March 10, 2008

BRYANT BASKETBALL NCAA TOURNEY NOTES ...

Game Day Notes (pdf) /  Watch Live Broadcast /  Live Stats  

Junior Jerrann Wright has reached double figures in scoring in the last three games including a double-double against Saint Rose last Monday. www.dspics.com

The Bryant University men's basketball team will make its FIFTH consecutive appearance (seventh overall) this weekend when the Bulldogs travel to Waltham, Mass. for the 2008 Northeast Regional hosted by top-seed and the nation's No. 1 team Bentley College.  Bryant (17-12) enters the eight-team regional as the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 seed C.W. Post (26-4) Saturday in the first round at 8:30 p.m.   The winner will face the winner of the Bentley and Merrimack game in the second round Sunday at 7:30 p.m.  The Regional Championship is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. EST at Bentley's Dana Center in Waltham, MA.  The regional champion will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight in Springfield, MA March 26-29 for the Division II Championship.

2008 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional @ Waltham, Mass.
Saturday, March 15
No. 3 Saint Rose (22-7) vs. No. 6 Philadelphia (22-10), 12 pm
No. 2 Assumption (22-10) vs. No. 7 Holy Family (21-9), 2:30 pm
No. 1 Bentley (30-0) vs. No. 8 Merrimack (17-11), 6 pm
No. 4 C.W. Post (26-4) vs. No. 5 Bryant (17-12), 8:30 pm

Sunday, March 16
Assumption/Holy Family winner
vs. St Rose / Philadelphia winner, 5:00 pm

Bentley /Merrimack winner
vs. Bryant/CW Post winner, 7:30 pm

Tuesday, March. 18
Regional Championship, 7 pm

BULLDOGS IN NCAA TOURNAMENTS

1978  vs. Merrimack      91-116  L  NCAA Regional First Round
 vs. Bridgeport  85-89  L (consolation game)
 
1980 vs. Springfield  78-91  L NCAA Regional First Round
 vs. Quinnipiac  97-102  L (consolation)

2004  (No. 7 Seed @ Lowell, MA)
 vs. #2 C.W. Post  65-63  W NCAA Regional First Round
 vs. #6 NYIT  64-60  W NCAA Regional Semifinal
 vs. #1 UMass Lowell 62-63  L NCAA Regional Final - Sweet Sixteen

2005 (No. 6 seed @ Waltham, MA)
 vs. #3 Adelphi  69-48  W NCAA Regional First Round
 vs. #7 Bloomfield  76-59  W NCAA Regional Semifinal
 vs. #1 Bentley  74-64  W NCAA Regional Final - Sweet Sixteen

 vs. Mount Olive  84-69  W NCAA Elite Eight - Grand Forks, ND
 vs. Tarelton State  60-55 W NCAA Final Four - Grand Forks, ND
 vs. Virginia Union  58-63  L NCAA Championship - Grand Forks, ND

2006 (No. 3 seed @ Easton, MA)
 vs. #6 UMass Lowell 67-77  L NCAA Regional First Round

2007 (No. 3 seed @ Waltham, MA)
 vs. #6 Adelphi  77-55  W NCAA Regional First Round
 vs. #2 Saint Rose  65-62 W NCAA Regional Semifinal
 vs. #1 Bentley  54-63  L NCAA Regional Final - Sweet Sixteen

NCAA Appearances:  7 total / 5 under coach Max Good
NCAA Record:   9- 8 all-time /  9-4 under coach Max Good
Three NCAA Sweet Sixteen Appearances (2004, 2005, 2007)
One NCAA Regional Title (2005)

BRYANT VS. C.W. POST
Bryant and C.W. Post met in the 2004 NCAA regional in Lowell, MA with the Bulldogs coming out on top 65-63.  The Bulldogs and Pioneers did not meet this season in the regular season but met last year in Brookville, NY with Bryant winning, 75-60 behind a career-high 30 points from Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ). Ezeokoli leads the team this year with 14.3 ppg while sophomore Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, CT) is next with 12.2 ppg and 4.4 rebounds per contest. 

LOOKING AT C.W. POST
The Pioneers captured the East Coast Conference Championship on Sunday defeating Adelphi 60-57 in the final thanks to 25 points from junior guard Jonathan Schmidt.  Schmidt leads the team wtih 20.1 ppg and 5.5 rebounds per game this season.  He has made 71 three-pointers while backcourt teammate Brandon Butler is next with 69 three's (11.7 ppg).  The Pioneers have won three straight and 19 of their last 21 games. 

MAX NEARING 500TH CAREER COLLEGIATE GAME COACHED
Seventh-year coach Max Good heads into Monday's game vs. Saint Rose with 131 coaching victories at Bryant, good for second all-time.  Tom Foliard is the all-time winningest coach with 174 victories from 1968 to 1978.  Saturday's game will be his 217th coaching at Bryant and his 464th game coached (not including his time at Maine Central Institute prep)  a career that has seen him head up programs at Eastern Kentucky and UNLV along with Bryant. 

BRYANT VS. NCAA FIELD
The Bulldogs are 2-7 against the NCAA Northeast Regional field this season, earning wins over Philadelphia and Merrimack.

vs. Bentley 45-68 L, 68-69 L
vs. Assumption 66-69 L,  72-74 L (ot)
vs. Philadelphia 61-53 W
vs. Merrimack 86-75 W, 60-79 L
vs. Saint Rose 72-85 L, 61-64 L
vs. Holy Family DNP
vs. CW Post DNP

STATSWISE VS. NCAA FIELD
Bryant is averaging 65.7 points per game in nine games against NCAA teams this year, allowing 70.7 ppg. Cecil Gresham is averaging 14.0 ppg including 26 points against Saint Rose. 
 
BRYANT TO JOIN NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Last October, Bryant officially accepted an invitation to join the Division I Northeast Conference.  The school will begin a four-year transition to Division I and become a full member of the Northeast Conference in the fall of 2012.  This will be Bryant's final season as a member of the Division II ranks and will begin a Division I schedule in 2008-09.  Bryant will not be eligible for conference or NCAA postseason play during the four-year transition period.  The Northeast Conference includes members:  Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis NY, St. Francis PA, and Wagner.