Making the case for Bryant

By Justin Phan

The Santa Clara men's basketball team has given us little to cheer about thus far, as they currently sit at the bottom of the West Coast Conference with a 0-4 record in conference play.

The Broncos are 7-13 and are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, but their one bright spot has been center John Bryant.

Big John is putting up numbers that rank him amongst the nation's elite college basketball players.

Let's take a step back and put into perspective what Bryant has accomplished this season. By perspective, I don't mean just copping out and telling you that Bryant leads the team in points (17.1), rebounds (12.6) and blocks (2.5).

People have traditionally judged how good a player is by merely looking at per-game averages with the mindset that the best players average the most points.

But statistics developed in recent years have made it possible to quantify overall player performance and figure out how many wins a player actually contributes.

These statistics, which include player efficiency rating (PER) and win score, have played a major role in the way NBA scouts are evaluating college players.

So where does Bryant fit into the big picture?

In terms of PER, Bryant ranks sixth in the nation with a rating of 35.2. For those of you that question the legitimacy of the statistic, the top five players this season in terms of PER are DeJuan Blair, Blake Griffin, Luke Harangody, Stephen Curry and James Harden.

All five are marquee names in the college basketball world, and three of them have an excellent chance of being in the top 10 of the 2009 NBA Draft.

In terms of win score, Bryant ranks third in the nation with a win score of 19.1.

Once you make adjustments for Santa Clara's pace and Bryant's position, his adjusted win score is 19.6. The Tar Heels' Tyler Hansbrough had an adjusted win score of 14.4 last year, and Roy Hibbert came in at 13.8.

As a mid-major center, Bryant has not yet gained the recognition that he deserves from NBA scouts. He is currently ranked 41st amongst seniors by DraftExpress and has not shown up on any of the 2009 NBA mock drafts yet.

With Bryant's play so far this season, it is only a matter of time until NBA scouts start recognizing what a great talent he is.

It is hard to envision that a player from Santa Clara has developed into such a force on the national stage, but believe it.

And enjoy Bryant while he's here because this is the last year we will all be able to witness him first hand.