OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County sophomore guard Kyrstal Rice has been selected to the NJCAA Women's Division II Basketball All-America team for the 2019-20 season after helping lead the Lady Cavaliers to a 28-5 record and runner-up finish in the Region VI Tournament. She was a second-team selection, and becomes the 29th NJCAA All-American in team history, and the 13th under two-time National Coach of the Year Ben Conrad.
Earlier this season, Rice was also selected as first-team All-Kansas Jayhawk D-II Conference and first-team All-Region VI.
Rice, who transferred to Johnson County after playing her freshman year at Indiana State, led the team and ranked fourth in the conference in scoring with a 14.2 per game average. She has also drained 84 3-point baskets, which ranks tied for 10th on JCCC's season chart, and second overall in the conference. She also ranked second on the team and fourth in the conference shooting 37.5 percent beyond the arc., and ranked second in the conference in three throw accuracy at 78.8 percent.
"Krystal made a tremendous impact on our program in one year," said Conrad. "Obviously she's very talented and has one of the best shooting strokes I've seen, but what really stood out was what a great teammate she was and how coachable she was."
Rice, who has committed to Ball State University, has reached double figures in points in a team-high 23 games, including a career-high 29 points in a win at Hesston late in the regular season. Twice this season, Rice was selected at the KJCCC-D-II Player of the Week, earning the honors in weeks 13 and 15.
As a freshman at Indiana State, Rice played in 20 games and helped the Sycamores to a 11-19 season. She averaged 2.7 points, and nearly 1.0 assist and 1.0 steal per game.
As a prep, Rice was a three-year starter and four-time letter winner at Flint Hamady High School in Flint, Mich. She led her squad to four district titles, three regional titles, to the state quarterfinals in 2015 and the state championship game in 2014. She earned three All-Genesee Area Conference honors as well as Associated Press All-State Class C honors twice. She averaged 12.4 points and 9.4 rebounds as a senior, 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds as a junior and 10.0 points her sophomore year.
Rice is the daughter of Daron and Christine Rice, and the niece of former NBA veteran and Michigan standout Glen Rice.