Looking ahead
Bryant players in wait-and-see mode after O’Shea steps down
SMITHFIELD — The head coach that recruited you to campus is retiring. If you’re a Bryant University basketball player with eligibility remaining, now what?
Once the news that Tim O’Shea would be stepping down after the season sunk in, guards Ikenna Ndugba and Adam Grant realized their lives were about to change. The coaching staff that watched over their every academic and athletic need will soon be on the move. A new set of coaches with different personalities and methods will take their place. To say that
unsettling times are afoot is an understatement.
“I’ve never gone through something like this, so it’s definitely a weird feeling,” said Ndugba.
Now that Bryant’s season is officially over – a 3-28 campaign concluded Saturday with an 87-83 loss at Fairleigh Dickinson – athletic director Bill Smith can raise the ante on the search process for O’Shea’s replacement a little bit more, though not quite all the way to full throttle. With conference tournaments looming, reaching out and contacting prospective candidates could still be a few weeks away.
“I’m sure (Smith) is going to ask our opinion and we’re probably going to meet the person,” said Ndugba.
Closer to home, the process of making sure the cupboard isn’t bare for the next Bryant coach is already underway. Right now, reserve guard Taylor McHugh is the lone senior in the fold for next year’s team. That means there’s plenty of holdovers from the O’Shea era who figure to contemplate the pros and cons of staying put or seeking opportunities elsewhere.
With recent rumors concerning those who transfer becoming eligible immediately in the event the head coach is fired or quits, could that result in a mass exodus that leaves the next Bryant mentor in a position where he’s truly starting from scratch? Toward that end, Ndugba and Grant were asked if they’ve heard any rumblings about any possible defections from the program. Despite enduring a tough, injuryplagued season, both stressed this was a close-knit group that refused to let losing completely derail them.
“It’s not the season that anyone wanted, but the off-court chemistry we built helped us stay together in the locker room and the court,” said Grant. “We all have good relationships with each other.”
O’Shea and his assistants signed three high school seniors for next season – Detroit guard Anthony Roberts, Fairfield, Conn. forward Patrick Harding, and Gardner, Mass., guard Nino Hernandez. Of the group, Roberts owns the most upside. In late January, he turned in a 39-point, 10-rebound performance for Detroit Henry Ford.
“It’s a pretty good recruiting class if it holds,” said O’Shea.
Grant and Ndugba represent Bryant’s best hope for better days ahead. The backcourt duo is certainly battle-tested, having logged plenty of minutes through their first two years at Smithfield. Such seasoning holds the potential to pay off next year, providing both elect to stay put. Grant battled injuries this season, as did sophomore big man Sabastian Townes, who missed nine games.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Carroll had his moments, scoring 25 and 23 points in back-to-back games earlier this month. Those breakout performances were followed up with three straight games where he totaled 17 points.
Malik Smith sat out this season after transferring from UNC-Asheville. The 6-foot-6 forward has three years of eligibility and owns the type of finish-atthe-rim athleticism that Bryant sorely lacked this season. Ryan Layman, from nearby Wrentham, Mass., didn’t have the type of freshman season the Bulldogs envisioned, though a full offseason in a college environment could work wonders for the 6-foot-7 swingman.
“Some of these guys have to decide whether they’re going to fully commit to the game. That’s how you become a better player. Use the offseason to have some pride and develop some grit,” said O’Shea. “I think this team has the potential to make a huge jump and could be very formidable in the Northeast Conference.”
Added Grant, “It’s important that we all get better and let the chips fall where they may.”
In meeting with his players, O’Shea stressed that the Bulldogs should remain together. When he played at Boston College, O’Shea saw the head coach that was in place when he signed (Dr. Tom Davis) leave for Stanford. In came Gary Williams, who led the 198283 Eagles to a Big East regular season title and the NCAA Tournament.
Sometimes, change can prove a positive. That’s what the current Bryant players must weigh as they sit tight and see how the coaching search unfolds.
“The players should wait to meet the coach,” said O’Shea. “Every now and then you may have a kid or two where it’s not the right match, but I think Bryant will come up with an excellent coach and it should be a great fit for all these kids.”
“We go out every day with the current coaches trying to prove a point, but it’s only going to make people hungrier for the next coach and whatever he does,” said Grant.