Stephen Spillman, Associated Press
Texas Longhorns Have Contacted Rice Transfer Quincy Olivari
AUSTIN -- As a new regime under coach Rodney Terry begins, the Texas Longhorns are not stopping short at trying to lure elite talent in the transfer portal. Their latest contact certainly isn't an exception.
Texas has reached out to Rice Owls transfer guard Quincy Olivari, he tells LonghornsCountry.com.
Olivari tells us that a Texas assistant reached out to him on Wednesday, adding to the long list of programs that have already met or made contact with the Atlanta native.
Per an interview with FOX 26 Houston, Olivari has already met with programs like Arkansas, Indiana, Cincinnati, Auburn, Georgia, USC and LSU and has at least been contacted by Arizona, Kansas State and Xavier among many others.
This season, he averaged 18.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and one steal per game. He started all 35 games for coach Scott Pera, playing 33.6 minutes per contest while helping lead the Owls to a 19-16 record, their most wins in a season since the 2016-17 campaign.
It's no secret why Olivari, who is Rice's all-time leader in 3-pointers made (230), is so highly coveted by some of the nation's top teams.
In a severely-underrated Conference USA that features NIT champion North Texas and current Final Four participant Florida Atlantic, Olivari proved to be one of the league's best players.
An All-Conference USA Second-Team selection, Olivari's 18.7 points per game and 2.7 triples per game were both good for third-best in the conference. He reached the 30-point mark four times this season and failed to reach double figures in scoring just three times.
It certainly makes sense why the Longhorns have made contact with Olivari, especially after seeing firsthand what he's capable of.
In No. 7 Texas' 87-81 overtime win over Rice in Austin on Dec. 12 - the same day former Texas coach Chris Beard was arrested - Olivari nearly led the Owls to a major upset on the road by tying a game-high with 28 points on four made 3s to go along with five rebounds and four assists.
The Longhorns didn't snag their first lead until the second half after Olivari had dropped 15 first-half points.
Texas is set to lose some major pieces in the backcourt, as guards Marcus Carr and Sir'Jabari Rice - the team's two leading scorers this season - are out of collegiate eligibility.
Adding Olivari to the fold would be an excellent get for coach Terry as the Longhorns head into a new era of hoops.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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