Their voices were quiet, barely audible. Their mood was understandably down.
After all, the seventh-seeded Oregon men’s basketball team had just been upset by No. 10 Seton Hall, 72-71, in the first round of the coveted NCAA Tournament.
This was an Oregon team that had been brimming with confidence and was led by three talented seniors in Alex Scales, A.D. Smith and Darius Wright. The Ducks entered the “The Big Dance” with high hopes, but left with empty stomachs.
But, after the game, as most of the team spoke about their missed opportunities, there was one noticeable exception. Out in the hallway, beside the somber Oregon locker room, stood 6-foot-7 forward Bryan Bracey.
Obviously, Bracey was frustrated about the loss, but he spoke clearly, with his voice filled with confidence. On this March day in Buffalo, N.Y., Bracey took the first step toward being a leader.
“I’m ready already for next year,” said Bracey, who had 10 points in 21 minutes against Seton Hall. “This team has an opportunity to be even better next year.”
Even better than this year’s team?
The thought hardly entered people’s minds when they considered that Oregon was losing 54 percent of its scoring and 37 percent of its rebounding with the loss of its seniors.
Bracey, however, knew something that the majority of the people didn’t. He knew he could be an impact player. He patiently sat on the bench for about 25 minutes a game in his first year at Oregon after transferring from Malcolm X Junior College in Chicago, Ill. He understood that Smith was the veteran and deserved his 30-35 minutes per game.
But with Smith gone, Bracey has showcased his variety of skills. His team-leading scoring average has gone up 12 points to 20.3 per game while his team-leading rebounding average has been upped by four to 7.5 per game.

In fact, Bracey’s 28-point outing in Oregon’s victory against Oregon State last Saturday was Bracey’s seventh 20-point performance in the past 11 games. In that game he admitted that he was “just feeling it,” as he scored 24 points in the second half to lead his team to victory.
“My teammates talked to me [at halftime] and said, ‘We need you,’” Bracey said. “I knew that I had to help my team in order to win.”
“Before the season, he said, ‘Coach, you’re going to see, I’m going to have some 30-point games,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said of Bracey, who did record a career-high 31 points against Auburn on Dec. 16. “When he goes to that level that he went to [against OSU], he just gives us an enormous amount of confidence.”
During the summer, Bracey competed in Chicago in a league with many talented collegiate and NBA players. Bracey keeps it no secret that he wants to take his game to the pro level, and he is gaining believers every week.
“I think he has an excellent future at the next level,” Oregon State head coach Ritchie McKay said after his team’s loss. “He’s a terrific player and a hard match-up because he’s really a perimeter player. Bryan has so much confidence and is one of the best offensive players in the league.”
While the future may indeed be bright for Bracey, his maturity and growth is evident in his team-first mentality of thinking. He now speaks words reserved for true team leaders.
“We gotta take it game-by-game and showcase ourselves,” said Bracey, who can be seen on a 40-foot poster on the southwest corner of McArthur Court. “We’re not a lost basketball team after losing those three great seniors last year. Everyone expected us to be at the bottom of the conference and our goal is to prove everyone wrong.”
Thus far, his 10-1 Ducks are doing just that.