for an undisclosed violation of team rules. When he returned to the lineup following his suspension on November 18, he assumed the role of a sixth man. In his return to the starting lineup on December 3 against the , Rice not only posted his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but also had his first career 4-blocked shot effort. He posted his second double-double of the season on December 19 against when he tallied 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Rice followed that with a double-double in his next outing on December 22 against Mercer when he posted 19 points and 11 rebounds. The ACC requires that a player play in 75% of his team's games to be qualified for statistical rankings. After his 9th game on December 22, Rice qualified despite the three-game suspension, Rice ranked among the conference leaders in points, rebounds, blocks and steals per game plus field goal percentage. On December 29, Rice had a scoreless night during a loss to Fordham. On January 7 against #3 Duke, he posted a career-high-tying 28 points with 8 rebounds. On January 11, against NC State, he had 22 points to mark his second career back-to-back 20-point performances. On January 29, Rice was hobbled with a big toe injury that limited him to 4 points in 22 minutes. At the beginning of February, Rice was sidelined with a foot injury. He returned to the lineup for three games before being suspended indefinitely for non-basketball issues. The suspension was Rice's second of the season and third in his college career. Coach Brian Gregory dismissed him from the team on March 13 following an incident involving driving under the influence and discharging a firearm while under the influence in which Rice was charged with permitting unlawful operation. Following the bad publicity Bo Ryan received about blocking a transfer, Gregory stated that he would not block a transfer to any university. Following his dismissal, CBS Sports regarded him as one of the top 20 potential transfers in the country. Professional career Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2012–2013) Rice was drafted in the fourth round of the November 2, 2012 NBA Development League draft by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He made the opening day roster and made his professional debut on November 23 against the Bakersfield Jam. Rice did not play much early in the year,