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Walk-on Timmy Kiggins made an appearance tonight; the crowd was clear with its plea to send the junior into the game. PIC: Will Tondo Photography
"In games like this, you can get kinda loose," said head coach Jared Grasso after Bryant cruised to a 122-54 victory over Division III Fisher Falcons. "You see yourself up by 25, you take some shots that I'm not crazy about. We can't play to the scoreboard - we had bigger things to worry about tonight. I'm not concerned with the result...we have some things to work on."
Sure, Bryant took care of business. But as freshman point guard Tyler Brelsford mentioned after the game "Coach Grasso told us that it's not about them (Fisher), its about us. We just came out and competed, and played how we play every day."
Without question, that had merit. The Bulldogs - consistently one of the top-five teams in adjusted offensive tempo last year - picked up right where they left off. They converted 49 of their 85 attempts from the field, and went 11-for-32 from beyond the arc. Brelsford, the freshman transfer from George Washington, made his mark on the team, scoring 21 points and dishing out a team-high 11 assists.
Lots to take away; let's digest it all.
Tyler Brelsford: what we know
As we mentioned in our NEC season preview, Brelsford was the victim of circumstance at George Washington. He ran into a situation where he wasn't comfortable, as he told us tonight: "Last year, I had to play off the ball. I can do that, but being the point guard is what I've been doing since I was young, and that's what I'm most comfortable with. As you guys can see, it's gonna be a great year for us."
While Grasso says "our point guard is whoever rebounds the basketball," it's clear he has a reliable, creative, and talented #1 in Brelsford. He can shoot, fearlessly attack the paint, and - most importantly - create offensive opportunities for others.
"I fit perfect in this position," said Brelsford. "Playing out in the open is my game. Getting guys involved, hitting open shots. I love it here."
Charles Pride has taken a massive leap
I am incredibly bullish on Pride, the junior wing-guard-turned-super utility player (can we say that in basketball?). Charles Pride has - without question - been Grasso's best true freshman find over the years, and speaks to the true gift he has in finding & developing young talent. Pride, though, didn't do it without hard work; he's the most relentless worker on the floor, and it showed tonight with his 25-point and 11-rebound performance. Leaner, stronger, and faster than he's ever been, the Bulldogs will go as Pride does.
Peter Kiss and Chris Childs out: what it means
We knew Peter Kiss could potentially not dress for game 1, but Chris Childs not dressing came as a surprise to many. "They're out for a violation of team policy," said Jared Grasso. "They're good kids, but sometimes good kids make mistakes. That is something we are working through internally. They'll be back on the floor shortly."
We will probably never know what the violation of team policy is. All we know is that Kiss & Childs are considered day-to-day at this point. Obviously, this team is better when they're both on the floor, so a potential absence at URI could sting, but it sounds like it's at least partially out of Grasso's hands as to when we see the senior duo next.