Thomas Bryant’s motor never stops. Whether it’s running the floor
on a fast break or using his 7’5” wing span to create havoc in the full court
press, Bryant is always moving at full speed. The 6’9” power forward is
currently a five-star recruit and sits at No. 11 in Scout.com’s 2015 rankings.
He recently played in his first EYBL tournament in Sacramento with
Team Scan. While Bryant’s performance was fairly quiet averaging just 7.3
points and 6.7 rebounds per game he did finish with a block percentage of 6.4%.
“It’s been going good,” said Bryant when asked about his EYBL
experience. “I’m just getting into the flow of things, playing against bigger
and stronger competition.”
This past season before his junior year started, Bryant
transferred from Bishop Kearney in Rochester, NY to Huntington Prep in West
Virginia. As a sophomore, Bryant played an integral part in Bishop Kearney’s
state championship run averaging 13.7 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks per
game while earning third team All-State. In order to improve his game he
transferred to Huntington Prep where he played against national competition and
went up against high major players in practice each day.
“It helped me a lot in my overall improvement of the game,
rebounding, scoring, talking on defense,” said Bryant. “They put me in a place
where I can succeed. I just want to keep getting better both offensively and
defensively. Never lose that motor on offense and defense. Always talking.
There is always room for improvement.”
In AAU play, Bryant teams with 6’9” shot blocker Cheick Diallo, another five-star big
man in the class of 2015. “Oh it’s great,” said Bryant. “We’ve got another shot
blocker down there, which helps out. It’s a dynamic duo.”
Bryant plays the point man in Team Scan’s full-court and
half-court press using his wing span and height to cause chaos and turnovers.
While known for his rebounding and defense, Bryant is also trying to improve
his offensive game. Right now, Bryant is still raw in the post but uses his
broad shoulders to overpower defenders at time down low. In addition, he also
hit a three in Sacramento and was often playing in the high-lo with Diallo.
“I’ve been working on the outside a bit,” said Bryant. “Even when they double
down on Cheick I’ve been working on hitting that 15 footer.”
Recruiting:
For a Top 15 prospect, you would imagine that schools would be all
over Bryant, but so far that really hasn’t been the case. In April, Bryant
talked about a top six which included Kansas, Ohio State, Syracuse, Florida,
North Carolina, and Kentucky. When asked who was recruiting him the hardest,
Bryant recently replied “Nobody really. Nobody has been recruiting me the
hardest. I know West Virginia is recruiting me pretty hard, along with Syracuse
and Kansas.”
Bryant has a close connection to Syracuse given his New York roots
while former Bishop Kearney teammate, Chinonso
Obokoh who will be a redshirt-freshman next season.
Bryant took a visit to Ohio State in the winter, but has not had
much contact with North Carolina. “Nah, I have not heard anything from them
yet,” noted Bryant. “I’ve gotten some letters from them, but that is about it.
Yeah, I would be interested. I would really be interested in hearing from
them.”
Bryant is about to start his second EYBL tournament this weekend
in Dallas and has a busy spring and summer ahead of him. Along with the
tournaments with Team Scan, Bryant will also be participating in the Pangos
All-American Camp, the Nike LeBron James camp, and the USA U17 Men’s Training
Camp.
Bryant might have started slow in the spring, but with his motor
he will be sure to make an impact in the near future.
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