About 20 seconds later, Brent Calhoun, the man Bryant was guarding, made a layup. He would make another against Bryant before IU’s center was taken out of the game four minutes after it started.
But Bryant would return and, just like the rest of the IU defense, improved as the game went on. He will try to build upon those changes Saturday night when IU plays McNeese State in Assembly Hall.
“He made adjustments inside of the game,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “He got rebounds. He had to adjust in the pick and roll. They’re really good with the ball screen.”
Defending the pick-and-roll has been an area where Bryant has struggled this year, but as a freshman that was expected. He’s also expected to adapt to the college game just like he did Wednesday night against IPFW.
The Hoosiers have improved and adjusted defensively as a team as well this season, especially when it comes to defending around the basket.
After allowing 42 points in the paint Dec. 2 at Duke, IU has allowed 24 and 26 points in the paint against Morehead State and IPFW in its last two games.
IU has also recorded seven blocks in each of its last two games.
“When you got guys like Troy (Williams), Thomas (Bryant), Collin (Hartman), who can go in there and block shots for us, that’s definitely going to impact us,” senior guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell said. “We’re going to want to continue to get stops.”
Williams, a junior forward, set a career high for blocks with five Wednesday night. Max Bielfeldt, a senior forward, had three blocks against Morehead State. Bryant had one block in each of the last two games.
But statistics are not what currently concerns Crean regarding Bryant. He’s more focused on Bryant’s overall defensive performance, which he praised Wednesday.
But he also acknowledged Bryant’s statistics need to get better as the season progresses.
Bryant had four points and two rebounds against IPFW. But Crean said that’s not shaking the freshman.
“His confidence will be just fine,” Crean said. “He’s dealing with injury situations and things like that that are internal that he has to get through. We keep trying to help him through all of that. I think he’s just scratching the surface.”
But that’s a problem for the future. Currently, the Hoosiers are simply working on improving. Bryant is still working on adjusting to the college game and learning defensive schemes.
He shouldn’t be worried about statistics just yet.
“For us to be a really good team he’s got to get more than four points and two boards,” Crean said. “But as far as the adjustments he’s having to make defensively and do the things against these quick guards when they run up into these ball screens, I think he’s making progress.”
