Bulldogs searching for consistency
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Bryant University men’s basketball stormed back in the second half of its 76-72 loss Saturday at Columbia not by creating better shots through its defense, but by simply knocking down the open shots it failed to hit in earlier in the game.
The Bulldogs ultimately fell short of pulling off the upset, but by slowly chipping away at a 13-point deficit on the road against the third-place team in the Ivy League, Bryant once again proved this year’s team is the precipice of a possible strong finish once it reaches the Northeast Conference portion of its schedule.
“We’re getting better,” Bulldogs’ head coach Tim O’Shea said. “Columbia is a good team and we had a one-point lead with a minute to go. We just need to make a few more plays down the stretch.”
A little luck wouldn’t hurt, either. Seconds after Bryant took the lead on Cecil Gresham’s 3-pointer, Columbia’s Steve Frankoski hit an ill-advised three on the ensuing possession to give the lead back to the Lions.
“That wasn’t a good shot, but it went in,” O’Shea said of Frankoski’s go-ahead basket. “You need those breaks when you’re where we’re at right now.”
The streakiness of Bryant’s shooting – the Bulldogs hit only 28 percent of their shots in the opening half against Columbia before shooting 59 percent in the second – can be somewhat attributed to the team’s lack of experience. The Bulldogs have three freshmen – Alex Francis, Matthew Lee and Corey Maynard – averaging at least 11 minutes per game, with two of them (Francis and Maynard) on the floor for more than 20 minutes each night. Sophomores Frankie Dobbs and Vlad Kondratyez are among the top five on the team in scoring (Dobbs leads the way with 14.8 points per game).
“Now that we’re two recruiting classes in, you see the talent picking up a bit,” O’Shea said, “but it’s still a process. It won’t happen overnight.”
O’Shea understands there’ll be ups and downs as the season wears on. What he’s hoping for is a carryover effect from the second half of Saturday’s game as the Bulldogs continue their road trip with a visit to Boston College on Sunday before traveling to Michigan on Dec. 23.
“I think our guys realize we’re right there on the cusp of being able to beat some of these solid teams,” O’Shea said. “Now have to put ourselves in position a little better than we have in the past. Sometimes it’s about getting a bounce that goes your way.”
Heating up
Fifth-year senior Cecil Gresham has scored 63 points in his last three games after failing to reach double figures in back-to-back games in late-November. He poured in a season-high 28 against Farleigh-Dickinson on Dec. 2, followed by 19 against Yale on Dec. 8.
Gresham also hit a go-head 3-pointer late in Saturday’s loss to Columbia and has raised his scoring average to 13.3 points per game, second behind Dobbs.
“His scoring has really picked up, which has been a big help for us,” O’Shea said of Gresham. “He’s really the one guy we have that is a little older and has some experience, so we’ll look for him to carry us in January and February.”
Gresham, who turned 23 in July, red-shirted last year after suffering an injury eight games into the season and is the oldest player on the roster. O’Shea considers him a leader by example.
“His work ethic is tremendous, but he’s a quiet kid,” O’Shea said. “He won’t give any ‘Rudy’ kind of speeches, bit he’s a good kid and works hard.”
Tough sledding
Bryant will face the toughest portion of its non-conference schedule in the next week when it faces Boston College on Sunday and Michigan next Thursday. Both games are on the road against teams with 8-2 records.
The Eagles are coming off a win over Maryland in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener Sunday while Michigan won its fifth consecutive game Tuesday by beating N.C. Central.
“It’ll be challenging,” O’Shea said, “but we’ll help the athletic department pay a couple of bills and give the kids a chance to compete.
“As much as it’s a long shot, you go into these games trying to win. We want to compete at a higher level. When I was at Ohio, we went into North Carolina and won and we went into Maryland and won. No one thought we could do that. We’re at a point now where our talent is good enough that you’ll never know what can happen. We prepare the kids to win and play a higher level.”
This upcoming stretch certainly qualifies as one of the toughest non-conference schedules anyone in Bryant’s league will face this year, which could be helpful in January when the Bulldogs begin play within the Northeast Conference.
“Everyone does something different,” O’Shea said. “We’re in a unique situation because we’re not eligible for the NCAA Tournament, so why not have an opportunity to play at Michigan and Boston College. I think it’s good for our program and good for Bryant as well.”
No rest for the weary
After playing at Michigan on Dec. 23, the Bulldogs will take the next two days off for Christmas and then return to practice the night of Dec. 26. “That’s college basketball,” O’Shea said. “No one gets long breaks.” … While the Bulldogs aren’t as reliant on the fast break as former coach Max Good’s teams were earlier in the decade, they’re not prone to settle into a half-court offense either. O’Shea considers this group somewhat of a hybrid. “We just need to make shots,” he said. “We’re at our best when we’re scoring in the 70s and now that we’re more athletic we can run a little bit, but it’s not just about defense and rebounding. We have to make open shots. We’re not a walk-it-up-the-court and grind it out team that will play a lot of zone. We’ve got athleticism and we’ll use that to our advantage.” … Bryant’s next home game is Dec. 28 against Division III Oberlin College (Ohio).
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