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Get your brackets ready. March Madness is here, and the NCAA Tournament kicks off this week. For Michigan State basketball fans, this week will be focused on the Bryant Bulldogs of the America East Conference, the Spartans' first opponent of the tournament.
Below, you can see everything you need to know about Bryant before Friday night's match-up.
Coach: Phil Martelli Jr., son of Phil Martelli, a close friend of Tom Izzo's
Record: 23-11 overall, 14-2 conference
Accolades: Bryant won both the regular season and conference tournament championships, dominating the America East Conference on their way to a 15-seed in the NCAA Tournament. This is Bryant's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Points per game: 82.4 (No. 17 in the country)
Rebounds per game: 41.47 (No. 4 in the country)
Points given up per game: 73.9 (No. 235 in the country)
Offensive Rating: 111.7 (No. 82 in the country)
Defensive Rating: 100.1 (No. 69 in the country)
Bryant is led by four veteran players who are all former transfers. All four players are experienced and scored in double-figures this season. They are:
Bryant is a very interesting match-up for the first round. Often, with mid-major teams that make the tournament, you expect to see an undersized group of sharpshooters. That's not the case with Bryant. Really, they play more like Michigan State in that their best strength is their rebounding. They are experienced, with their top players all transferring into Bryant from high-major programs like Memphis and St. John's, and they have a lot of size across the board.
However, Bryant went 0-4 this year against Quad 1 and 2 opponents, including a 22-point blowout loss to St. John's.
Like every NCAA Tournament game, Bryant shouldn't be overlooked, and this game will likely come down to which team can control the boards.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Previewing Michigan State's first NCAA Tournament opponent Bryant
Continue reading...
Below, you can see everything you need to know about Bryant before Friday night's match-up.
The Basics
Coach: Phil Martelli Jr., son of Phil Martelli, a close friend of Tom Izzo's
Record: 23-11 overall, 14-2 conference
Accolades: Bryant won both the regular season and conference tournament championships, dominating the America East Conference on their way to a 15-seed in the NCAA Tournament. This is Bryant's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Stats
Points per game: 82.4 (No. 17 in the country)
Rebounds per game: 41.47 (No. 4 in the country)
Points given up per game: 73.9 (No. 235 in the country)
Offensive Rating: 111.7 (No. 82 in the country)
Defensive Rating: 100.1 (No. 69 in the country)
The Players
Bryant is led by four veteran players who are all former transfers. All four players are experienced and scored in double-figures this season. They are:
- Rafael Pinzon, Guard: 18.5 points per game
- Connor Withers, Forward: 11.3 points per game
- Barry Evans, Forward: 13.5 points per game
- Earl Timberlake, Guard: 15.5 points per game
Summary/Final Thoughts
Bryant is a very interesting match-up for the first round. Often, with mid-major teams that make the tournament, you expect to see an undersized group of sharpshooters. That's not the case with Bryant. Really, they play more like Michigan State in that their best strength is their rebounding. They are experienced, with their top players all transferring into Bryant from high-major programs like Memphis and St. John's, and they have a lot of size across the board.
However, Bryant went 0-4 this year against Quad 1 and 2 opponents, including a 22-point blowout loss to St. John's.
Like every NCAA Tournament game, Bryant shouldn't be overlooked, and this game will likely come down to which team can control the boards.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Previewing Michigan State's first NCAA Tournament opponent Bryant
Continue reading...
