SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Tim O’Shea knew all along that the journey into Division I was not going to be one of only success. At a time like this, that understanding is crucial.
The Bulldogs fell to 0-10 on the season with their loss to Columbia on Saturday. Watching the game, it was painfully obvious that nothing came easy for them at the offensive end, as they had one fast break basket the entire game and had to work very hard just to get a decent shot off most of the game. Some of that is attributable to Columbia’s defense, a point of focus for the Lions, but that wasn’t all of it. It tends to happen with a team that doesn’t have their best player as well as one of their more talented young players, which was the case on Saturday and may be the case a little longer.
Growing pains were sure to come this season with a group of freshmen entering the mix. Now, there is some added adversity for the Bulldogs. Leading scorer Cecil Gresham is battling two health issues at once and has missed four of the last five games, as he can’t lift his right arm all the way up due to a shoulder problem. Besides that, his knee has bothered him all season long, and now it’s at a point where he can’t play through it well, although he gave it all he could in playing all 40 minutes against St. Francis (NY) a week earlier. He was on the bench in street clothes on Saturday, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he opts for surgery and takes a medical redshirt.
Bryant has played a tough schedule with a full slate of Division I opponents. It’s only going to get tougher from here with Gresham likely out longer. That’s a big reason Erick Smith, who they planned to redshirt, is now playing and will see more minutes as the season goes along.
“In a situation like we’re in, if you take out your leading scorer, your leading rebounder and your best player out of the mix, it’s going to be difficult,” O’Shea said. “There’s no way around it.”
As if that’s not enough, Claybrin McMath also missed Saturday’s game. A long and active forward, he’s had the ups and downs freshmen usually have thus far, but he’s also being bothered by a knee problem and sat out Saturday’s game in street clothes as well. O’Shea said an MRI hasn’t been done yet, but the symptoms are similar to those of a cartilage tear, which would require surgery and probably a 6-8 week recovery and rehabilitation period. That would mean a return in late January or sometime in February, and it might just be practical to shut him down since by then the team will have spent all that time playing without him and it will be the latter part of the season. As such, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ultimately takes a medical redshirt.
As was the case last year, O’Shea isn’t taking to this the way many coaches might in this situation. It helps that there isn’t pressure to win right now, because the administration knows it’s not going to happen in a snap. O’Shea knows it’s about the long run, and he’s not unhappy with his team. If anything, he admits to feeling for his players, because he’s a veteran head coach and can deal with this, while for many players this is uncharted territory.
Up next for Bryant are six straight games on the road, the last two of which will be Northeast Conference games. Before that, it’s a brutal stretch with trips to Boston College, St. John’s, Indiana and Cornell. That’s a tough set of games to play without your leading scorer and a talented young player, but they are ready to play the games like they have been all along. It’s not as if this will be the first time they play a few tough teams.
“Maybe that’s part of paying the toll to go Division I, you get difficult schedules in the early years,” O’Shea reflected.
Through all of this, there are bright spots for Bryant. Freshman Raphael Jordan led the team in scoring for the second straight game and continues to grow at the point guard spot. Michael Chroney, a junior walk-on, got his second straight start and once again reached double figures, giving the team a high-energy player. Smith has shown some early promise as well, and Papa Lo has blocked 29 shots in 10 games and in less than 18 minutes per outing.
Those are among the reasons the coach is keeping more than an even keel through this.
“We’re more competitive this year than we were at the same stage a year ago, we just don’t have anything to show for it,” O’Shea said.
O’Shea knew what he was facing when he took the job. As the difficulty of winning in the immediate future ratchets up due to injuries, that knowledge is coming in handy more than ever. It should also help his players go through a season that will prove more challenging than first thought.
