Men’s hoops position breakdown: The Big Men
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Though the majority of the scoring will come from the guards and their ability to create and move fast in transition, the Bryant University men's basketball team has a collection of versatile and agile big men that will provide a nice complement to the backcourt.
"We have great depth in the frontcourt this season as well with a handful of talent," said head coach Tim O'Shea. "The forwards have the ability to run the floor and play well off of our guards which should allow our offense to push. Everyone will ultimately need to figure out how to play together, but we feel that we should be able to develop strong chemistry early on."
The Bulldogs return sophomore Marcel Pettway (North Providence, R.I.), who is fresh off of one of the best freshman campaigns in program history. The reigning Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year appeared in 30 games and earned 24 starts, including the final 22 games. He became the second freshman in program history to earn NEC Rookie of the Year honors thanks to his 11.4 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game season, ranking fourth and first among NEC rookies in the two categories, respectively.
Pettway registered the fifth-most double-doubles in the league with eight, including a career high of 26 points at Fairleigh Dickinson on January 4 to go along with 11 rebounds. He shot an impressive 59.7 percent from the floor in 2015-16, ranking third in the conference and it was the fifth-highest shooting percentage for a single season in program history.
Aiding Pettway on the frontline is senior leader Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.), who returns for his final year and third as a starter. Garvin averaged 10.2 points per game and the seventh-most rebounds per game in the NEC at 8.0 in 2015-16. He's Bryant's top rim protector, as he blocked the fourth-most shots per game in the league at 1.35.
Garvin finished third in the conference in offensive caroms per game at 3.23, snared 10 or more rebounds on seven occasions and recorded five double-doubles to sit second on the team. He led the squad in rebounding 15 times and in scoring six times, including a career high of 25 points at Sacred Heart on January 30, when he also made a personal best of 10 shots from the floor.
"We have two cornerstone players up front between Dan and Marcel," said O'Shea. "They are both powerfully built with great size, strength and experience."
Junior Gus Riley (Nelson, New Zealand) flashed signs of something special last year, posting 18 points against Prairie View A&M on November 20 and 12 at Mount St. Mary's on January 9. But he really asserted himself over the final two games, averaging 13.5 points. He netted a career high of four triples in the season finale at LIU Brooklyn on February 27, and will look to stretch the floor from the perimeter with his 6-foot-8 frame once again in 2016-17.
Also returning is classmate Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia), whose skillset is multi-dimensional and impactful in many areas. Following a strong tail end to his first full season, Kostur appeared in 20 games as a sophomore and averaged 4.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.0 minutes. Standing at 6-foot-7, he can play on the perimeter or the interior.
Bryant added a pair of freshmen big men who can step in and contribute. Sebastian Townes (Norfolk, Va.) stands at 6-foot-6 and has a broad stature which aids him in his ability to rebound and play inside. Monty Urmilevicius (Grace, Md.) will provide added length coming off the bench.
"Sebastian is off to a great start, Bosko has had some good minutes and has a lot of talent along with Gus, who came on strong towards the end of last year, so there's a nice competition for time off the bench," said O'Shea.