Nathaniel Rice '27 Recruiting Profile

My name is Nathaniel Rice, I am a member of the 2027 graduating class at Thomas Jefferson High School outside of Pittsburgh, PA.  

If I were to describe myself in 2 words to any basketball coach it would be “basketball junkie.”  Ever since 4th grade it has been my dream to play basketball at the collegiate level, and there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t have a ball in my hand driving me towards that goal.  Everything that I do is done with the implicit intent to make me the best basketball player & asset that I can be to whatever coach, team or organization that I play for.  This includes playing soccer to help with my footwork & conditioning, constantly watching video or film on YouTube, lifting weights and most importantly my academic work.

I have been blessed to have 2 supportive parents that have instilled in me the mantra and mindset of “outwork and outlast.”  That phrase is the foundation of everything that I do where becoming the best version of my basketball self is concerned.  It is my daily driving force as a basketball player.

As I have gotten older, I have begun to understand the meaning of “outwork and outlast.”  As years have passed; bigger, stronger, more naturally gifted teammates that I have played with in the youth ranks have started to fall off while I continue to train, grow and improve who I am as a basketball player.   By having a long-term growth mindset, I have been able to stay patient and use the hurdles placed in my path as opportunities to get better.

I understand that nothing is given to you as a basketball player, and that is the absolute truth in my case.  I have had to scratch and claw for everything that I have earned as a basketball player up until this point.  Every obstacle I have overcome has made me stronger and more resilient over the years and the dedication that I have towards my development process is beginning to pay off .  

Over the years I have historically been the 5th or 6th man on my teams, but by continuing to “outwork and outlast” I am now a nightly starter for the 5A Thomas Jefferson Jaguars Junior Varsity Basketball Team and I have been a consistent starter for my AAU team Drill 4 Skill under legendary Western PA high school basketball coach, John Miller.

Currently, I am playing more minutes per game on our JV team than I have ever played before, and as long as I stay focused and “trust the process” I know that I can reach my goal of being a collegiate basketball player.

As a player, one of my biggest points of pride is my defensive game.  At an early age I knew that to set myself apart and to earn significant playing time, I was going to have to be a trustworthy defender and that has become one of my biggest assets.  I have been fortunate to have earned my coaches’ trust at all levels and been placed on the court to play critical minutes due to my defensive abilities.

Over the past few years my offensive game has really begun to take off.   My ball handling and shooting skills have exploded as I continue to work with a former Serbian basketball pro who has been molding me to play more like a European player than an American player.  Every tangible and intangible basketball skill that I possess continues to improve based upon this European methodology.  Those improved skills include my: footwork, court vision, shooting, basketball IQ and more.

As I continue to develop as a basketball player  I am confident that I can be an asset to a college basketball program as I continue to “outwork and outlast” my competition.