Marlyn Bryant in the CBA

[Brad]

Former Leesburg standout overcomes injuries to play professionally

Eric Orvieto

Staff Writer

Marlyn Bryant has learned nothing comes easy when working toward a dream.

As a senior at Leesburg High School in 2001, Bryant averaged 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and showed the potential to become a player who could eventually make it to the NBA.

His performance earned him Class 5A Player of the Year honors from the Florida Dairy Farmers, which put him in the running to be Florida's Mr. Basketball.

Bryant also was invited to try out for the 2001 McDonald's All-American game, which annually features the best high school talent in the country.

Before the tryout, however, the 6-foot-4, 215 pound Bryant received a call that would change his life.

"I was brought into a coach's office, picked up the phone and was told my father passed away," Bryant said. "I was practicing real well, but there was not even a question I had to go home to go to the funeral. There's no telling what would have happened had he not passed, but stuff happens."

After suffering two knee injuries as a member of the University of South Florida men's basketball team, Bryant is back working toward his dream as a guard for the Great Falls (Mont.) Explorers of the Continental Basketball Association.

"People don't know how much I've had to go through to get (to the CBA)," said Bryant, 24. "I had to start from the bottom and work 10 times harder to get here. I just love playing this game."

Before his father died, the McDonald's All-American game would have given Bryant an opportunity to play in a game with future college and NBA talent such as David Lee (New York Knicks), Eddy Curry (Knicks), Kwame Brown (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dajuan Wagner (Golden State Warriors).

But the death of his father forced Bryant to return to Leesburg, and he ultimately signed to play basketball for USF.

He earned a starting job as a sophomore and averaged 7.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

In the team's 13th game of the season, against a Dwyane Wade-led Marquette team, Bryant suffered yet another setback.

Seven minutes into the game, Bryant got the ball and was driving toward the basket. All of a sudden, he said his knee "just twisted and gave." He had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"When the doctors told me it was an ACL injury, I thought about quitting school and giving up basketball," Bryant said. "It was my first real injury and I didn't know how to deal with it."

Bryant rehabilitated all offseason and was ready to regain his starting spot as a junior.

He was averaging 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds for a 6-5 Bulls team, when his left knee gave out on an out-of-bounds play in practice.

"I tried to walk and had no balance," he said. "I just was thinking, 'Oh, no, not again, this can't be happening to me.' "

Bryant stayed in Tampa for a second straight offseason, this time to rehab a torn ACL in his left knee and to "get enough strength that it wouldn't ever happen again."

Bryant came back stronger than ever as a senior, averaging eight points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals and shooting 50.3 percent from the field in 30 games.

"I never doubted he would come back and play a full season," said Marcus Niblack, of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Lake and Sumter Counties, who has been a mentor to Bryant since he was 7 years old. "That kid is willing to go to the end of the earth to accomplish his dream of playing in the NBA."

Bryant said he has always wanted to earn a living playing basketball. To accomplish that goal, he went looking for his first employer when he left USF.

He was asked to join a team in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional in Mexico. After a training camp with the team, Bryant was traded to Panteras de Aquascalientes. He played 14 games for Panteras and averaged 16.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals, but left when his contract ran out and returned to Tampa.

"I didn't know I wasn't guaranteed a spot because my contract was in Spanish," Bryant said. "Now I have an agent and know to get everything in English."

While playing in a tournament in Los Angeles against the Korean National Team, former Loyola Marymount University and Eastern Washington University coach Steve Aggers sought Bryant out to express his interest.

Aggers told Bryant he was the coach of a new CBA team, the Explorers, and he thought Bryant would be a perfect fit for his coaching style.

"The first thing I noticed about Marlyn was how he handles himself. He is such a professional," Aggers said. "I saw so much ability and untapped potential in him that I had to have him. He is just such an athlete. His best basketball is yet to come."

Bryant has used his dunking ability and his "graceful style of play" to become a favorite of the Explorers' fans, Aggers said.

Bryant is averaging 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds and has played the most minutes (109) for the Explorers (1-2) through Dec. 5.

"I love being able to always be out on the court," Bryant said. "I get better every minute I play."

Aggers said Bryant's versatility makes him "invaluable" considering the Explorers have a 10-player roster. He said Bryant will get tons of exposure by showing he can stay on the court a full season, and play all over.

Bryant is just happy to have a chance to earn a living playing basketball, even though he is only at "stage one."

"Whenever I'm on the court, I'm going to give it my all," he said. "I want to get to the NBA eventually, but I'm just happy to be paid to play a game I love. This game means everything to me and I didn't go through everything I did to give up on it now.

"This is a stepping stone. I get to play a game and get paid good money for it. What more could I ask for?"

Link

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CBA Exlporers link

Good to see Marlyn still playing - loved his athleticism and hustle.

[Guest BasketBull.]

Good to hear he's still doing what he loves.

Q: Who's more athletic, Bryant or Mattis?

...my vote is for Mattis. I've never seen a Bull that can do what he does consistently.

[SkypointBull]

Marlyn would abuse McHugh. McHugh is not physical or tough enough yet. Marlyn went toe to toe with a Big and Physical Cincy team in the CUSA tourney. Until I see McHugh rebound and play full court D the way Marlyn did, I would have to say I would trade Buckley and McHugh to have Marlyn back.

[MikeG]

I take it the guy who wrote this got a hold of you Brad. He called me about the picture from the site asking if he could use it but I told him it wasn't my work.

[Mag Pie]

I love hearing about our former players doing good.

[Matt]

i guess he will have to change his tattoo

[Kyle]

Marlyn was one of my favorite players. I'm glad he's finding his way.

I'm with Bloomtown. I also think Maryln's dunks were better than Mattis'...and he wasnt afraid to shoot the 15 ft jumper.

[bulls96go]

;D

[The Sheriff]

Seth recruit... if he hadn't gotten hurt... he'd be a shining star in the NBA. Good luck Marilyn! His dunks were the best in college!

[Markeymark]

Nice - I wish him all the best.