Season averages:
Points – 12.3
Rebounds – 2.1
Assists – 2.1
Steals – 0.7
FG% – 38.3
3P% – 35.6
FT% – 77.1
Third in the Big East in three pointers made per game
Season highs:
Points – 27 vs Sacred Heart
Rebounds – 6 at Providence
Assists – 4 (five times)
Steals – 2 (five times)
Threes made – 9 vs Sacred Heart
Overall thoughts:
This season for Bryce Lindsay was an interesting one. Coming into the year, the transfer from James Madison was expected to be in the same sixth-man role that he was in for the Dukes, where
he also won the Sun Belt Conference Sixth Man of the Year. But due to Devin Askew’s offseason injury, Lindsay started the opener against BYU. And that was all she wrote, as the sophomore scored 22 points against the ranked Cougars in Las Vegas and never relinquished the role (except on Senior Night).
Lindsay’s out-of-conference performance continued to impress, as he entered Big-East play averaging 16.7 points per game. Those averages dipped all the way down to 9.4 points per contest during conference play, including the Big East Quarterfinal. If you take out the first three games, that average reduces even further to 8.1 points per game. This is all to say: Lindsay was in a two-month swoon.
Of course, he finished the season on a great note, with yet another prolific performance against a Utah-based opponent. Against Utah State, Lindsay scored 25 points and shot 9/18 from the floor. It’s scary to think where Villanova would have been in that game had he not reverted back to his out-of-conference self.
So where does this lead as far as projections go? Is he more of the player we saw the first two months, or is he more like the last two? The answer is probably somewhere in between. And if that’s the case, it may be better for Lindsay to accept that sixth-man role once more going forward. Is that something he would be willing to do? That’s tough to say. We will find out in the coming days/weeks.
Overall, Lindsay’s first season was a success. The increase in competition from the Sun Belt to the Big East is a massive one, so perhaps that adjustment needs to go into next year. His shooting ability was invaluable to the team, even on the off nights, as he still has gravity that the defense has to account for. His off-the-dribble game is underrated. And while he is an undersized two, he at least has some strength to combat that.
I’m personally not sure how viable a perimeter of Lewis, Lindsay and Perkins is if the goal is to take the next step. It’s too short and too limited defensively (at least with the Lewis and Lindsay combination). If Lindsay is willing to accept the aforementioned sixth-man role, that would likely mean that he is assuming the Devin-Askew role of being the first substitute for both guard positions. Which would in turn lead to a likely departure. But in that situation, the team has also likely improved its size along the forward spots, which would be an exciting development.
