Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball

Bryant Bulldogs
2024–25 Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball team
UniversityBryant University
Head coachPhil Martelli Jr. (2nd season)
ConferenceAmerica East
LocationSmithfield, Rhode Island
ArenaChace Athletic Center
(capacity: 2,000)
NicknameBulldog
ColorsBlack and gold[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament runner-up
2005*
NCAA tournament Final Four
2005*
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
2005*
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
2004*, 2005*, 2007*
NCAA tournament round of 32
1978*, 1980*, 2004*, 2005*, 2007*, 2008*
NCAA tournament appearances
1978*, 1980*, 2004*, 2005*, 2006*, 2007*, 2008*, 2022
*at Division II level
Conference tournament champions
1980, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2022
Conference regular season champions
1996, 2004, 2022

The Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Bryant University in NCAA Division I men's basketball. The team currently competes in the America East Conference. They are led by head coach Phil Martelli Jr. and play their home games at the Chace Athletic Center.

History

Bryant vs. Salem State in 1966
Bryant vs. Syracuse in 2006
Bryant vs. Brown in 2023. Pictured: Earl Timberlake

Bryant University competed in the NAIA as an NAIA independent program from 1963 until 1976 as the Bryant College Indians before the college became a member of the NCAA Division II level in 1977. Bryant's most successful season during the college's tenure in the NAIA came in the 1966–67 season when the team recorded an undefeated regular season, going 22–0 before losing the final two games of the 1966–67 season in the District 32 Tournament.[2] The 22–2 overall record was the team's best during the NAIA years.[2] The 22 wins set a team high win streak that still stands as a school record as of 2012.[2] And the 22 total wins was not eclipsed until the 2003–04 season.[2]

Within a few seasons of transitioning to NCAA Division II, the college became a charter member of the Northeast-10 Conference in 1980.[3]

In 2008, Bryant began the transition to Division I with former Ohio University coach Tim O'Shea. The 2012–13 season marked the first year Bryant was eligible for the postseason, in which they qualified for the 2013 College Basketball Invitational.

O'Shea retired following the 2017–18 season and Jared Grasso was named head coach on April 2, 2018. Grasso orchestrated one of the nation's best turnarounds in his first season in Smithfield, improving the Bulldogs to a 10-win total after inheriting a squad that went 3–28 the prior season. Grasso was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Coach of the Year Award, given to the nation's top first-year head coach. The Bulldogs would continue to improve in 2019–20, rising to 15 victories including a win over Fordham in December. Grasso would then lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back Northeast Conference Championship games in 2020-21 and 2021–22, as well as winning the school's first ever NEC regular season championship in 2022. The 2022 NEC Championship game against Wagner resulted in not only Bryant winning their first ever NEC tournament championship, but they also clinched their first appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament.[4] This was Bryant's last season in the NEC, as the team moved to the America East Conference.

Postseason

NCAA Division I Tournament results

Bryant has made one appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, with an overall record of 0–1.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
2022 16 First Four No. 16 Wright State L 82–93

NCAA Division II Tournament results

The Bulldogs have appeared in seven NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their combined record is 10–9.

Year Round Opponent Result
1978 Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game		 Merrimack
Bridgeport		 L 91–116
L 85–89
1980 Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game		 Springfield
Quinnipiac		 L 78–91
L 97–102
2004 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional Finals		 C.W. Post
New York Tech
UMass Lowell		 W 65–63
W 64–60
L 62–63
2005 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game		 Adelphi
Bloomfield
Bentley
Mount Olive
Tarleton State
Virginia Union		 W 69–48
W 76–59
W 74–64
W 84–69
W 60–55
L 58–63
2006 Regional Quarterfinals UMass Lowell L 67–77
2007 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional Finals		 Adelphi
Saint Rose
Bentley		 W 77–55
W 65–62
L 54–63
2008 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional semifinals		 C.W. Post
Bentley		 W 63–56
L 41–60

NAIA Tournament results

The Bulldogs have appeared in one NAIA Tournament. Their record is 0–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
1975 First round Winona State L 72–93

CBI results

The Bulldogs have appeared twice in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their record is 0–2.

Year Round Opponent Result
2013 First round Richmond L 71–76
2021 First round Coastal Carolina L 82–93

Coaches

Phil Martelli Jr. began as head coach in November 2023

Bryant University has had nine basketball coaches during its history:

Head Coach Years Record Win %
Earl Shannon 1963–64 12–11 .522
Tom Duffy 1964–68 70–22 .761
Tom Foliard 1968–78 174–88 .664
Leon Drury 1978–89 126–182 .410
Ed Reilly 1989–01 109–209 .343
Max Good 2001–08 133–85 .607
Tim O'Shea 2008–2018 96–210 .314
Jared Grasso 2018–2023 72–58 .554
Phil Martelli Jr. 2023-present 17-9 .654
Totals 1963–present 809–874 .481

In 2015, Bryant University assistant basketball coach Chris Burns came out as gay, making him the first openly gay coach in Division I men's basketball.[5]

Record Book

Year-by-year

Season Record Head Coach Playoff Appearance
1963–64 12–11 Earl Shannon
1964–65 16–8 Tom Duffy
1965–66 17–7 Tom Duffy
1966–67 22–0 Tom Duffy
1967–68 15–7 Tom Duffy
1968–69 21–5 Tom Foliard
1969–70 19–7 Tom Foliard
1970–71 11–14 Tom Foliard
1971–72 13–10 Tom Foliard
1972–73 20–6 Tom Foliard
1973–74 20–8 Tom Foliard
1974–75 21–8 Tom Foliard
1975–76 16–11 Tom Foliard
1976–77 13–13 Tom Foliard
1977–78 20–6 Tom Foliard Round of 32
1978–79 18–10 Leon Drury
1979–80 20–7 Leon Drury Round of 32
1980–81 18–10 Leon Drury
1981–82 14–12 Leon Drury
1982–83 12–16 Leon Drury
1983–84 6–21 Leon Drury
1984–85 11–17 Leon Drury
1985–86 11–21 Leon Drury
1986–87 5–22 Leon Drury
1987–88 7–23 Leon Drury
1988–89 4–23 Leon Drury
1989–90 3–24 Ed Reilly
1990–91 8–18 Ed Reilly
1991–92 3–22 Ed Reilly
1992–93 7–18 Ed Reilly
1993–94 15–14 Ed Reilly
1994–95 10–16 Ed Reilly
1995–96 13–14 Ed Reilly
1996–97 18–10 Ed Reilly
1997–98 7–19 Ed Reilly
1998–99 9–17 Ed Reilly
1999–00 8–19 Ed Reilly
2000–01 8–18 Ed Reilly
2001–02 7–19 Max Good
2002–03 17–14 Max Good
2003–04 23–10 Max Good Sweet Sixteen
2004–05 25–9 Max Good Championship Game
2005–06 21–10 Max Good Elite Eight
2006–07 21–11 Max Good Sweet Sixteen
2007–08 19–12 Max Good Sweet Sixteen
2008–09 8–21 Tim O'Shea *
2009–10 1–29 Tim O'Shea *
2010–11 9–21 Tim O'Shea *
2011–12 2–26 Tim O'Shea *
2012–13 19–12 Tim O'Shea CBI first round
2013–14 18–14 Tim O'Shea NEC Quarterfinals
2014–15 16–15 Tim O'Shea NEC Semifinals
2015–16 8–23 Tim O'Shea
2016–17 12–20 Tim O'Shea NEC Quarterfinals
2017–18 3–28 Tim O'Shea
2018–19 10–20 Jared Grasso NEC Quarterfinals
2019–20 15–17 Jared Grasso NEC Quarterfinals
2020–21 15–6 Jared Grasso CBI Quarterfinals
2021–22 22–10 Jared Grasso NCAA Tournament First Four
2022–23 17–13 Jared Grasso American East Quarterfinals
  • Note: From 2008 to 2012 Bryant was ineligible for NCAA post season play during transition to NCAA Division I.

References

  1. ^ Bryant University Bulldogs Sports Information. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "2006–07 Bryant Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Bryant University. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  3. ^ "The History of the Northeast-10 Conference". Northeast-10 Conference. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Hill, Marta (March 9, 2022). "Bryant University wins Northeast Conference championship game after fan brawl". Boston.com. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  5. ^ Wire, S. I. (October 8, 2015). "Bryant hoops coach Chris Burns comes out as gay". Sports Illustrated.