head start. It was choppy with the Vermont and Fairfield games [but that] helped us in the long run.
IHO: Talk about being elected captain. Were you surprised?
TR: I thought I was the best candidate. I did not know until it was announced. August Mahoney and Michael Feinberg [team captains in 2023-24 and 2022-23, respectively] were both great captains. August was direct and outspoken [and was] clear what he wanted. We needed the calling out.
IHO: Talk about being captain not as a starter.
TR: I get to be in close contact with the entire team as a nonstarter. We have a lot of depth.
IHO: [What] about Danny Wolf leaving Yale? (Editor’s note: Wolf chose to leave Yale after a breakout sophomore season for Michigan.)
TR: [I’m] not really surprised. He has really big goals. More resources there [Michigan].
IHO: Should the Ivy have collectives?
TR: Part of the issue is financial aid. [That’s] not easily addressed.
IHO: Should there be Ivy scholarships?
TR: Sports would get cut if so.
IHO: What are the goals for next season?
TR: Win the Ivy championship. Next, win the Ivy tourney and win some in the NCAA tourney. Samson [Aletan, a rising sophomore center] will be here all summer working out. He will be important.