Class of 2015 C/PF Thomas Bryant (NY) Verballed to Indiana

[jordoo]

I don't get this. Maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but you say he's slow-footed and drags his legs... those are not positive descriptions...but he'd make a good center? Or are you saying because he's slow-footed, he'd have to be a pure center, something we lack??

I'm thinking he meant that he Bryant would not be able to play on the wings for us with those feet but will do fine at center and will provide offense from that spot which I tend to agree with.

 

[iommi]

I'm thinking he meant that he Bryant would not be able to play on the wings for us with those feet but will do fine at center and will provide offense from that spot which I tend to agree with.

Yeah, so he meant what I was saying with my 2nd question. I like centers with mobility though, so isn't that a concern?

Diallo is such a beast, but doesn't appear we're in the mix. Guess he'll wind up with Pay Pal Cal, following in the footsteps of Davis and Noel as elite athletic centers/ shot blockers. Towns might be one and done, opening a spot for Diallo there.

 

[jordoo]

Yeah, so he meant what I was saying with my 2nd question. I like centers with mobility though, so isn't that a concern?

Diallo is such a beast, but doesn't appear we're in the mix. Guess he'll wind up with Pay Pal Cal, following in the footsteps of Davis and Noel as elite athletic centers/ shot blockers. Towns might be one and done, opening a spot for Diallo there.

When I watched Bryant last he was mobile for a big guy in the half court and with the ball in his hands but when he ran up and down the court it wasn't very fast and it literally looked like he wasn't picking his feet up. Thus the dragging comment. I think as a 5 he would be fine and actually if someone worked with him running perhaps that would improve might even just be a growth thing who knows. I'd be happy at this point with Diallo, Bryant or Diange. I prefer Bryant now that I see him as only a 5 because I think he can be deployed in a lot of different situations offensively, he works very hard on both ends and he local. Diallo for whatever reason has not seemed interested in us all that much from what I've seen.

 

[BludOrange]

does sound if Bryant may be too slow to play on the wing

taken from a recruiting site after one of his Hoophall classic games...

Thomas Bryant was huge in putting Huntington Prep in position to win. The 6-foot-10 center was very active in the first half as he worked the glass and ran the floor to run up nine points and seven rebounds. Because of Prime's small and quick lineup, Bryant had to sit for long stretches of the second half, but still came up big when called upon late. Up one in the final minute and a half, Huntington ran a play to get him the ball at the rim and he fought for position, made a good catch and then hit two clutch free throws when fouled to finish with 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Bryant mentioned West Virginia, Kentucky, Syracuse, St. John's, Seton Hall, Rutgers and UConn as some of the schools showing interest.

 

[iommi]

When I watched Bryant last he was mobile for a big guy in the half court and with the ball in his hands but when he ran up and down the court it wasn't very fast and it literally looked like he wasn't picking his feet up. Thus the dragging comment. I think as a 5 he would be fine and actually if someone worked with him running perhaps that would improve might even just be a growth thing who knows. I'd be happy at this point with Diallo, Bryant or Diange. I prefer Bryant now that I see him as only a 5 because I think he can be deployed in a lot of different situations offensively, he works very hard on both ends and he local. Diallo for whatever reason has not seemed interested in us all that much from what I've seen.

Diange is a pure 5 too IMO, even though he's clearly 6'9" at the most.

 

[cuseguy]

I don't get this. Maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but you say he's slow-footed and drags his legs... those are not positive descriptions...but he'd make a good center? Or are you saying because he's slow-footed, he'd have to be a pure center, something we lack??

I don't see him being able to cover the 4 spot in our zone. But he does have a big enough motor to be able to play the 5.

 

[Jack Hall]

I don't see him being able to cover the 4 spot in our zone. But he does have a big enough motor to be able to play the 5.

I want Bryant but i do worry if he can only play the five, he winds up like Cole his freshman yr, ie he cant handle the five responsibilities in our zone. Would he really play over Cole in two yrs?

 

[jordoo]

I want Bryant but i do worry if he can only play the five, he winds up like Cole his freshman yr, ie he cant handle the five responsibilities in our zone. Would he really play over Cole in two yrs?

I'm worried about Coleman's knees enough that I seriously wonder if he will play a full season ever for us. He has played sparingly two seasons and had surgery in both. We need another center in the 15 class so it has to be Diange or Bryant unless Diallo suddenly realizes this is where he needs to be ;-)

Don't forget Chininso should be ready to play big minutes so its not like the center we bring in will have to play 20+ minutes.

 

[Francis03]

I'm worried about Coleman's knees enough that I seriously wonder if he will play a full season ever for us. He has played sparingly two seasons and had surgery in both. We need another center in the 15 class so it has to be Diange or Bryant unless Diallo suddenly realizes this is where he needs to be ;-)

Don't forget Chininso should be ready to play big minutes so its not like the center we bring in will have to play 20+ minutes.

I agree about DC2. Big man with knee issues carrying all of that weight doesn't look good. I hope he can pull through and finish out his career injury free but we have to collect as much depth as we can in post just incase the injury bug continues to impact him.

 

[jordoo]

I agree about DC2. Big man with knee issues carrying all of that weight doesn't look good. I hope he can pull through and finish out his career injury free but we have to collect as much depth as we can in post just incase the injury bug continues to impact him.

It's a bummer for sure and of course I hope he does get healthy and stays that way but its usually not the case with big guys and knees.

 

[orangejunkie]

at the state tournament last year he played with great intensity and was literally guarding players 6-8" shorter than him in a full court press. With his absurdly long arms he covers a lot of ground. I may be in the minority but I think he could play the 4 spot if that's where the minutes were...

 

[jr4750]

I agree about DC2. Big man with knee issues carrying all of that weight doesn't look good. I hope he can pull through and finish out his career injury free but we have to collect as much depth as we can in post just incase the injury bug continues to impact him.

Ugh remember dakari Johnson. Would have been a nice luxury

 

[jordoo]

Ugh remember dakari Johnson. Would have been a nice luxury

He went with the bag of unmarked bills. Its taken him a while but he's starting to round into form. Watched him some tonight.

 

[BludOrange]

More reviews of Bryant from the Hoophall.

6’10 Jr. Thomas Bryant of Huntington Prep: Bryant is an emotional big that plays with passion and a purpose. He is an intense warrior on the court that knows how to compete. Thomas finished with a double double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. He went 4-8 from the floor and even showcased his range with a 3-pointer. Bryant works so hard battling for position and is a big that has a few go to moves in the paint.

Huntington Prep (WV) power forward Thomas Bryant is developing into one of the nastiest forwards at the high school level. With an endless motor and a consistent mean streak, the 6-foot-10 post is beginning to really round into a top 20 player in the 2015 class. In their win against Prime Prep, he totaled 11 points and 12 rebounds. Syracuse, West Virginia, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova have all offered him, while Kentucky is showing serious interest.

I like all the talk about his motor and him having a mean streak in him. We have not had a big man with attitude in quite some time.

 

[Francis03]

at the state tournament last year he played with great intensity and was literally guarding players 6-8" shorter than him in a full court press. With his absurdly long arms he covers a lot of ground. I may be in the minority but I think he could play the 4 spot if that's where the minutes were...

That's the point I think others are trying to make about his game this year from last year. Last year he was definitely more quicker and perimeter oriented, but this season he has gained more weight and has become much slower laterally than before and is mainly an inside player now. He still plays with a high motor and lots of intensity, but the majority of his damage has come inside the paint and I'm glad that at 6'10 he has fully embraced the role as the inside enforcer/bully. I take it that you might not have seen him play this season as to why you still think he's a 4. Watching him this season is like night and day compared to last when he looked like a young Lamar Odom.

 

[Francis03]

Ugh remember dakari Johnson. Would have been a nice luxury

Dakari reclassifying to 2013 really screwed up things for us. Once that happened it was basically a wrap as far as our chances of getting him. I compared him to a young Bynum. Still don't think he's a fit for the UK system and with Lyles and Towns coming in next year he'll probably still be coming off the bench playing limited minutes. He definitely can be productive for them but unless an injury occurs in the frontcourt, I don't see him maxing out that potential any time soon since he won't get the playing time.

 

[thebigeast44]

Bryant can play the 4 IMHO. Rick Jackson played the 4 and Rak has played the 4...I understand why people are saying he's a 5 now but based on JB'S history, I would not be surprised to see him playing the 4.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Bryant can play the 4 IMHO. Rick Jackson played the 4 and Rak has played the 4...I understand why people are saying he's a 5 now but based on JB'S history, I would not be surprised to see him playing the 4.

Rick at the 4 was a defensive liability, imo. Rak is way more athletic than both. No way Bryant can play the 4 here, imo. Probably a serviceable 5 if he tones up his body and gets stronger.

 

[Madbiker]

I've seen 2 of Bryant's games this year and was disappointed. He did not look quick enough to play the 4 defensively and his face up offense was almost non existent. Did not look in the mold of a Syracuse forward. I could see him as a 5 sort of like a bigger Otis Hill maybe if he develops more of a shot. I realize this is based on only seeing 2 games. I have seen Diallo a couple times and he is the real deal on both ends of the court, dominating. But we don't appear in on him.

 

[AWMKY]

Bryant Junior Season Mix:

 

[orangejunkie]

Francis, I did not know the change that you have observed. More recent observations from folks that are better at analyzing this stuff than me, is valuable. Still, he was selected for the under 16 national team and supposedly played well. He must have some talent but if his body is changing, his position might be changing as well.

 

[Trueblue25]

Bryant Junior Season Mix:

Do kids play defense anymore? I'm big on Bryant and everything, just didn't find this tape overly impressive.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Bryant has the potential to be a great C in the zone.

 

[AWMKY]

Three recent Thomas Bryant jams lead off this mix tape:

 

[spo023]

I know everyone here gives crap to the way Thomas Bryant runs, but I was watching Arizona a few days ago and Aaron Gordon runs the exact same way when he gets back on defense after a made bucket. He basically shuffles his feet and waddles down court, it's a weird running motion. But no one doubts him getting up and down the court and his athleticism. Although obviously Bryant is no Aaron Gordon, I'm just saying that other top talent run awkwardly too and it seems to work out fine for them.