NATCHITOCHES – It is a good thing Rick Cabrera's office is less than 100 feet from the basketball court inside Prather Coliseum.
 
Given his Northwestern State men's basketball team's time between home games, it would not be surprised if the first-year head coach needed a map to the court when the Demons host Rice at 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+. The matchup with the Owls not only marks Rice's third trip to Natchitoches in the past seven seasons, it is the first time Northwestern State will take the court as the home team in 33 days.
 
"As long as I've been in this business, it's something I haven't experienced – being on the road that long," Cabrera said. "We learned a lot. We learned how important it is to be tough and disciplined on the road. When you're out of your comfort zone, you're at a disadvantage. (Being home) Is going to be great. It's like our fans get to see a new team. Unfortunately, we're coming home with a 1-9 record, but we're getting better and closer. We'll continue to play to our identity, which is being tough and defending the basketball."
 
After that long break between home games – the fifth-longest for a Division I team this season – the Demons return home to face a Rice (4-6) team that features what has become a typical challenge for NSU – facing an opponent that features more size – and one that is less so – being led in assists by a 6-foot-11 forward (Max Fiedler).
 
A fifth-year player, Fiedler ranks 42^nd nationally in assists per game (5.2) and has averaged seven assists per game in Rice's wins against Southland opponents HCU and UIW.
 
"I'll be honest, I told my staff in all my years of watching basketball, he's the best passing big man I've seen," Cabrera said. "That's not an exaggeration. He leads his team in assists and is among the national leaders in assists. He has a gift and a high IQ when it comes to passing the basketball. His passing sares me. We're prepared for it. We'll play tough against them."
 
While Northwestern State has not played a home game in more than a month, the Demons did open the season with two of their first three games in their home gym, defeating Dallas Christian on Nov. 6 before falling to Stephen F. Austin a week later.
 
As the Demons wrapped up their seven-game, five-state, three-time zone road swing this past Tuesday night in Boise, Idaho, they did so as a much more mature, together team than the one who the home fans last saw more than a month ago.
 
"We definitely came together," freshman guard Chris Mubiru said. "Like our coach says, we're not what our record says we are. Sooner or later, people are going to realize what kind of team we are."
 
When Cabrera was hired in March, he said his team would be one that would crash the offensive glass relentlessly.
 
That has held true through most of the non-conference season as the Demons have corralled double-figure offensive boards in seven of their first 10 games.
 
"To try to get extra possessions on the offensive end is vital, especially from our post guys," Cabrera said. "They've done a great job of pursuing misses. When you get a lot of offensive rebounds, that means you're missing, which is part of basketball, but at least you are getting extra possessions. That's important for us. I'd like us to defend better and get defensive rebounds, so the other team doesn't get extra possessions. That's something we're going to continue to work at get better on every day."