Jared Grasso named finalist for Joe B. Hall Award

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -  Bryant University head men's basketball coach Jared Grasso has been named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award, given annually to the nation's top first-year head coach.

Grasso more than tripled Bryant's overall wins from last season, finishing 10-20 and 7-11 in Northeast Conference play. He led the Bulldogs to an NEC quarterfinal in which Bryant battled top-seeded Saint Francis U to a 67-63 decision in Loretto.

Grasso's work in his first year of Smithfield included a career year for NEC Third Team selection SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.), who averaged 15.1 points a night across 30 games.

Junior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) and freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) joined Townes in earning NEC honors as Grant earned a Third Team selection and  Kasperzyk earned a spot on the NEC All-Rookie Team.

The recipient of the Joe B. Hall award will be announced on April 5 at the College Insider Awards Event, in Minneapolis, the site of the 2019 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.