The Day finally came!!!! My departure flight was from Split, Croatia at 615am.  From my apartment, it takes almost two hours to get to the airport.  So, I left my apartment at 3am in order to get to the airport on time.  I decided to fool around on the computer until it was time to leave since I wouldn't have gotten much sleep anyway.  By the time I got onto the plane I was  exhausted.   I barely remember my first two flights - Split, Croatia to Zagreb, Croatia and from Zagreb to Frankfurt, Germany.   The most difficult flight was from Germany to Atlanta.  9 HOURS!!!!  I slept a lot, ate a lot and watched part of the flight movie, "Australia."  Not a bad movie.  Even with the long flight, cramped quarters, and bad food, nothing could break my spirits about returning to Atlanta.  When we finally arrived I thought I was home free.  Wrong!! I forgot about customs and security.  After another hour or so I finally made it through the "zoo" and saw my mom and brother at the baggage claim waiting for me.  We got out of the airport pretty quickly and immediately went to Olive Garden to satisfy 5 months of "food fantasies".  The chicken alfredo was everything I thought it could be and more! 

As for being home, the past week has been nice and relaxing, but I would be lying if I said I was not ready to get back to work.  I am working on my plans and schedule for the next couple months right now so I cannot say exactly what is next except I will begin working out on the court and in the weight room again on Monday.  I do not have a car, phone, or house right now so it has been pretty difficult getting back in the loop.  But I hear horror stories about guys paying extreme amounts of money on car and house notes they have that they do not even use.  I am going to wait until i get a more clear plan of where I will be spending most of my time this summer before I make any long term investments.  However, there is no excuses for my procrastination on getting a phone, so I will be hooked up shortly.!

***PLEASE SIGN THE GUESTBOOK AND LET BRYAN KNOW YOU VISITED THE SITE*** THANKS! 

Posted by bryan at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well the last week things have been very interesting for me over here in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  1 week ago I played my final game here.  I recorded 6 minutes in the game, and I was concerned about the severe decrease in playing time that I have seen.  I decided to approach the coach in a business like manner just to find out what happened, and if there was something that I was doing wrong. I didn't really get a clear answer.  After further discussion with the coach it was a mutual decision to part ways.  Although I'm not all the way pleased that I am no longer with the team.  The decision was necessary.  After coach Vrankovic quit (the coach who brought me in), things changed within the team and after discussing my "new" role with the new coach he also felt the same way.  There is no bad feelings between the club and I and I am sure they feel the same way.  It was a business decision on both ends. I hope the city of Siroki and the club found my performance satisfying in the time that they were in need of my help.  I thank the management and coaching staff of Siroki Eronet and the city for the opportunity to play for a great club. From my time here I have learned that sometimes in Europe it just turns out this way.  Friends of mine have told me this and now I am now experiencing it myself.  I am pulling for the team to bring home the championship because I know how hard they have worked and how up and down the season has been for us all. Because of my contribution to the team, I will continue to feel connected.  Also, my two dudes are still playing --Chet Mason, Charles Thomas.  With those two guys the team will do very well.  Although my season with Siroki has ended sooner than expected I still got a season of European basketball under my belt and now feel like I have quite a bit of experience.  Also, I am very excited about my return to the USA--- it will be an unbelievable feeling when I step of that airplane.  I'm just trying to figure out what food I'm going to eat first!!!! ANY SUGGESTIONS??? Leave Suggestions in COMMENTS!!!!! THANKS.  The details of departure are being worked out.

CHECK OUT MY COMPLETE HIGHLIGHT TAPE FOR THE 2008-2009 SEASON AT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0rmmsP9TZw

***Due to YouTube's copyright policies they pick music for you ***If foul language in music offends you please click your mute button before starting video***

Posted by bryan at 06:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

If you are offended by cursing in music please click the mute on your volume controls. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qwlhk99YS8

Posted by bryan at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Since the last entry we have had two games beginning league 8.  The first one was vs. Sloboda Dita who finished just ahead of us (3rd) in the regular season.  We beat them by about 10 points and looked really good as a team.  We have added two new players, one pg and one big man.  Both nice additions to the team.  The big guy goes by the name of Ivan Grgat and is supposedly a legend in Croatia.  I didn't believe it until his first game with us when he was absolutely unstoppable.  He is not athletic, looks out of shape, 34 years old, but is flat out STRONG and can play.  Great for our team and definitely an inside presence that we were missing.  The pg is Chester Mason who went to Miami of Ohio, and has been in the game for a while being 28 years old this year.  He is a very good athlete and stands about 6ft 4 so he has some size.  Also a good adddition to the team bc who cant use a big guard?  Anyway getting to the second game we played on Tuesday vs. Bosna.  Bosna is based out of the capital of Bosnia, Sarejevo.  They are rated as the best team in the league and played their season in the Adriatic League (very good league) until we began our league 8 and then they joined back in our league.  So, we had them beat but  made some very bad mistakes in the closing seconds of regulation and allowed them to force overtime where they carried the momentum and buried us.   I only played 10 minutes in the game, but sometimes, in Europe, thats how it goes.  You don't always know why, but you just keep plugging away and being a good teammate, because the time will come again where you have to perform at a high level.  So, with all that said, I want to get back to the title of this entry "Surprises." The title is very necessary.  After the loss, the city took it very hard as did us as players.  We had practice the next day at 6pm.  When I arrived at the gym there was a buzz, but no a good one.  Coach quit!!!  I was extremely surprised and this caught me way off guard!  The president of the club came to talk to us and then coach talked to us.  The translation I got wasn't very clear but I know there was a lot of pressure on him and I believe some things happened behind the scenes that I don't know about.  Pretty disappointing considering he brought me in and put the ball in my hand, but its one of those things that reminds me that this is a business and you have to treat it that way.  Although I am disappointed, frustrated, and nervous its important to stay focused on the task at hand (winnning) in order to reach the goals I have and in order to reach the goals of our team.  There is no doubt in my mind that Coach will get another job in the future, because he is a good coach.  So its just another day in European basketball -- You never know whats going to happen next !!!! Next game Sunday !!!!

****IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED THE GUESTBOOK PLEASE DO*******CHECK OUT HIGHLIGHT TAPE IN LAST ENTRY******

Posted by bryan at 05:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So living in Siroki has been quite different the last couple months.  Just the European culture alone is very different, but you throw in a tiny city on the line of bosnia and croatia in the mix and things can get extremely interesting.  Although there is not much to do here, everybody has been welcoming and sensitive to the fact this is my first job in Europe.  The days are very tough because we mostly practice 2x a day and sometimes lift weights as well.  When I am not practicing or working out I am usually in my apartment with my feet up resting for whatever is next.  I would have to say the most difficult adjustment since I have been here has been the food.  I have not been able to follow my diet as I would like due to the lack of options.  I eat a lot of cereal (special K).  Due to the fact that I have not been able to eat as well as I would like to, I have found it to be important to make sure I am at least eating adequate amounts of food.  So, at this point I am eating whatever I can get my hands on!!  However, I do have to say that Siroki treats their players very well and they have done everything they said they would do before I got here.  I have a very nice apartment, car, phone, etc.  So there is no complaints as far as that.  Enough about all that, on to some basketball.

We just wrapped up the regular season and we finished 4th among 15 teams in the league.  However, since I have been here we have steadily moved up in the standings.  We will begin the final 8 on Saturday.  The way this works (pay attention) is the top 8 teams move on and the remaining teams' seasons are over.  Each of the 8 teams will play the other remaining teams 2x each- home and away.  We will play 2 games a week - Wednesday and Saturday.  So, that is a total of 14 games.  Following this, the 4 teams with the best records will move on to the final 4.  It is to my understanding that in the final four each game will be a best of 3 series.  That brings us to the Championship game which will also be a best of 3 series.  Got it?  All of this is confusing to me, so I am sure if your not familiar with the system it is a bit confusing, but I will be updating the blog regularly during this last stretch so everybody can keep up with me and Siroki Eronet. 

In my down time I put together a highlight tape from 4 of my games.  You can see it by clicking on the link   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhx639YMh4k

Thanks for all the Support in the GuestBook and the comments..Keep it COMING!!!

Posted by bryan at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HKK SIROKI ERONET!!!

  This is a special blog to address "Siroki" who responded to the previous blog.  I apologize for incorrectly reporting the name of Bryan's new team.  I was trying to update his fans and misunderstood the name.

I stand corrected. 

Posted by bryan at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

OFF TO EUROPE

I am writing this blog entry for Bryan, per his request, to those of you who have been keeping up with his road to success. 

Bryan signed a contract just before Christmas to play for a team in Europe.  He was officially cleared to step on the court with no restrictions at the first of December.  His agent, Andrew Vye of ASM presented Bryan with a contract to play for Bosnia Eronet in Bosnia and he accepted.  Within a week he was packed and left for Bosnia.  He departed on December 26, 2008.  Since arriving he has been making adjustments to his new life in Europe and enjoying the new culture and above all, his new team, including the players, coach and staff!  Also, since arriving he has already been an important part of his teams success.  (As if we would expect anything different!)  His ability to control the game and his explosiveness have returned.  Bryan said they had a very important game and it placed them in the final four within one of the leagues (they play within two different leagues).  Some of you might understand how this works in Europe, but I for one do not!  I haven't figured out the workings of the European League.  I will try to get better informed through Bryan. 

His contract ends at the end of the season, which is in May.  At that time his agent will have the next career move options available for him. 

I hope everyone will continue to comment and sign his guestbook. 

Bryan will be blogging as soon as his laptop arrives.  At this time he doesn't have the ability to write on here.  He is able to see this website and read comments on both this blog and the guestbook.  

Take a peek at the newest page in his website, "Off To Europe".  They will keep up with his progress and news on this page.  

Thanks To All,

Bry's MOM

Posted by bryan at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

So I have been staying back in kennesaw now and the last week or so I have really been focused in the weight room.  Gaining strength and adding some lean muscle in order to be able to take on the grind of a season when the opportunity arises.  I haven't been able to find any good pick up games because almost all players are in season right now- from high school all the way up to the nba.  Not many teams are too excited about permitting me to practice with them because they are in the middle of the season and there are rules and liabilities involved, which I understand.  So, instead of going to the gym by myself and not getting the most out of my days I have traveled down here to Bradenton Florida to work out with my guy Dan Barto.  I have mentioned Dan's name on here before and how effective he is when it comes to skill development and just all-out knowledge of the game.  I got here late last night and I already had one workout this morning, which I don't think I was properly hydrated for!!  However, I am excited because I haven't been able to work out on the court more than once a day since I have been back.  When I have multiple workouts in a day it really creates a focus for recovery similar to what you would go through in a long season.  Especially if I go overseas where they are known for their long practices multiple times throughout a day. 

I am glad to be here so I can bury myself in basketball.  I have found it to be very effective to change things up, especially when you feel yourself getting comfortable in routine.  Not to leave out that it is almost 80 degrees here today.  Im not sure how long I will be here because I could get signed somewhere as early as tomorrow or in a couple weeks.  I've heard from a couple teams overseas but no decisions have been made yet.  I am just waiting on the phone call that will put me on an airplane (going somewhere!!) so I might as well be prepared to step in and play without much practice time with a particular team. 

Posted by bryan at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Wow! It has been such a long time since I posted something on the website.  I will be posting regularly again so I hope everybody finds time to check the site for updates and use the message boards to talk amongst each other about anything that may come up.  With that said, many things have happened in the past couple months and I want to take the time to get everybody caught up.  During a pre draft workout I ran into some knee problems that I had to have taken care of immediately.  Obviously, the decision to do this dropped my stock a ton because I was not able to work out for any teams nor was I able to negotiate any deals because I wasn't 100%.  I spent the next couple months living in Pensacola florida where I was able to both rehabilitate as well as keep my body in prime shape.  To anybody who runs into injuries- major or minor- I recommend checking out the facilities in Gulf Breeze Florida.  It is called Athletes Performance and Baptist Rehabilitation.  They work together to make sure your body is being taken care of with attention to rehab, weights, speed, agility, power, conditioning, performance, nutrition, and anything else you may need or want when training.  I made the decision to work out 8 hour days (including breakfast, lunch, and dinner breaks) in order to get back to 100% as well as work on my strength and movement patterns.  When I left there in October my body was completely transformed as far as the way i moved and I gained 10 lbs while losing 2 % body fat.  It was a very difficult experience but very necessary in order to get to the next step in my career. 

As I said before I left Florida in October just on time to attend my sister's wedding.  Her and her new husband are from Arizona but decided to have their wedding in Georgia which was very nice.  I couldn't have been happier for the two of them and wish them the best of luck.  In order to prepare for the wedding and attend I took 3 days off and after that it was right back to training.  Although, I was done in florida I began my on the court training again to get my coordination and wind back.  So I have spent the last month and a half working out with Ken Potasnak in Atlanta who recently ended his stint as the South Carolina asst coach.  We had around 30 sessions of intense training and conditioning, while I lifted weights and worked on movement stuff in between.  He is very intelligent when it comes to skill development and shooting mechanics so I enjoyed working with him.   See November's issue of ESPN the magazine because he has an article in there.  I had my last session with him this past saturday.  I had to do some shooting drills and pass a conditioning test, which i did, in order to be free from those. 

It actually upsets me that I was able to sum up the last couple months above in two paragraphs because it seems like so much more has happened but I think it is just all the attention to detail i have had to deal with in all this.  I got cleared yesterday to start playing live 5 on 5 so I am extremely excited about that.  My next challenge is finding organized basketball for the next couple weeks to get my timing back.  The plan is to sign a deal in the next month but one thing i have learned in this whole time of recovery is you can't look to far forward.  In fact, I find it detramental to even take it day by day.  It has to be minute by minute and rep by rep or I will sell myself short at this point.  I know everyone reading this is like - O I know Bryan has been doing more than this-- and actually it may be sad to some, but with all honesty this is all i have done and I have just made myself even more hungry.  So, hopefully from here on out I can keep everybody updated on what is going on in my life and I know there is several people that hoped i dropped off the face of the Earth but Im sorry, I have only just began.   

*** PLEASE SIGN THE GUESTBOOK IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY AND FEEL FREE TO USE THE MESSAGE BOARDS ***

Posted by bryan at 03:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Plans have changed a bit in the last couple of days.  I am still fighting with some injuries that I endured during the season and I am not able to train with the intensity that I want so I have chill out a little bit and get it looked at.  The Portsmouth rosters came out on April 4th and as I suspected I didn't make one.  8 teams of 8 seniors and I wasn't one of them.  The situation is a disappointing one, but when I reflect back on my senior season I definitely gave everything I could to my team and school.  I did not sell my team short, as some do, by talking to agents or by recieving any favors.  Although this may have been a bit more beneficial in the short-run, I think doing things the right way is much more important.  In addition to that, I also accomplished many individual/team goals that I set after my junior season. 

I played well against some of the best teams in the country with

@UNC 25pts 5assts 

@Tennessee 21points 5assts

@Ohio State 17pts 5assts 3steals

As a team we We were able to go on the road to South Carolina and win (guarenteed game)

We were the regular season champions of the Big South after being picked 5th preseason

Made it to the postseason (NIT)

I made 1st team All conference

NCCSIA 2nd team

All-Tournament Team 

Led the conference in FT shooting 2nd year in a row

I even got an article in the Atlanta Journal- which is pretty big considering I have been in school for 5 years now and this is the first one. 

These were a couple notable goals that I had for myself and my teammates that were achieved.  Of course there were some goals that my team and I fell short of but we, in the midst of aiming high, accomplished a lot. 

I bring up the topic "the right way" because there is a lot more to playing pro basketball than just playing basketball.  After talking to several agents and many people in the pro basketball world (NBA and Overseas),  I have learned what a pro really is.  A pro is a person who does the right things and prepares himself for the next day, everyday.  A pro is aware that surrounding himself with family and the right people is very important in having a lasting career.  However, there are many exceptions to the rule when a guy's talent level is through the roof.  

I was fortunate enough to surround myself with family and people who care.  I also had a good relationship with a loyal coach who believed in me. Not many players in the country had these experiences and I am thankful for them because they are a jumpstart to what I am trying to do.

Its very tough taking this break right now but I have been learning new things about the basketball world everyday and I will continue to listen and aim high. 

Posted by bryan at 08:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The agent selection process has been long and grueling.  It makes today a much more laid back one considering I just signed.  I chose ASM Sports to represent me.  I heard many good things from many good people but at the end of the day I have to consider my situation and who is best for me.  ASM was the best choice. 

I found out that I am an alternate right now for the Portsmouth Invitational.  I am a bit dissappointed that I didn't get the "clean" invite considering it is the best 60 seniors in America.  However, there is two ways to respond to this news: 1)  Sulk about it and continue to take time off until I hear about something that is concrete.  or 2) Understand the opportunity that has presented itself and prepare my body and my game for a tough camp. I have decided to go with option number 2.  It is a 50/50 possibility that I will get a call and an invite to PIT and if I wasn't prepared for it - I would definitely regret not being at my best in front of some important people.  With that said, I have began to train and get my body back into shape.  My injuries aren't 100% still, but like I said before - these type of opportunities only come so often, if they ever come at all.  Of course a lot of my critics look at it from a different point of view- what if you don't get an invite? My answer is easy-- thats okay!!!  It won't change my outlook on training and preparation one bit.  Sleep is about to get extremely limited the next couple weeks!- - time to grind!!!

Posted by bryan at 08:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have continued to rest my feet and will probably do this until the middle of next week.  I have really enjoyed the rest but at the same time I am very eager to get back out on the court and do some work.  I have been spending a lot of time in the weight room and on the stationary bike to keep a decent condition until I get started again.  School is getting extremely hectic right now as deadlines are approaching for research papers, presentations, Oh and you can't forget about TESTS.  I have moved some of my concentration to the books as of late because I had gotten so off track with basketball distracting.  However, I can't say that it is much easier focusing on school now either.  It is tough when you have certain people telling you "Whatever you do, make sure you finish school!" and others saying "Keep all your focus on basketball and training because you can always go back to school."  I can only imagine what lottery picks and 1st round guys go through in relation to this.  Must be absolutely CRAZY.  On top of that stuff it has come time for me to begin my agent selection process.  I had been talking to several different agents and have recently narrowed it down to a couple that I really like.  I have been setting meetings up with them this week and next week- thanks to my brother who has been helping me with this.  I met with one today and we sat down and had lunch.  He was a really cool guy and sounded like he could really help me get where I want to go. 

REALISTIC is the word that I like these guys to use right now.  What is realistic for me?  1st pick- no, Lottery pick?-no, 1st round-no...Sneaking into the second round- Possible and Realistic.  Overseas- Possible and Realistic.  I want my agent to give me the opportunities I need to make these things possible and the rest is up to me.  I cannot ask for more than that.  These are my goals as of right now and they won't change regardless of the criticism I may take.  Hey I am 6ft, white, and if you ever saw me off the court, you'd probably think I play baseball or something.  But, I have been like this my entire life while letting haters hate.  I will continue to listen to what a couple more agents have to say and I will be making my decision very soon on who I will let represent me.   Stay up,

**IF YOU HAVEN"T SIGNED THE GUESTBOOK YET PLEASE DO SO!!  ALSO, FEEL FREE TO USE THE FORUMS TO TALK ABOUT COLLEGE BASKETBALL AND/OR NBA BASKETBALL

Posted by bryan at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On selection Sunday my teammates and I joined a lot of our fan base at Wild Wings in downtown Asheville as ESPN revealed the NIT brackets.  We all ate wings and talked about basketball the majority of the time.  Our athletic director said some nice things about our team and Coach B followed.  It was revealed that we would have to travel to Columbus to play Ohio State who was the number 1 overall seed in the tournament.  This was not to our surprise because we knew that the NCAA didn't want to risk the chance of us having a home game (which is played at the higher seeds homecourt) because of our small venue.  Everybody was excited and it all happened pretty quick because we had to get on a plane the next day at noon.  This was my first flight since I have been on the UNCA basketball team.  Crazy right???  It was a good one though.  We chartered a flight on the same plane the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats just got done using.  That pretty much explaiins how nice it was.

As for the game, we came out like we hadn't played in a week and a half.  Thats because we hadn't.  KJ and I turned the ball over on some miscommunications with teammates and it was very uncharacteristic for the two of us.  I also had a backcourt call that was definitely the wrong call and the ref admitted to me that he messed up.  Thats not usual!!  However, we gave up almost 60% from the field and had 14 turnovers in the first half.  Its tough to win a game playing like that.  Ohio State is a pretty good team but they are very beatable.  Hats off to them for winning the game.  On the positive side of things after the initial turnovers we played pretty well.  Reid Augst seemed to be in the right spot on the offensive end time and time again- 20pts result.  I am looking forward to watching him grow next year.  However, I do want to vent a little bit about this game though.  I think the Big South tournament is waaayyyy to early and it puts our teams at a huge disadvantage.  We hadn't played in nearly 2 weeks and Ohio state just got done with their tourney a couple days before our game.  Many times broadcasters and newspaper writers say that this gives a team time to recover and rest before a game.  I totally disagree and I think if you have played college basketball you disagree too.  It is nearly impossible to have that much time off and not be rusty.  I just watched Winthrop play a good part of the first half and then "rustiness" or even tired legs affected them.  Not tired from a recent game, but tired from the absence of a game!!  Congrats to them though they played hard and have once again represented the Big South well.  But, we did lose and as hard as it is, its time to move on.

The flight back from Ohio was not so nice. It was a commercial flight with minimal room and a lot of turbulence.  My knees were hurting so I can only imagine what Kenny George was feeling!! He was a good sport about it all though- as usual.  When we got back I immediately went to the weight room and lifted.  I have to give my feet a rest because the beating they took this season so I decided to focus in the weight room right away.  It is also important for me to stick to good nutrition now that it is the off season and I can begin rebuilding my body.   

Posted by bryan at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mostly everybody was able to watch the Big south championship on espn2.  It was very ugly.  Winthrop came to play and we didn't.  We were unable to get into any flow of offense and that blame can be put on me.  They contained me pretty well, but I also helped the cause by falling into slow motion on both ends of the floor.  This loss was extremely tough to take considering all the hard work that is put in to get to that point. However, Winthrop worked extremely hard to put themselves in the same position and they performed at the right time.  Congratulations to their seniors for really putting Winthrop on the map!  The good thing about our situation is our season is not over.  We got our NIT bid for winning the regular season championship. I was named to the All tournament team which was a weird situation considering they announced it immediately after we lost the game.  Now that I have had time to reflect on the tournament I am very proud to have been named with an elite group of guys. 

At first, the NIT didn't sound to appetizing because we got so close to the NCAA's.  After thinking about it for a few days and watching other conference tournaments I realized that a lot of teams saw their season end the last week and we weren't one of them.  This will be my first postseason apperance and a lot of my teammates as well.

It has been extremely tough getting my priorities in order the last week or so.  There is a lot of behind the scenes work to get my professional career started and I am still juggling school and the season.  I am hoping to get a Portsmouth invitation because their were rumors a couple weeks ago that I was being highly considered.  If I am able to get in, it is important for me to train for the next couple weeks before the tournament.  If I don't, Ill possibly be named as an alternate and I would still have to be prepared to get up and go at the ring of a phone.  Although I want to be at PIT, its definitely not the end of the world and there is a couple different routes that I can take if I don't.  With all this going on and preparing for the NIT it has been hard to find time for my school work.  Missing class so much during the season really put me behind considering I am in all senior level courses and they don't cut much slack.  The last week I have been meeting with my professors to fill them in with my situation and the possibility that I may be missing more classes.  

I am watching the UNC and Clemson game right now and I'm always impressed with the way Clemson plays them.  Their big men are really really tough.  That is a high level game that I would love to be playing in today.  As for our team, we will be meeting tonight for dinner to see who we will be playing in the first round of the NIT! 

Posted by bryan at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We got together as a team today to eat lunch at a restaraunt called Lonestar.  I ordered chicken fingers and they brought me 4 sticks that were the size of my fingers on a huge plate with nothing else on it.  All I could do was laugh and order something else.  The reason I bring lunch up though is because this is where my teammates and I found out about the Big South regular season awards.  When our coaches began to talk about them I had a flashback to last year when I was left off both all conference teams.  This feeling has carried with me from that point until today when I was told I was a first team selection.  I feel fortunate to have recieved this award and its another one of those things that proves to me that hard work returns rewards.  Also, It makes me feel good about the sacrifices that I make in the offseason- early mornings, hot days, tired muscles, no money, dieting and missing out on things that regular college students get to do during the summer.  When you put that much work in and don't see results in the form of awards and such, you may began dreading these types of sacrifices.  I didn't** but instead I embrace them and count on them to get me to where I want to be.  With that said, I also want to recognize KJ Garland and Kenny George for being selected to the 2nd team.  They both earned it and it wouldn't be difficult to argue for either one of them to be selected to the 1st team.  I am extremely lucky to have these guys on my team.  Also, there is several guys on our team that don't get recognized on days like today but do not go unnoticed in my eyes.  Especially Ried Augst, who is probably the most underrated player in the conference and he will prove that soon.  I know that without my teammates help and dedication none of us would have been selected today. Moving on to the Coach of the Year- Eddie Biedenbach!  Good job coach, you have really done a lot for the UNCA program and even more for the players.  Wrapping the awards up I do want to recognize Mike Jefferson (high point pg) for a great career.  Mike got left off the lists today ( I don't know how) but he is an all conference player even with the loaded conference right now.  Congrats Mike!

We had a real light practice today and went over some game plan for charleston southern.  We are expecting an extremely tough game out of them.  I predict them to do something out of the ordinary that they usually don't do.  Only time will tell, but mental focus has began....... 

Posted by bryan at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

It all started last week with a home game against charleston southern.  Our homecoming game and another sellout crowd.  My ankle has been feeling much better and I have been working extremely hard to get back to shape- physically and mentally.  Our team had a meeting about how we needed to treat the last 3 game stretch like it is the big south tournament and prove to ourselves that we could indeed take it all.  Anyway, I came out of the gates in this one fast and hit 5 threes in the first half off of 5 attempts.  This gave us a huge spark as I finished the first half with 19 points.  From there my teammates stepped up as Reid Augst had a huge second half and finished the game with 21.  Charleston got close a couple times but we had an answer everytime they made a run.  Including big Kenny George who is getting back to being himself once again.  After the game we cleared are heads and immediately got ready for Coastal Carolina and senior night.

First off, senior night was great and very emotional for me in particular because it has been such a long road to get to where I am today.  It was great watching Garrett, Vincent, and KJ enjoy the moment with me.  I wouldn't trade those guys for anybody.  However, it was very important for us 4 to keep mentally focused as all the celebration was going on.  We did a very good job of this because we didn't start the game off slow (as most seniors on senior night do) and we just began to chip away at coastal.  We went into halftime with a 10 point lead riding on great play from Kenny George.  Coastal came back from halftime and made a couple runs but none more significant than the one with 5 minutes left that got them within striking distance.  We held them off and made plays and free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.  Congratulations to Jack Leasure for hitting the 400 mark for three pointers made.  VERY impressive jack!  Just like after the first game we needed to switch are attention immediately to a very tough road game at winthrop for the regular season title.

This game started out with the celebration of Winthrop's seniors.  There is not a group of guys in the conference who have more to celebrate than these guys.  Congrats to Chris, MJ, Taj, and Harris for unbelievable careers at Winthrop.  Just like at our senior night it was important for us to stay focused and not let any of the celebrating affect OUR play.  This game started out just like everybody would imagine- dogfight, struggle to gain control.  There was one play in the first half that I know will stand out in my mind for a long time- Everybody was diving on the floor trying to get the ball and it popped out to Jenkins who dunked it for winthrop.  I have played at UNC, Tennessee, Va tech, Cincinatti, Wyoming, louisville, etc and there is very few times I can remember it being that loud in an arena.  Although they had the homecourt advantage, we were able to slowly pull away in the second half to gain the victory.  KJ really controlled the pace of the game and Kenny George impacted the game like no other as usual.  I scored 21 points in the second half and my team really rallied behind this and everybody did their part in order for us to win the game.  REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS.

This game was very important to me because I don't have any championships that I can tie my name to.  Also, Vince, KJ, and Garrett all deserve to have this after paying the price for so long.  The championship guarenteed us a post season regardless of what happens in the Big south tournament.  For me, that is not enough though.  I want to go to the NCAA tournament and have a good time with my team.  From here, our team has to stay focused on the task at hand (Charleston Southern).  I am going to the training room soon to do some rehab and try to get as close to 100% as possible.  Since I will be in Asheville for the tournament I will be updating the blog daily if not 2x a day so check back later and I will be updating again.  tHANKS TO ALL THE UNCA FANS THAT CAME TO WINTHROP AND CHEERED LOUD!!!! YALL ARE A PART OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS! 

*Pictures are being updated

Posted by bryan at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Its been tough trying to get to the computer to update the blog but I have finally found time here while I watch the NBA All Star game.  The title of this entry couldn't be more perfect when I take a look back at the last week and a half.  The tough times started when we traveled to Liberty and I carried with me a nagging planter fascia.  A couple minutes into the first half I rolled my ankle and had to come out of the game.  I went back in but it was just too much pressure and I pretty much hobbled around and was very ineffective.  Kenny didn't play that game so with both of us out we have had to count on teammates to pick up the slack in different places.  I missed the game we played at High Point and Kenny played the first 3 minutes and sat the rest.  We played them tough but just made too many mistakes down the stretch and were unable to escape with a win.  Since then I have been in the training room everyday all day trying to gather my strength back and get as close to 100% as possible. 

VMI came to Asheville on Saturday and the trainer, coaches, and I made a gametime decision to go ahead and play the game.  It took me entirely too long to get into the flow of the game and VMI played well. Our defense was easily penetrated and we were not helping each other as we have in the past.  Offensively we were stale and being very passive which is playing into the hands of VMI.  If you are aggressive you can get any shot that you want at any time ( I mean, they are the leading scorers in the nation, as well as last in points given up).  This loss was very disappointing, especially because it was in front of our home crowd, who might I add, was awesome.  Our fans have proven to be some of the best that I have ever been involved with. Thanks!

So this is where we are at- 18-7, 7-3.  3 game losing streak.  Nagging injuries.  Haters coming back around to tell our fans "I told you so".  With all this, I guess the question is what next????  First of all, it is not rocket science why we have won so many games.  We are a good team, we have a good bunch of guys, dedicated staff, and one of the best and most experienced backcourts in the league.  We have gotten a bit off track but we are well aware of it.  All the things that have gotten us these 3 losses in the last week are"fixable".  The only way to fix things is with practice and that is where we will start.  I am very excited to see how our team will respond in the next couple games because tough people and tough teams always rise to the occasion.!

Posted by bryan at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Playing Winthrop this past Saturday was the most anticipated game in the Big South in a couple years.  Also, it was labeled in the Asheville Citizen Times as possibly the biggest game in the history of the Justice Center.  I don't know about all that but I do know that there was a buzz in previous days leading to the game.  Students and fans filled the Justice to capacity and from what I understand it was the best turnout for a basketball game in the history of UNCA.  The atmosphere was great and as a player, motivation was not hard to find.

Before I talk about the game I wanted to first recognize someone that goes a ways back with me, he was a role model both on and off the basketball court in our home of Cobb County, GA, and started to really make some noise in Rock Hill, SC before he was rudely interrupted.  Deandre Adams #24.   This is my 3rd year at UNCA, 2nd year playing and each and every year that we have played Winthrop, the first thing I do is go greet Dre at halfcourt and show him some love.  It wasn't the same this year with him missing and seeing all the Winthrop players wearing his number on their jerseys.  It makes you think a lot deeper than basketball and what life is really about.  I just wanted to make sure that everybody knows that not only is Dre missed in Rock Hill, SC or Smyrna, GA but he has a spot here in Asheville as well.  RIP Dre. 

As for the game- all through the first half it was neck and neck as we traded baskets.  The biggest lead anybody had was 8 and Winthrop held the advantage.  I hit a pair of threes and a lay- up and KJ was finding success driving baseline and laying the ball up.  We went in at halftime trailing 33-27 after not playing our best basketball.  At halftime we talked about a few things to improve on the defensive end and we also talked about pushing tempo.  Kenny George sat this game out, which allowed us to play a bit faster than we usually do.  I'm not sure how much Winthrop prepared for a "Kenny George" type game, but if they did it might have haunted them a bit considering he never checked into the game.  The second half was totally different than the first as we pushed tempo and really turned up the pressure on defense.  We held Winthrop without a field goal until around the 12 minute mark.  KJ caught fire and devestated Winthrop with a 9-11 shooting night.  Everybody else played extremely well and within themselves.  I finished with 14 and 5assts and a season high 5 steals.  The final score was 71-54 in our favor. 

I am very proud of our team for a number of reasons.  The first being that we played without Kenny George and everybody picked up the slack in different places.  The second is the way we handled ourselves after the win.  Although it was a big win for the program, it was only 1 win in a 14 game conference schedule.  Our team felt good after the win but our focus immediately went to Liberty, which is going to be a tough road game on Saturday.  Every game gets tougher the second time around and we have to be even more focused on specific gameplan.  We definitely want the Conference tournament to be at the Justice Center.  Our fans are UNBELIEVABLE and we can't imagine playing in the tournament without them.

18-4 overall 7-0 in conference.  #12 in the Mid Major Poll.  We just recieved 1 vote for the AP's top 25.  This is the first in the history of the school.  All these things are great and you can't help but to pay attention to them, however, its important for us as a team to focus on the task at hand and leave the celebration to the fans.  ITS GREAT TO BE A BULLDOG

***BE SURE TO FIND THE NEW LINK "GUESTBOOK" AND SIGN IT *** ALSO IF YOU HAVEN'T REGISTERED TO WRITE ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS PLEASE DO SO, SO THAT BULLDOG FANS HAVE SOMEWHERE TO TALK ABOUT GAMES, PLAYER UPDATES, CONFERENCE UPDATES, ETC.

Posted by bryan at 08:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

So its been a few games since my last entry but things have been extremely busy especially because we have been on the road for several days.  I want to start with where I left off and talk about our win at VMI.  Right before introductions VMI announced how they had a brand new floor and they gave the microphone to the donor of the floor.  He was trying to get the near capacity crowd (about 4500) excited and took it a little too far.  He said "Coach Beidenbach, I like you, but you will lose today because today is our day!".......The crowd gave him some cheers and so he thought he was going to be a hero that night.  Well we were down 3 with 6 seconds remaining and I got the ball on a sideline out of bounds play but was pretty covered up, so I swung the ball to KJ who took a rhythm dribble and drilled a 28 footer to tie the game at the buzzer.  We would go on to win in overtime and crush the man's prediction of a win.  However, this was a very tough game, especially for me coming off some very high scoring games.  They face-guarded me the entire game and anytime I got the ball they threw a double team at me.  I had to make plays for my teammates who did a good job of executing out of the double team.  I struggled shooting from the floor and forced some shots up that I probably would have passed up in other games.  They did a good job making it tough on me to get open looks but I was able to knock some shots down in overtime and we got the win. 

We came back home against Radford last Wednesday and got another win where we pulled away in the second half to lock the win.  I had a solid game and the team played pretty well as a whole. Finished with 12 points of 9 shots and had 6 assts. They switched up defenses on us several times during the game which will help us in the future.  KJ and I had to notice the defense and make sure our team was in position to attack with the correct sets, plays, and spacing.  Will we see a lot of this throughout the conference season---especially because of Kenny George's impact on the game when he is in our out.

We started a rather long road trip on Friday as we left for Charleston Southern.  We had to turn our ticket list in friday night because of the amount of people that wanted to come see us play.  Their gym is extremely small(even smaller than ours) and was packed to capacity.  I think if the fire marshal would have showed up the place would have been shut down because there was people everywhere.  Compare it to an AAU game in a bad location with JJ Redick and Raymond Felton playing in the game.  Crazy right? They came out extremely excited because they haven't had a crowd like that in probably 4 years.  They tried to change things up on us by pressing full court and substituting every two minutes to try and wear me down and contain KJ and Kenny.  I have been playing a lot of minutes all season so after they wasted all their energy at the beginning we slowly chipped away and led by as many as 20.  I shot 8-15 for 21 and 6assts and we won by around 15.  We stayed in Charleston that night and left for Conway, SC in the morning (Coastal Carolina.

KJ and I are roomates on the road and we were checking the mid major poll all day to see where we moved up in the rankings.  Finally right before we left for the game we saw that we moved up to number 15.  This was pretty exciting but we definitely aren't satisfied.  We expected the same type of attendance at Coastal that we had at Charleston--partly because of the excitement of seeing 7ft 8 Kenny George, and the fact that everybody wants to see an upset in the conference.  The gym was packed and Coastal had a good game plan.  When Kenny George was in they played man to man and played extremely physical on the defensive end, Offensively they played 5 around 1 and tried to shoot 3's and crash the boards.  When Kenny was out they played a 1-3-1 Gap zone and tried to entice us to shoot 3 pointers, offensively they ran an open post motion (NC state motion) against us.  It was well put together and KJ and I didn't shoot the ball real well so they were in the game until the end.  Kenny really came through on two consecutive plays where he made good post moves and hit jump hooks in the lane.  They hit a 3 on back to back possessions but I hit a floater in the lane and that put us up for good.  We won by 4 in a low scoring game.  At the beginning of the 2nd half I tweeked the arch of my foot and was limping around the rest of the game.  I wasn't able to be as aggressive as I usually am on the offensive end of the floor in the second half because it was tough to switch directions.  This hurt us offensively because the ball is in my hands a lot toward the end of the game--especially when it is close,  but I tried to rotate the ball and get everybody involved and my teammates really helped me out by taking the scoring load at the end of the game.  I finished with 11 points and 6 assts.  I went to the doctor today and he said it is a planter fascia (sp?) problem and that I have to rest.  I am on crutches today just to unload the area of any body weight and I have been in the training room all day getting treatment.  I have 4 more days to take care of the problem before we play Winthrop on Saturday.  This is a very anticipated matchup and has been a sold out game for weeks.  A lot of people have been calling me for tickets but they are pretty limited due to the size of our gym and I don't know how many will be able to come.  The important thing is I have to rest and get as close to 100% as possible so we can continue our streak and build on our 6-0 conference record and 17-4 season record.

 Check the Video clip below vs. High Point

Posted by bryan at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

On Monday I was voted the player of the week in the Big South.  This is quite an honor to me as well as my teammates, who obviously made it happen.  More details in the link above the blog. 

We had our second straight sellout at the Justice Center last night.  If you are familiar with our gym you might think "So what's the big deal?"  There is a couple answers to that question.  1.  Our 5th year seniors have never seen one side of the gym sold out.  2.  The gym is so small that when a lot of people are yelling it is more deafening(sp) than when we play in big arenas.  3. Having a college basketball environment helps the team sustain a certain amount of energy throughout the game.  I think I could go on and on.  To make it simple: my first year there, there was several injuries and many of the older guys had to play out of position.  A couple of the guys and I would watch from the bench and could probably count the amount of fans in the gym.  LITERALLY.  One of my teammates enlightened me on the situation when he said: you know why they call this the Justice Center don't you?  I said no why?  He replied, " Because it is JUST US (justice) in here!!!" hahaha.... I couldn't help but to laugh but when you really think about it, it's not all that funny.  The good thing is we can laugh at it now.  Our fans have been great and they make it a lot of fun to play at home. 

Now, to get to the game.  High Point was a very tough team and the preseason favorite in the Big South.  They were fresh of a win vs. Winthrop and they were plenty ready to knock us off the schedule as well.  We had a real battle in the first half, and High Point took an 8 point lead before we came back to take the lead and then they finished the half on a run to put the score at 31-27 in their favor.  I had 3 points at halftime and they limited my looks at the goal in the half court setting.  They scored the first 2 points of the second half and then we went on a nice run.  We were able to get out in transition and limit Arizona Reid's (preseason player of the year) touches in scoring areas.  KJ hit me a couple times in transition for three pointers and that opened up  the lane and for me to create for myself and my teammates.  We won the game 74-58 as I scored 24 in the 2nd half and finished with 27 along with 7 helpers.  Kenny George had 12 and 9reb but altered a lot of shots on the defensive end.  KJ played a very solid game (pulled down an important 6 rebounds)- especially defensively, Vincent James had a good game, and Reid Augst made some things happen on the offensive end. Oh yea, freshman John williams and Senior Garrett Moles both contributed--especially on the defensive end.   Everybody contributed  something to the team last night even if they didn't play.  It was a very good team effort and now we are 2-0 with a chance to knock off VMI (2-0) at their place on Saturday.  check it out on the tube   @ 1pm est. on Sports South. 

Posted by bryan at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

This is my 3rd year at UNCA and all 3 years we have played at UNC chapel hill.  My first season, I was sitting out due to transfer rules, but I remember watching the game at home with my family and it got pretty ugly.  Last year, I thought that we played well and really made some improvements by playing the game and we still lost 93-62.  This year we came in with a totally different mindset.  We have the experience and they have the number 1 ranking.  We traveled to Chapel Hill for only one reason, and that reason was to win the game.  Some say we had a nice showing because we only lost by 12, but the loss hurt just as bad as any other.  We made some mistakes down the stretch that a team cannot make against them because they are simply to good.  Their talent level is very high but it didn't surprise me that I was able to play and be successful at that level.  KJ and Kenny also showed that they are a force to be reckon with on any level.  It was a very tough place to play and will prove to be invaluable experience going into conference play.  I am very confident that if we can be successful on the road in our conference we will win a championship.

Game #1.  VS. Liberty @ home.  So for anybody who doesn't know the Justice Center is our home court and it is more of a gym than an arena.  For years the average fan could walk into the game at any time and sit wherever they pleased and not be hassled.  Saturday night was a different story.  I was walking into the gym around 310 for a 430 game and there was already a long line waiting to get in the front doors.  As players, we have always talked about what it would be like if we had a strong homecourt advantage.  Well, we had that Sat night as the Justice Center sold out and turned down over 200 people throughout the game.  Those that missed it, missed a very good college basketball game.  We started on a 23-8 run but Liberty slowly chipped away at the lead and it was 31-34 at halftime.  We continued a pretty close game throughout and we led by as many as 13 during the second half but Liberty once again made a fierce run and actually took the lead 68-67 with a few minutes left.  They hit one more field goal and went up 70-67.  ---- at this point in the game I had 28 points and was shooting 9-11 from the field.  I was in what you may call a shooting zone and my confidence was out of the building.  I came off a ball screen and my defender went underneath so I stepped back and drilled a trey ball to tie the game with under 2 minutes to go.   We got a couple stops and scored an additional 4 points to win the game 74-70.  Ried and KJ hit some big free throws in the last couple seconds and KJ grabbed a key loose ball to lock the win.

We have a very tough High point team coming to Asheville WEdnesday night that are fresh off a win against last year's undefeated conference champ Winthrop.  They will be full of confidence and energy and so will we.  It will be a tough game and if we can control the pace throughout, WE will win.  If we let them dictate the speed of the game it will be in their favor.   Also, in the next couple days in practice we need to focus on perimeter defense and being able to rotate when Kenny George is in the game.  Penetration is okay because if they want to try and finish over Kenny --- go for it---- but we have to rotate better on the perimeter and limit 3 point looks especially when Kenny is in the game.

Posted by bryan at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I do not have much time today because I need to get to the gym and do some recovery stuff, but I wanted to quickly reply to some of the comments on my last entry.  First, I want to thank everybody for commenting because it makes for good basketball conversation and as a player and fan of the game I enjoy it.  I understand where someone who doesn't know me very well could say that I have an "issue" because I brought up the name of my old coach at MTSU.  I want you to understand that as a 17 year old kid leaving home for what I thought to be a major Division 1 program, there is a lot of things left to learn, not only on the basketball court, but in everyday life.  I have noted before what a great coach Kermit Davis was for me on the court and how much I have carried on with me throughout my career after MTSU.  It is not an "issue" but rather a very important time in my life that made a tremendous impact on where I have been in the last 3 years and where I will go after this.  I have no problem with MTSU at all, and in fact, keep up with their progression regularly.  I would also like to add that I met some really good friends there and loved the strong fan support who always showed me love.  It will always be a part of me and that will not change.  Again, I want to thank everybody for their comments I appreciate all the things that were said.  I hope I have cleared up anything that might have been unclear.

Also, after reading the last blog I have noticed that the way my comments were typed weren't how I wanted to express them and decided to delete them.  I was not trying to bash anybody or any team, and I see how it could have looked that way. Thanks for the comments.,,,,,, keep them coming

Posted by bryan at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last year they got us by 20......I had a horrible game and so did the rest of my teammates.  This year, once again I was having a poor shooting night.  The difference was I got the rest of my teammates involved and it gave them confidence which ultimately gave me even more confidence about our abilities to compete, and sparked a comeback with 3 minutes left down by 7.  We held them scoreless over the final 3 minutes to pull off a 61-58 win and probably the best win in the program since the tournament appearance in 2003.  I had 7 points and only 3 until this final 3 minutes.  We cut the lead to 58-55 when we turned up the pressure on Defense and forced a turnover.  I got the ball on the wing and called for a ball screen.  USC switched a forward onto me so I dragged him out and took it into the paint for a floater off the glass.  58-57.  They came down and made another crucial mistake as they threw the ball out of bounds. We drove down and ran the same ball screen from the wing but this time I took a penetrating dribble and hit Kenny George inside and he dunked it home.  26 seconds left.  They came down and Devan Downey attempted a three point shot that fell short and Kenny got the rebound hit me and they fouled.  We got to run a little clock off because they had to give 2 more fouls in order to put us on the line.  So they did, and with 6 seconds left they fouled me and sent me to the line.  I drained both free throws and they gave it to Downey who is extremely quick.  Before we was able to gain a full head of steam I fouled him at half court because we still had 3 fouls to give.  2 seconds left.  We denied the inbounds and they fired a half court shot that fell short. 

I can't speak for everybody on my team but I do know that the win was emotional for me for a couple reasons.  One- it is my senior year and every game carries a ton of emotion for me.  2- I was happy for our seniors who have worked so hard in the offseason to get a win like this.  3- Our coaches deserved this win because they work hard and play by the rules ( I don't think every team does).  4- Our young guys were able to experience beating an SEC team which can prove to be invaluable experience. 

We enjoyed the win Sat night and Sunday but then we got right to work Sunday night in order to get ready for the number 1 team in the nation UNC.  The game is going to be extremely tough, but is not an impossible win like most in the country think.  We do not have to play perfect, but we do have to play hard, tough, and smart.  Their talent level is extremely high and they use it well.  We have to control tempo as much as possible and limit their transition looks.  I have been in a bit of a shooting slump, but its not the first time and won't be the last.  I'm going to keep shooting and I'll be ready.        O and by the way we are #22 in the mid major poll last time I checked.  So, all of you that doubted us for so long--- Thanks, your a part of our success!!!

Posted by bryan at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Buffalo game was a crazy one.  After getting down by as many as 17, we pulled out another win.  From the moment they came into our gym it was as if they were trying to intimidate us.  They danced around on our home floor and did all the yelling and screaming that BS teams do.  When I first got out on the floor for the tip none of their players would shake my hand.  It actually made me crack a smile because here these guys are who play for Buffalo and they think bc they are from the Northeast that they were "hard".  At halftime we were down, and I got our team together and I told them that all that energy and all the trash talk, slapping the floor, pushing, shoving, and fouling=== it is all FAKE!!! FALSE!!! I don't believe it one bit, and niether should anybody else in the gym.  All that stuff they were doing did nothing but get them in foul trouble and put us at the line 49 times to their 9 times.  I hit some shots down the stretch and we forced overtime.  At the beginning of overtime I went to shake hands again and they just looked at me with another FAKE attempt at intimidation.  Well we beat them and we beat them good in overtime and they did not know how to handle it.  We exposed all the FAKE energy they had in the first half and sent them to Buffalo feeling upset.  After the game their coach sprinted across the court in attempt to get a hold of the referees, but our beat writer caught him before he got there.  There was even a snapshot of the altercation on the front page of the Asheville Citizen Times on Sunday Morning.  I guess that I can't really put all the heat on the players when they obviously got their attitudes from their coach.  It was one of the best feelings after a game I have had since the Sunbelt conference tournament my freshman year when we(MTSU) beat Western Kentucky in the first round in Bowling Green, KY.

As for our game vs. Montreat college on New Years Eve, we got the win by 30 with no problems.  Everybody got to play and a lot of people scored.  It was great to see our guys, who don't play often, get into the game and play as hard as they did.  They pay the price everyday to be a part of this team and they stay behind us no matter what, so it was our turn to repay them and cheer as they made the plays on the court.  It was also good rest considering we have two great teams to play in the next week.  South Carolina and North Carolina.

After the game some of the guys got together and went to a couple of clubs and house parties, but we took in the New Year at a place called Z Lounge, where everybody was dancing and having a good time.  I didn't get in until pretty late but got enough rest to get up this morning and go lift weights at 11am.  I came home and got a little bit more rest as I watched Florida lose the Capital One Bowl and then I went back to the gym to work on some things that Dan Barto @ IMG gave me after watching my Tennessee game on tv.  (8ft floaters, pull back dribble)  Also, after seeing the box score of last night he wanted me to work on my shooting mechanics from the 3 point line.  I have been in a bit of a slump from the 3 pt line but I took some of Danno's advice today and I think I got it figured out, so now I just need to continue to get as many shots up between now and Saturday, and the fire will be back!!!!

Posted by bryan at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

If you are a UNCA or a University of Tennesee basketball fan you already know the outcome of our matchup in Knoxville.  The game was broadcasted on regional television and turned out to be rather entertaining after a sluggish start by our team.  We got down 31-11 early and by as many as 25 before waking up and playing basketball.  We got the game down to 7 points with a couple minutes left to go but just couldn't hold off one last run by Tennessee, maybe because of the several missed layups we had on our end.  I got pretty hot from the floor and recieved my 4th fould when I stole the ball from their point guard, Howell.  I have to say that it was a clean steal, but I guess since the refs didn't know me on a first name basis (as they did with the UT players) it was a foul. However, I don't want anybody to think that I am complaining about the officiating because I got my fair share of calls as well.  Actually, I went to the line 11 times and that makes me feel pretty good considering my focus during my individual training has been on body control and getting into my defender to create more contact.  Since the Va Tech game I have been to the line 22 times and averaging just over 7 attempts per game which is an improvement. 

After the UT game I was able to go home to GA for a couple days where I was in desperate need of relaxation and recovery.  My hands have been injured --- damaged tendon from early season injury, sprained middle finger, sprained thumb, deep bruise on left palm, and deep bruise on right palm.--- The two palm injuries came from the UT game when I went to dunk on a backdoor play and was undercut by my opponent and came straight down on both palms.  Therefore, this break came at a good time because I could give nagging injuries such as these a rest.  I got to hang out with my mom and brother, and saw my Dad on Christmas Eve.  It was also very exciting to see all my old friends back home.  Some of them are the same and partied the whole time and some of them have grown up a lot.  I have other things on my agenda so I kept it chill. ( I STILL LOVE YALL THOUGH)  I made it to the YMCA a couple times to stay active, but didn't do anything too demanding.  Just kept my core active and did some cardio on the treadmill.  Overall, it was a great trip home and productive from a recovery standpoint.  O and I got an XBox 360!

I am now back at school, and have practiced 3 times in the last 24 hours in order to get ready for our Saturday afternoon game with Buffalo.  I have been in the gym a lot getting my touch back on my shot and handle and expect to get a good win tomorrow afternoon. 

Posted by bryan at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We got another home win tonight over a quick and athletic South Carolina State team.  We traded baskets with them through the first couple minutes before we went on a nice run and pushed the lead to 23-9.  I had 7 points that sparked this run.  Coach B started rotating the guards a good amount, possibly looking for that next piece to the puzzle and we kind of broke rhythm, and South Carolina State crawled back and tied the game at 35. A weakness of ours throughout the season, that we must improve in order to be Big South Champions, is learning to play with a lead.  Instead of burying our opponent we tend to execute less and not force the issue.  Of course, winning is the important thing but we had the heartbreaker vs. ETSU earlier in the season that we cannot get back.  However, on a positive note we had 5 players in double figures and I had a solid floor game.  I finished with 14 points, 9 assists, 2 steals, and a couple rebounds.  I would also like to note my block in the second half when I pinned the ball on the backboard when one of their players thought he had a fast break against the "White guy".  lol.  I felt like my team needed me to get others involved in the scoring tonight, so thats what I did.  I passed up some shots that a lot of people got on me for, but I felt that my contribution tonight helped us win and will help us in the next game.  With our team traveling to Knoxville to play the Volunteers on Wednesday, it is important for everybody to have as much confidence as possible.  We are 8-2 and I don't care how and why, we are 8-2.  Some guys scored some important points for us tonight and hopefully thieir confidence after tonights game will carry on to our game vs. Tennessee. 

UT is a very solid team that I have watched play a couple times on tv.  For such a high profile team, on paper, we match up pretty well.  Obviously, I feel like our guards can play with anybody's in the country.  They also play 3 guards and an undersized 4 man.  Our concentration has to be taking care of the ball and getting back on defense.  If we can hold them under 40% shooting for the game we will put ourselves in a position to win the game.  Kenny George will be an important factor in this game because he is so big he could dominate the game, however, Bruce Pearl will attempt to use this against us by running their "big men"  directly to the block in a hurry !! Kenny's minutes will be limited but when he is in the game me and KJ  have to make sure we get him invloved on the offensive end and we all have to scramble defensively. With less than 48 hours until we play again, it is important for me to get rest, hydrate, and eat perfectly.  It is past midnight right now and that means its past my bedtime so later.

Posted by bryan at 12:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night we completed a sweep on Campbell University in a home-home series.  We beat them earlier this year at their place when i was injured and they came to Asheville last night to try and redeem themselves but came up short in our 79-76 win.  It was an exciting game to watch as we traded baskets the last 2 minutes.  I hit a conventional three point play to put us up 77-76 and we held off a couple last strides by the Camels.  I finished with 21 and a very solid floor game w/ 5 assists 3 steals and 6 rebounds.  They face guarded me the whole game and made it very difficult for me to get in the flow of the game.  KJ Garland started off fast in the first half so they began to face guard him as well and not let him touch it.  It came down to him and I making plays in the second half for ourselves and each other.  As difficult as it was getting the ball in my hands, when I did get a touch on the ball I was able to beat my defender to the spot I wanted.  It was a great win for us going into a tough game with South Carolina State on Monday.

After practicing the last 2 weeks on body control and really getting into my defender as I drive into the lane, I am pleased because I was able to get to the line 7 times last night.  I really need to average about 6 free throw attempts per game at least and this was a good start.  I am going to conitinue to work on this stuff in my free time and evaluate my improvements.  I am extremely tired today as a result of just under 40 minutes logged last night and I will be spending most of the day resting my legs and rehydrating before I go to practice at 3:00pm.  I have been pretty broke lately so I haven't been able to eat as healthy as I would like, so I need to make sure to stay fully hydrated and rested even more so than usual.  ..............For now, I am going to take a look at this Mitchel Report which is INSANE !!....... Im sorry and embarrassed for Major League Baseball.

Check for new pictures and videos 

Posted by bryan at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally !!! the semester is over for me.  I can't express how excited I am about this because it has been my hardest one yet.  I guess being a senior I should have expected that, but for some reason I thought the closer I got to the end the easier it would be.  O well.  However, I am worried about one of my classes that I struggled with throughout the semester (management course) because my test grades are pretty low.  I studied like crazy for the final and still came out feeling horrible about it.  If I am not able to pass the class it will be the first class since I have been in college that I haven't passed.  Everyone keeps telling me its okay because you can take it next semester and still graduate on time.  I feel differently about it.  I have never been one who really dedicates himself to school and I have always found better things to do (like basketball), but it is really bothering me that I somewhat tried during the semester and really tried the last 2 tests and I still might be in danger.  This has taught me a lot about myself in the sense that I may act like school is no big deal but deep down I really take pride in the fact that I have a college education and will be recieving my degree in May.  Maybe being in school 5 years has something to do with it too !!

As for practice, it hasn't been too tough physically because we had a lot of bumps and bruises to heal up in the gap between games.  My hand is still swollen and I it hurts when I do certain things but not to the point where it would effect me in the heat of a game.  I actually dunked again today for the first time since my injury and it felt weird, but good.  With these days off I have been able to reflect on my game up to this point and take a look at what some other guards are doing in the country.  Some look good and some not so good.  And Of course, I compare myself to them (I wouldn't be a competitor if I didn't).  I have really noticed at how a particular system can make a player look really good or it can make a player look really bad.  Obviously, I don't want to mention the teams that make their players look not so good because they still have a whole season to play , but a couple guys that I worked out with this summer who were very very good at many different things are in this current situation.  It is dissappointing that it works out this way but I hope that scouts take it into consideration.  I think that the Tennessee program makes Chris Lofton look pretty good---most of the time--- (from a professional standpoint).  He is a great shooter w/ unlimited range but takes some really bad shots.  How effective will he be in the NBA as a role player bc of his limited skills and athleticism??  Some may think he will be ok but Im not so sure and those are the kind of things I try and look at bc-- ppg in a system like that can be very misleading. As for my situation, obviously I am in a good situation at a mid major school with another talented guard by my side and a MONSTER big man in Kenny George.  I have to pull my weight but at the same time I don't have to carry the scoring load on my own all the time.  But many times, I will be called on to put the ball in the basket, and I am very comfortable doing that.  And watching Jose Juan Barea get into the Mavericks vs. Denver game last night reiterated my thoughts on where my well rounded game could get me even though some people don't like the fact that I am at a mid-major school. I remember watching JJB in college and he got things done every game, but in the NBA he has had to take on a different role that he is still adjusting to. He has gotten where he is today by doing what he is told and I think this is something we have in common.  Tell me what to do ----I can and WILL do it ........

Posted by bryan at 09:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coming off our tough loss at Virginia Tech we have nearly two weeks off without a game.  Our next game is vs. Campbell on the 13th of December.  The Va Tech loss was tough to take because we battled hard and had a chance to win the game.  We were down 8 at half time and I hit a three and a mid range jumper immediately out of half time and from there on it was a close game.  We took the lead with about 6 minutes left when Vincent James got a three point play on the fast break.  From there we had a scoring drought of a couple minutes.  Meanwhile, the Hokies went on a 10-0 run and we couldn't ever get back in the game.  I was very impressed with the way we were able to turn the game into a half court battle for the most part.  When we lost our edge was when we let them run out and play in transition.  Though, the loss hurt because we definitely had our chances to win, we learned a lot about our team and just how talented we are.  Our backcourt was definitely better than theirs ( they are going to run into some problems in the ACC) but Hank Thorns is pretty quick, and our undersized big men were able to compete with some BEASTS underneath.  I finished with a poor shooting night from the floor with a 4-14 fg, but I was 3-3 from 3pt range and had a good floor game.

Since Saturday's game we have had a couple days off bc we have began our exam week and do not have another game until the 13th.  I have taken these couple days to hit the weights hard (already gained 4 lbs since Saturday) and work on creating more space for my shot.  During the Va tech game I went to the basket several times and didn't get to the line once.  Although I was mad after the game bc the lack of calls made in my favor, I also took it as sign to work on some things.  Using my body to get into the defender off the first step, 8 foot floaters, steps backs, and a lot of freeze fakes-- these are all things I have been working on the last couple days and will continue to do up until we play Campbell and then I will assess my game from there.  As for right now, I have some really important exams to complete throughout the week so I will be grindin the books for the next couple days.   I have been wanting to give some insight on what has been going on in my life away from basketball but honestly, between ball and school I have done nothing except hang out with my brother and talk on the phone to a couple people.  Exciting??? I love it ! holla

---check for some new pics and videos soon 

Posted by bryan at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a rocky start on Tuesday night vs Tusculum we pulled out the win.  They pretty much controlled the whole first half and had a 33-32 lead with 45 seconds to go.  I hit a three pointer, they went down court and turned it over and KJ found me for a deep trey at the buzzer and I knocked it down.  So we had a 38-35 lead at halftime.  The second half we took a 14-point lead midway through but they chipped away and got it within 3 points.  I hit a couple jumpers and Sean Smith and KJ garland both hit 3 pointers and we pulled away and got the win. I finished with 26, 5asst, 4stls. Tusculum was a good team that wasn't very athletic but very solid defensively and disciplined offensively.  They caused us some problems with their offense because in absence of 7ft 8in Kenny George (sore foot--nothing serious) they were able to spread us out and we had to be extremely disciplined on the dribble drive for the first time all season.  Usually when you have a guy who is blocking 8 shots in 16 minutes of play you get used to overplaying and forcing the dribble to the paint.  Although we missed him, it helped our team tremendously because we really had to buckle down and play defense by eliminating penetration which will make our team that much better when Kenny returns.

My hand definitely started feeling better during the game last night and it almost didn't hinder my play at all.  I did throw up an airball in the first half because I couldn't get a feel on the ball with the tape on my hand ( Or maybe I just launched it -lol).  But on a serious note my hand is much better and I went to the doctor today and he said I could play with no tape on my hand if I felt okay about it.  So, Ill slowly start taking the bandages off one by one and hopefully Saturday I will be "tape free".  Right now my concentration is on polishing my game and getting my mechanics back to a professional level 

We are going to Blacksburg, VA on Friday afternoon to play Virginia Tech Saturday night.  They have started off well and have a decent record as of right now.  I have been unable to see them play yet but I am looking forward to watching them this evening at 9:30pm on ESPN2.  This will give me a better idea of their team instead of relying on stats and articles.  I know they are very young, but very talented.  We are older and more experienced throughout the top 8 with a lot of talent in the backcourt.  After I see them play I will try and update my blog to give a little insight on what I saw. 

Posted by bryan at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)