Washington State guard Myles Rice declared cancer-free after five-month battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

PULLMAN – After battling cancer for more than five months, Myles Rice prevailed.

The second-year Washington State guard finished his treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the school announced Thursday that Rice is cancer-free.

“It’s keeping that mindset, knowing that it may be tough right now, but if you keep pushing … then you will eventually be in a good place,” Rice told Pac-12 Network in late January. “You just have to see the light at the end of the tunnel and keep working toward that.”

Rice announced in late September that he’d been diagnosed with cancer and would be sidelined for an unspecified amount of time as he fought the disease. He underwent chemotherapy treatment for months, but still attended classes and played an active role with his team. Rice warmed up with the Cougars before games and cheered from the bench.

“It’s just an amazing story that Myles, who is just a light bulb of a personality and enthusiasm, hasn’t waned at all,” WSU coach Kyle Smith told Pac-12 Network in January.

Before his diagnosis, Rice was in line to contend for a significant playing role. Smith had spoken highly of Rice’s potential and expected the 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard to be a key contributor early in his career. Smith has said during the season that Rice is eager to return to playing form and make his college basketball debut.

“Amazingly, Myles is still on the court, still dunking,” Smith said. “After chemo, he sneaks into practice when he shouldn’t be. No one’s going to say no to him. But obviously … we’re very high on his future. We got a spot for him and we want to see him make the most of it.”

WSU lost to Oregon 75-70 in the quarterfinal round of the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Had the Cougars advanced, Rice would have joined the team in Vegas. WSU (17-16) is hoping to receive a bid to the NIT. The field will be revealed Sunday.

Rice redshirted in 2021-22 after arriving at WSU as a three-star recruit and a top-50 point guard nationally in his class, according to 247Sports.com. The Columbia, South Carolina, native played his prep ball in the Atlanta area. He averaged 19.1 points, 6.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game as a senior at Sandy Creek High in Tyrone, Georgia.