The really old college try - Timesonline.com: College Basketball
BEAVER FALLS -- Brian Rice's dream of playing college basketball never died, it just got deferred.
By a quarter of a century.
Rice was a player of note at New Castle High School and had offers to play collegiately at the Division II level as a senior in 1987. However, he also had the self-awareness to realize that college wasn't for him at that point of his life.
"I knew I didn't have the discipline to get myself up and go to class every morning," Rice said. "I just wasn't mature enough to go to college. I needed to do something else."
So Rice enlisted in the United States Navy for what was he originally thought was going to be the standard four-year hitch. However, Rice enjoyed the military life so much -- and the fact that it took him to every continent except Antarctica and more than 60 countries -- he wound up staying for 24 1/2 years.
Rice was already an ordained nondenominational minister and he wanted to pursue that as his life's work once he returned to civilian life this past April. He enrolled in the completion degree program at Geneva College with a major in community ministry and decided to finally give college basketball a try at the age of 43.
Now, Rice is a reserve wing for Geneva and is believed to be the oldest man ever to play in the oldest program in college basketball history.
Geneva coach Jeff Santarsiero was turned on to Rice by current New Castle coach Ralph Blundo and admits he was skeptical at first.
"Ralph is telling me this guy is 43 years old and wants to play college basketball and I'm thinking, 'what are the chances a 43-year-old man is going to be able to play on the college level?'" Santarsiero said. "Ralph assured me he was in great shape and I should at least meet with him."
Santarsiero was impressed with Rice right away. Not only is the 6-foot-2 Rice a physical specimen who looks younger than his age but he has an engaging personality that enables him to relate to a roster full of teammates who are all young enough to be his son.
Rice also gained plenty of basketball experience in the Navy, including participating in the annual Armed Forces championships in Germany.
"There weren't very many days in the last 25 years that I didn't have a basketball in my hands at some point during the day," Rice said. "I wanted to keep playing on a team once I got out of the Navy. I wanted the opportunity to play college basketball.
"And I also wanted to continue to enjoy that camaraderie you have with your teammates. That's meant a lot to me. There is obviously an age difference but these guys have accepted me as a teammate and appreciate the life's experiences that I have. I'm having a lot of fun with them."
Rice has shown enough ability to get some playing time off the bench. He played 23 minutes in Geneva's first five games and averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds.
Santarsiero believes Rice could earn a more prominent spot in the Golden Tornadoes' rotation as the season continues.
"He's still learning the college game and what we do and it's still early in the season," Santarsiero said. "He's getting better every day and he's proving he can play at the college level. It takes time, though, and the fact of the matter is that he is a freshman."
Just 25 years older than the typical first-year college student, though that doesn't deter Rice.
"I have to ice my knees now and again and sometimes I'll go over to the 'Y' and get in the Jacuzzi but I've been able to handle the physical part of this," Rice said. "I'm 43 but I don't feel 43. I feel a lot younger than that."
BEAVER FALLS -- Brian Rice's dream of playing college basketball never died, it just got deferred.
By a quarter of a century.
Rice was a player of note at New Castle High School and had offers to play collegiately at the Division II level as a senior in 1987. However, he also had the self-awareness to realize that college wasn't for him at that point of his life.
"I knew I didn't have the discipline to get myself up and go to class every morning," Rice said. "I just wasn't mature enough to go to college. I needed to do something else."
So Rice enlisted in the United States Navy for what was he originally thought was going to be the standard four-year hitch. However, Rice enjoyed the military life so much -- and the fact that it took him to every continent except Antarctica and more than 60 countries -- he wound up staying for 24 1/2 years.
Rice was already an ordained nondenominational minister and he wanted to pursue that as his life's work once he returned to civilian life this past April. He enrolled in the completion degree program at Geneva College with a major in community ministry and decided to finally give college basketball a try at the age of 43.
Now, Rice is a reserve wing for Geneva and is believed to be the oldest man ever to play in the oldest program in college basketball history.
Geneva coach Jeff Santarsiero was turned on to Rice by current New Castle coach Ralph Blundo and admits he was skeptical at first.
"Ralph is telling me this guy is 43 years old and wants to play college basketball and I'm thinking, 'what are the chances a 43-year-old man is going to be able to play on the college level?'" Santarsiero said. "Ralph assured me he was in great shape and I should at least meet with him."
Santarsiero was impressed with Rice right away. Not only is the 6-foot-2 Rice a physical specimen who looks younger than his age but he has an engaging personality that enables him to relate to a roster full of teammates who are all young enough to be his son.
Rice also gained plenty of basketball experience in the Navy, including participating in the annual Armed Forces championships in Germany.
"There weren't very many days in the last 25 years that I didn't have a basketball in my hands at some point during the day," Rice said. "I wanted to keep playing on a team once I got out of the Navy. I wanted the opportunity to play college basketball.
"And I also wanted to continue to enjoy that camaraderie you have with your teammates. That's meant a lot to me. There is obviously an age difference but these guys have accepted me as a teammate and appreciate the life's experiences that I have. I'm having a lot of fun with them."
Rice has shown enough ability to get some playing time off the bench. He played 23 minutes in Geneva's first five games and averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds.
Santarsiero believes Rice could earn a more prominent spot in the Golden Tornadoes' rotation as the season continues.
"He's still learning the college game and what we do and it's still early in the season," Santarsiero said. "He's getting better every day and he's proving he can play at the college level. It takes time, though, and the fact of the matter is that he is a freshman."
Just 25 years older than the typical first-year college student, though that doesn't deter Rice.
"I have to ice my knees now and again and sometimes I'll go over to the 'Y' and get in the Jacuzzi but I've been able to handle the physical part of this," Rice said. "I'm 43 but I don't feel 43. I feel a lot younger than that."
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