Bryant sunk by Coastal
Bulldogs’ season ended in college hoop invitational
The most important transition involving the Bryant University men’s basketball team this offseason won’t involve a player. In the weeks ahead, all eyes will be on the head coach to see if he’s either staying put or heading to another port-of-call that holds the potential of representing a step up from where he’s currently employed.
There have been reports linking Jared Grasso to the current vacancy at Fordham University. Grasso has ties to the Bronx-based Atlantic 10 school – four seasons as an assistant (2006-10) with the final one spent as interim head coach. Asked about his future following Bryant’s season-ending 93-82 to Coastal Carolina in the College Basketball Invitational, Grasso pledged that he’s perfectly content with the school that’s approaching the third anniversary of presenting him with an opportunity to become an NCAA Division I head coach.
“Bryant been great to me and taken great care of me. I’m looking forward to getting back to work with this program and continuing to build a championship tradition,” said Grasso. “I’m at a great place working for great people and excited about the future here.”
Bryant ends the 2020-21 season with the second-most wins as a Division I participant in a single season (15 compared to six defeats). The Bulldogs also ended the season on a two-game losing streak that started back on March 9 when Mount St. Mary’s came to the Chace Athletic Center and captured the NEC Tournament.
While Grasso has made significant strides during his three seasons in Bryant, ending this long and emotional ride with back-to-back defeats in win-or-go-home contests indicates there’s still work needed to be done. Opportunities like the one at Fordham can come calling, yet the lure of unfinished business could also prove tempting, especially when the bulk of the nucleus is scheduled to return for the 2021-22 season.
“This is the first step in the tradition of winning seasons and playing in the postseason,” said Grasso.
The Bulldogs spent much of their short stay in Daytona Beach in catchup mode. Central Carolina jumped out to a 21-9 lead as Bryant was on the wrong end of an 11-0 run. The deficit swelled to 48-34 at halftime before the Chanticleers stretched things even further at 61-43 with 15:33 remaining.
Going with a five-guard lineup down the stretch did allow Bryant to close to within single digits late. In retrospect, Grasso wished he pulled the trigger much sooner on an approach that helped to produce the Bulldogs’ best stretch on the day.
“That’s the best as far as when he guarded and rebounded,” said Grasso. “Competitive guys win games. When Luis Hurtado walked off the floor, he did so like you’re supposed to walk off the floor when you lose your last game of the season. He was limping and left everything on the floor. He’s a 6-foot-5 point guard who was playing (center).”
Chris Childs led Bryant with 24 points while Charles Pride added 17 points. Michael Green and Peter Kiss netted 12 points apiece for a Bryant squad that shot 40 percent and was outrebounded by a wide margin (5331).
Grasso mentioned that senior big man Hall Elisias (seven points in 12 minutes) is scheduled to address a few injuries via surgery in the coming days. The coach also wants his players to catch their breath and recharge the batteries before turning the page and getting ready for next season – one that could be very intriguing if all the current pieces remain in place.
“You can’t compare this year to anything in the past,” said Grasso, a nod to the two COVID-related pauses that his team endured. “For me, it’s been emotionally taxing. I’m used to looking at my phone at one o’clock in the morning and seeing COVID tests and making sure they all came back negative. Certain things drained you. Mentally and physically, we’ll give ourselves some time to recharge.”