Thomas Bryant returns to Indiana for sophomore season
April 7, 2016
I think this is one of the most important aspects of Thomas Bryant’s legacy at Indiana. After the Hoosiers were knocked out in the Sweet 16 his freshman year, he said he felt like there was still work to be done. His teammates even said that the felt as though he wanted to be here, they were right.
Thomas Bryant could have easily hung it up after his first season and could have even landed in the first round of the NBA Draft. His teammates Yogi Ferrell and Troy Williams were headed to the draft and it was coming off a pretty successful season. Instead, Bryant returned to work on his game and to work on the weaknesses that prevent him from being able to play at the NBA level.
It says a lot about the type of person and player Bryant is. No one will be able to question his work ethic or commitment to the game, especially passing up the opportunity to be drafted in the first round. He showed a commitment to his teammates and to the goal at Indiana. He was playing for something much bigger than himself. While it may have hurt his draft stock, he seems to have no regrets. Thomas Bryant and the Hoosiers did not have the season both were expecting. The injury to O.G. Anunoby was devastating and left plenty of fans with the feeling of ‘what if?’.