Sophomore Thomas Bryant likes to have fun when he plays basketball, and IU Coach Tom Crean said that’s when the standout big man is at his best.
With just more than four minutes remaining in the game, Bryant caught an entry pass on the low block, drop stepped and finished with a two-handed dunk. Although this may seem like a normal occurrence for the sophomore, this was Bryant’s first made field goal Sunday.
He finished just 1-for-2 from the floor with seven points while knocking down five of six free throws in IU’s 83-55 win against Southeast Missouri State.
While Bryant was in a funk offensively late in the first half, he made a hustle play when he threw his body to the floor. The ball went out of bounds as the Redhawks regained possession, but Crean motioned Bryant over to the bench. The head coach gave his sophomore forward a chest-bump and sent him back out on the floor. It was just the little extra energy Bryant needed.
“Just be excited and have energy,” Crean said about the exchange between him and Bryant. “He wants to play at a level moving forward where this is an average week and wants to do it for a decade plus. He was putting too much pressure on himself, not having fun, and that’s when he’s at his best.”
During a week in which IU played four games including Wednesday night’s matchup against No. 3 North Carolina, the big man from Rochester, New York, logged 30 key minutes against the Redhawks on Sunday.
He brought down 10 rebounds and tallied three assists while terrorizing the Southeast Missouri offense on his way to recording four blocks and three steals. His only shot attempt other than the dunk was a missed 3-pointer two minutes into the second half.
The 6-foot-10 Bryant handled the Redhawks down low. As a team, Southeast Missouri finished the night with zero points in the paint and at a season-low 31 percent from the field. It was the Hoosiers’ fourth consecutive game in which they held their opponent to less than 40 percent from the field.
What Bryant brings to this team is more than just scoring. He constantly brings the energy to his teammates by fueling them through the game.
Junior guard Robert Johnson, who led all scorers with 17 points, said Bryant’s efficiency on defense and energy are keys to their success.
“His energy is something that drives him to be good,” Johnson said. “I think day in and day out that’s something that we have to have from him, his energy, regardless if he’s scoring points or not.”
Playing four games in an eight-day stretch is no simple task, and Crean admits his group has had a very long week.
Crean said sometimes his team has too much self-inflicted pressure because the frustration kicks in, but he credits Bryant, Johnson and sophomore forward Juwan Morgan for being locked in during practice through this tough stretch.
“They have been on point, on attack and on a mission since the middle of the week, a week ago when it comes to really taking more responsibility for their teammates and setting the tone with their energy every day,” Crean said. “It’s hard to do that every day, but he just needed a reminder that it’s OK to have some fun.”
