IU Coach Tom Crean said he was looking at film of the game against UNLV during the Maui Invitational.
The men’s basketball coach wanted to look at some things UNLV Coach Dave Rice was running against the Hoosiers.
While watching, he came across something else.
“I’m watching and I just go, wow. We’re so different, right?” he said. “Because Thomas Bryant is different.”
His comments solidify what has been becoming clearer with each ensuing game — freshman center Thomas Bryant is developing into a real Big Ten center.
That also brings to mind the question of just how good Bryant is becoming. Is he just a good Big Ten center or something greater?
Because the tricky thing about college basketball is that when a young player begins to excel, one has to start thinking about whether he will be good enough to leave for the NBA. ESPN’s Chad Ford had Bryant slotted as the No. 20 selection in his newest NBA mock draft.
But mock drafts are nonsense, especially in January, but that doesn’t change the fact that Bryant’s name is floating around there.
His Big Ten numbers would not jump out on a stat sheet. He has one double-double all season and he isn’t racking up a crazy amount of blocks. What he is doing better are the little things. I see him boxing out much more effectively and rotating on defense.
Crean says it starts with his health. He wasn’t missing games before, but Crean said he can practice fully now and improve on a day-to-day basis.
Maybe it also stems from the way Bryant practices. Crean said IU does drills in which forwards have to cover guards and vice versa, so Bryant is getting reps covering the Yogi Ferrells and Rob Johnsons of the team.
And when Bryant attempts a 3-pointer in a game, it isn’t an isolated incident. Crean said Bryant is attempting 3-pointers every day in practice.
“The bottom line is he really wants to get better,” Crean said.
So when this comes to NBA Draft stock, all of these things make Bryant into an interesting prospect.
He is 6-foot-10, 245 pounds with a wide frame. He is an energy player whose effort likely won’t be in question. He is proving he can develop, and he can shoot. NBA teams sure are falling in love with big men who can shoot.
Bryant hasn’t faced many relevant college big men yet, and that will certainly be worth watching when IU faces Purdue and Maryland. There is no doubt Bryant is getting better, but how will he look against people with the size and ability he has?
Regardless, Bryant is becoming the center IU needs. He is by no means a finished product, but Crean can see the improvement from Maui and can see what Bryant is capable of doing.
We were hard on him back in fall, which is sometimes the reminder that we shouldn’t judge freshmen after one month. But no matter how long Bryant stays in Bloomington, he has a chance to prove something this season.
brody_miller@indiana.edu
@BrodyMillerIDS
