University of Kentucky senior Barry Rice has been named Conference USA Pre-season Defensive Player of the Year in a vote of the league's soccer coaches.

Rice, an All-American from Parma, Ohio, has won the post-season award as the league's top defender the past two years, the first player ever to win the honor back-to-back.

The 5-foot-11 Rice became the third All-American in UK history in 2008, as selected by Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News.

Rice led UK with 33 shots while starting all 21 games last season. He had two goals and one assist in 2008, a year after leading UK with seven goals and one assist.

Previously this pre-season, Rice has been named an All-American and a member of the Hermann Trophy National Player of the Year watch list.

UK senior midfielder Jason Griffiths, a first-team all-conference player in 2008, joins Rice on the pre-season All-Conference USA team. The 5-11 Griffiths has 27 career points, including nine goals.

The UK men open their season Sept. 5 at the UK Soccer Complex

Kentucky opens the season with the UK Invitational Sept. 4 and Sept. 6 at the UK Soccer Complex.