"With a new coach (at Illinois, John Groce) I just see it as a new opportunity. It's a fresh start for me," Rice said by phone from Des Moines. "And he recruited me at Ohio so I knew him."..

Rice would be eligible for the 2013-14 season after sitting out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

"I don't mind (sitting out one season)," he said. "I think it will give me a chance to get better and work on what I need to work on."

Klee