Bryant Announces Hoop Schedule, Eligible for D-I Postseason
Ken Bell
Bryant University release…
Bryant men's basketball to host 14 home games in 2012-13
SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Bryant University Athletics and head coach Tim O'Shea
are pleased to unveil the 2012-13 Bulldog men's basketball schedule, a
slate that features 14 home games and opponents from six different
conferences.
The Bulldogs return a veteran roster in 2012-13 as the team competes
for a postseason berth for the first time in its fresh Division I
history. Senior guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) and junior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.)
will be surrounded by both experience and young talent, as Bryant
returns five consistent starters (15+ starts in 2011-12) and adds youth
and depth in what is already shaping up to be a strong rookie class.
Supplementing Bryant's new faces to the lineup are 2011-12 redshirts Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn./Columbia) and Joe O'Shea (Burlington, Vt./Holy Cross) — strong guards who will have an immediate impact on the floor after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Bryant will need all its depth and talent against another challenging
slate in 2012-13, and the Bulldogs waste no time getting into the heart
of their schedule as they square off against one of the season's
toughest opponents in the Nov. 9 opener. The Black and Gold return to
Bloomington, Ind., where they will take on a familiar Big Ten foe in
Indiana University at Assembly Hall.
The Bulldogs will then take a seven-day break before returning to
action at home on Nov. 17, when the team hosts the University of New
Hampshire at the Chace Athletic Center at 1 p.m. The team rounds out
November play at the homes of two local rivals in Ivy League member
Brown (Nov. 21; 4 p.m.) and ACC foe Boston College (Nov. 25).
December will see the Bulldogs stay home for four of their five
contests, including three straight at the Chace Athletic Center from
Dec. 1-8. To open the season's longest home stretch, Bryant will host
its first of two Patriot League opponents in Army (Dec. 1; 4 p.m.) and
follows with the annual Battle of the Bulldogs when Yale comes to town
Dec. 5 (7 p.m.).
Binghamton, the team's second of two America East competitors on the
year, visits Smithfield Dec. 8 to round out the homestand (1 p.m.)
before Bryant takes a quick trip to Annapolis, Md., for another service
academy matchup, this one against first-time challenger Navy (Dec. 10).
A 12-day break for finals will give way to the team's return to its
home court Dec. 22 for a 1 p.m. faceoff against Dartmouth, closing out
2012-13 non-conference play.
After the holiday break, Bryant enters right into Northeast
Conference road action, opening league play in western Pennsylvania at
Robert Morris (Jan. 3) and Saint Francis (PA) (Jan. 5). Quinnipiac
visits the Bulldogs at home Jan. 10, and Bryant will follow them back to
the Constitution State to play Central Connecticut two days later in
New Britain.
Back-to-back home games against Mount St. Mary's and Wagner on Jan.
17 and 19 mark the longest home stretch of the month, as the Bulldogs
are back on the road Jan. 24 to play Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn.
LIU Brooklyn comes to the Chace Athletic Center Jan. 26 for the
teams' only meeting of the season, and the Bulldogs head to Teaneck,
N.J., on Jan. 31 for a 7 p.m. bout against Fairleigh Dickinson before
turning around two days later for a road battle against Monmouth (Feb.
2).
Bryant will host four more home games in February (St. Francis Feb.7,
Sacred Heart Feb. 9, CCSU Feb. 21 and Robert Morris Feb. 28) and play
three more on the road in the month (at Mount St. Mary's Feb. 14, at
Wagner Feb. 16 and at Quinnipiac Feb. 23) before closing out the 2012-13
regular season in front of the home crowd March 2 against Saint Francis
(PA) (4 p.m.).
The NEC Tournament is scheduled for March 6-12. For more news and
information or for the full 2012-13 schedule, visit bryantbulldogs.com.
