April 1, 2009
Leading the country in double-doubles, total rebounds and rebounds per game during the regular season, Santa Clara senior John Bryant was named to the Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention team on Tuesday. He was the only West Coast Conference player on the All-American list and is the first SCU player to receive the honor since two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash received AP All-American Honorable Mention honors his senior year in 1996.
"This is a great honor. I worked hard in the pre-season to be ready this season and I left it all on the court this year," said Bryant. "It gives me a real confidence boost as I enter the next phase of my basketball career. What a great way to end my senior year."
The HERSHEY'S College All-Star Game will tip off at 1:35 (Pacific) on Friday, April 3, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. 2009 marks the 47th annual NABC College All-Star Game and the second year the game will be played in the same stadium as the NCAA® Men's Final Four® Tournament. The HERSHEY'S College All-Star Game is free to the public and will be televised on CBS College Sports network.
"Our coaching staff and the University congratulate John on this honor," said SCU head coach Kerry Keating. "This is another honor that proves he has come along way. We wish him the best of luck in the next week and a half as he travels to the Final Four and the Portsmouth Invitational as he takes the next step. We are all excited for him and support him fully."
Bryant is the only Bronco in school history to score 1,600+ points, grab 1,100+ rebounds and block 200+ shots. Bryant finished his career at Santa Clara No. 1 in rebounds (1,152), No. 1 in blocks (246) and No. 6 in scoring (1,667). He is No. 1 in the country in double-doubles, rebounds per game and total rebounds. He was named the WCC Player of the Year in early March.
His 27 rebounds vs. San Diego on Sat., March 7 were the most rebounds in an NCAA game in more than three years. Louisiana Tech's Paul Millsap had 28 rebounds vs. San Jose State on Feb. 15, 2006. It was the most for a Bronco since 1971 (28, Fred Lavaroni, Feb. 15, 1971 vs. Saint Mary's).
Bryant had 50 double-doubles in his career, a school record, and is No. 2 of active players behind Washington's Jon Brockman.
Bryant had a national-leading 24 double-doubles this year during the regular season; and 26 double-doubles this season. He is the 30th player in the history of the NCAA to tally 26+ double-doubles in a season and only the third player in the 21st century.
Bryant finished the season with 16 straight double-doubles, dating back to Jan. 11, 2009. It is the longest streak since then-Wake Forest center Tim Duncan pulled down 17 straight in 1997. Duncan has gone on to win four NBA titles with the Spurs and two MVP awards. He is only the 24th player in NCAA history to grab 16 straight double-doubles or more.
Those 26 double-doubles this season included: vs. CSU East Bay (19/11), vs. UAB (17/15), at Georgia (13/12), at Montana (20/13), at San Jose State, (20/21) vs. Sacramento State (14/15), at UNLV (12/11), vs. Stanford (27/12), vs. UTEP (33/17), at Harvard (14/11), vs. San Diego (19/12), at Gonzaga (12/11), at Portland (15/16), vs. USF (18/10), vs. Houston Baptist (20/21), vs. LMU (12/22), vs. Pepperdine (19/10), at San Diego (23/20), vs. Saint Mary's (21/15), at Pepperdine (25/12), at LMU (25/16), at USF (17/12), vs. Gonzaga (16/11), Portland (22/21) vs. San Diego (24/27) and vs. Gonzaga (13/10)
He notched 15 double-doubles last season, five double-doubles in 2006-07 and had four double-doubles as a freshman during the 2005-06 season.
