Men’s hoops position breakdown: The Guards
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team returns its top two scorers from a season ago in guards Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) and Hunter Ware (Powder Springs, Ga.) and it added even more depth to a young, athletic and talented position.
The game of basketball has become a guard-driven sport, particularly at the college level, as teams are often starting three and sometimes four guards. A guard has led the Bulldogs in scoring in all but two seasons since the program joined the Division I ranks.
"We feel this is a real strength of our team this year," said head coach Tim O'Shea. "We have firepower on both the offensive and defensive ends. We've got a ton of athleticism and quickness on the offensive side which will certainly help us defensively, and based on the players we have in the backcourt, we should be able to shoot well all season."
Zouzoua, the reigning NEC All-Rookie Team selection, just edged out Ware for the team lead with 12.8 points per game in 2015-16. He scored double-figures in 20 contests and averaged 19.3 points per effort over the final month of the year, capping off a stellar rookie campaign with a career-best 29 points behind seven threes at LIU Brooklyn.
Ware netted 12.7 points per game a season ago and is expected to improve even more in his third season. He led the team with two made threes per game, scored over 20 points four times including games at Duke and at Michigan, and headed all Bulldogs with 21 double-digit scoring performances.
"One of the biggest things for both Nisre and Hunter is all the experience they gained last year," said O'Shea. "Nisre has gotten a lot stronger physically and he certainly has carried his momentum from the end of last year into the preseason and Hunter has really used his experience over his two years to become more of a leader both on and off the court."
Bryant also returns a pair of senior guards in Justin Brickman (San Antonio, Texas) and Terrill Toe (Providence, R.I.). Brickman played in 19 games last year serving as the backup point guard, as he averaged just under 10 minutes per game, while Toe appeared in 14 games. Sophomore Taylor McHugh (Centreville, Va.) saw action in 19 games last season and averaged 2.6 minutes per contest.
"Taylor has made a lot of progress and the hard work he has put in is showing," said O'Shea. "Justin is a guy that understands the point guard position and he can be an excellent mentor to some of the younger guys along with Terrill."
The biggest loss for the Bulldogs came at point guard, as Shane McLaughlin ('16) graduated. He was not only the team's top facilitator and floor general, but he paced the Northeast Conference with 5.3 assists per game. McLaughlin was also a stalwart, accumulating over 36 minutes on the floor per game, as he finished his career with 125 games played and 69 consecutive starts.
O'Shea will try to make up for the loss with the addition of two talented and athletic freshmen, both expected to have key roles. Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) is shaping up to be the new man at point guard, while Adam Grant (Norfolk, Va.) will likely provide a significant spark off the bench. Also in line to see quality minutes is freshman Tanner Johnson (Lexington, Ky.), who comes in as a scoring threat and additional outside shooter.
"Adam and Ikenna are off to tremendous starts," said O'Shea. "We feel they have the potential to be great players in a short time. They have the work ethic and athletically can compete with any guard in the conference. The upside for both is very promising, as well as Tanner, who has a terrific shot and he is working each day on becoming a more all-around player."
The Bulldogs tip things off in the 2016-17 season this Saturday, November 12 at Notre Dame with start time scheduled for 12:00 p.m.