October 28, 2009

PROVIDENCE JOURNAL: College hoop newcomers
www.projo.com

By Kevin McNamara
Journal Sports Writer

All too many times last season, first-year Bryant University basketball coach Tim O'Shea looked out on the floor and shrugged his shoulders at his team's fatal flaw.

Sophomore Papa Lo begins his first year at Bryant after transferring from UMass where the 6-foot-9 forward played as a freshman.

In their first year as a Division I program, the Bulldogs enjoyed some potent 3-point shooting, played hard on defense and found a way to score enough points to scratch out eight wins. But all too often, Bryant was physically outmatched in the size department. The Bulldogs were out-rebounded by seven rebounds a night but that didn't begin to tell the full story.

"We really didn't have one true big man and we're playing teams with 7-footers," said O'Shea. "Good big guys had their way with us."

To even the score up front, O'Shea and his assistant coaches have added significant reinforcements. Thanks to new players from Senegal (Papa Lo), Australia (Clay McMath) and the Ukraine (Vladyslav Kondratyev), the Bulldogs have a completely new look. Lo, a long-armed 6-9 center, looms as a shot-blocker in the lane if his damaged knees hold up. The 6-8 McMath, is a strong, impressive athlete whose father played at Bradley University and uncle is an ex-NFL player. Kondratyev, who stands 6-8 and boasts a powerful, 235-pound frame, is the most polished prospect. He's equally adept at finishing plays with dunks at the rim or stepping out and shooting 20-footers.

"Those three guys will all play a lot this year for us," said O'Shea. "Teams can't ignore us physically anymore."

A year ago, 6-5 forward Cecil Gresham led Bryant with 4.7 rebounds a game. Nick Pontes, a 6-6 New Bedford native, was the top inside scorer. Both players are back for their senior seasons but the addition of the newcomers adds some irreplaceable size to the lineup.

Lo spent last year at Bryant after transferring from UMass. He tore his ACL last fall and has spent the last 10 months working his way back to full form.

McMath is a product of the Australian Institute of Sport, a program that's sent stars like Paddy Mills (St. Mary's) to American colleges in recent years. "We really recruited him through the Internet," said O'Shea. "His mother [Rhonda] took Clay to Bryant on his official visit last spring. The trip took 22 hours. After that, we were the only school he saw so he signed."

Kondratyev grew up in Siberia but moved to the Ukraine for school. He was sent to Gainesville, Fla., where Bryant assistant coach Mike Kelly found him playing at The Rock School. "Mike knew a coach in Florida who had seen him and when we went to watch Vlad we were very, very surprised we could get him," said O'Shea. "He will make a major impact for us and I think he can be one of the better freshmen in New England."

Read more of Kevin McNamara's article at www.projo.com