Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball

Last updated
Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball
Basketball current event.svg 2024–25 Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball team
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UniversityBryant University
Head coach Jamion Christian (1st season)
Conference America East
Location Smithfield, Rhode Island
Arena Chace Athletic Center
(capacity: 2,000)
Nickname Bulldogs
ColorsBlack and gold [1]
   
Uniforms
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Home
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Away


NCAA tournament runner-up
2005*
Other NCAA tournament results
Final Four2005*
Elite Eight2005*
Sweet Sixteen2004*, 2005*, 2007*
Appearances1978*, 1980*, 2004*, 2005*, 2006*, 2007*, 2008*, 2022, 2025
*at Division II level
Conference tournament champions
Northeast-10 Conference: 1980, 1997, 2004, 2005

Northeast Conference: 2022

America East Conference: 2025
Conference regular-season champions
Northeast-10 Conference: 1996, 2004

Northeast Conference: 2022

America East Conference: 2025

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 Jamion Christian and play their home games at the Chace Athletic Center. The Bulldogs have appeared twice in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, most recently in 2025.

Contents

History

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Bryant vs. Salem State in 1966
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Bryant vs. Syracuse in 2006
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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.

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. [4]

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. [5] This was Bryant's last season in the NEC, as the team moved to the America East Conference.

Bryant won the America East regular season title and America East Playoffs for the first time during the 2024-25 season, taking down Maine 77-59 in the final to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth. [6] [7]

Conference affiliations

Postseason

NCAA Division I Tournament results

Bryant has made two appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, with an overall record of 0–2.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
2022 16First FourNo. 16 Wright State L 82–93
2025 No. 15First RoundNo. 2 Michigan State L 62–87

NCAA Division II Tournament results

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

YearRoundOpponentResult
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 QuarterfinalsUMass LowellL 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.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1975 First roundWinona StateL 72–93

CBI results

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

YearRoundOpponentResult
2013 First roundRichmondL 71–76
2021 First roundCoastal CarolinaL 82–93

Season by Season Record

SeasonCoachOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Earl Shannon (NAIA Independent)(1963–1964)
1963–64Earl Shannon 12–11 
Earl Shannon:12-11 
Tom Duffy (NAIA Independent)(1964–1968)
1964–65Tom Duffy 16–8 
1965–66Tom Duffy 17–7 
1966–67Tom Duffy 22–0 NAIA District 32 Tournament
1967–68Tom Duffy 15–7 
Tom Duffy:70-22 
Tom Foliard (NAIA Independent)(1968–1977)
1968–69Tom Foliard 21–5
1969–70Tom Foliard 19–7
1970–71Tom Foliard 11–14
1971–72Tom Foliard 13–10
1972–73Tom Foliard 11–17
1973–74Tom Foliard 20–6
1974–75Tom Foliard 21–8
1975–76Tom Foliard 16–11
(NCAA Division II Independent)(1977–1978)
1976–77Tom Foliard 13–13
1977–78Tom Foliard 20–6NCAA Division II Regional
Tom Foliard:174-88 
Leon Drury (NCAA Division II Independent)(1978–1980)
1978–79Leon Drury 18–10
1979–80Leon Drury 20–7NCAA Division II Regional
(Northeast-10 Conference)(1980–2008)
1980–81Leon Drury 18–104–2
1981–82Leon Drury 14–125–7
1982–83Leon Drury 12–166–8
1983–84Leon Drury 6–212–12
1984–85Leon Drury 11–175–9
1985–86Leon Drury 11–214–10
1986–87Leon Drury 5–223–11
1987–88Leon Drury 6–243–15
1988–89Leon Drury 5–221–17
Leon Drury:126-18233–91
Ed Reilly (Northeast-10 Conference)(1989–2001)
1989–90Ed Reilly 3–242–16
1990–91Ed Reilly 8–189–9
1991–92Ed Reilly 3–242–16
1992–93Ed Reilly 7–184–14
1993–94Ed Reilly 15–149–9
1994–95Ed Reilly 10–167–11
1995–96Ed Reilly 13–148–8
1996–97Ed Reilly 18–1010–8
1997–98Ed Reilly 7–196–14
1998–99Ed Reilly 9–175–13
1999–00Ed Reilly 8–196–12
2000–01Ed Reilly 8–185–17
Ed Reilly:109-21173–147
Max Good (Northeast-10 Conference)(2001–2008)
2001–02Max Good 7–194–18
2002–03Max Good 17–1412–10
2003–04Max Good 23–1014–8NCAA Division II Third Round
2004–05Max Good 25–915–7NCAA Division II National Finalist
2005–06Max Good 21–1014–8NCAA Division II First Round
2006–07Max Good 21–1114–8NCAA Division II Third Round
2007–08Max Good 18–1312–10NCAA Division II Second Round
Max Good:132-8695–69
Tim O'Shea (Northeast Conference)(2008–2018)
2008–09 Tim O'Shea 8–21
2009–10 Tim O'Shea 1–291–1712th
2010–11 Tim O'Shea 9–217–11T–7th
2011–12 Tim O'Shea 2–281–1712th
2012–13 Tim O'Shea 19–1212–6T–2nd
2013–14 Tim O'Shea 18–1410–63rd
2014–15 Tim O'Shea 16–1512–6T–2nd
2015–16 Tim O'Shea 8–235–139th
2016–17 Tim O'Shea 12–209–9T–5th
2017–18 Tim O'Shea 3–282–1610th
Tim O'Shea:96-21159–101
Jared Grasso (Northeast Conference)(2018–2022)
2018–19 Jared Grasso 10–207–118th
2019–20 Jared Grasso 15–1710–4T–7th
2020–21 Jared Grasso 15–710–42nd
2021–22 Jared Grasso 22–1015–21st NCAA Tournament First Four
(America East Conference)(2022–present)
2022–23 Jared Grasso 17–138–8T–4th
Jared Grasso:62-5439–28
Phil Martelli Jr. (America East Conference)(2023–2025)
2023–24 Phil Martelli Jr. 20–1311–53rd
2024–25 Phil Martelli Jr. 23–1214–21st NCAA Tournament Round of 64
Phil Martelli Jr.:43-2525–7
Jamion Christian (America East Conference)(2025–present)
2025–26 Jamion Christian
Total:835–892

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. Bryant University Bulldogs Sports Information . Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "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. Wire, S. I. (October 8, 2015). "Bryant hoops coach Chris Burns comes out as gay". Sports Illustrated.
  5. Hill, Marta (March 9, 2022). "Bryant University wins Northeast Conference championship game after fan brawl". Boston.com. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  6. "Bryant 77-59 Maine (Mar 15, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  7. Healy, Emma. "Bryant knocks off Maine in America East Championship to earn NCAA Tournament bid". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2025-03-15.