Big West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

18. Michael Bryson

A 6’4 guard from Sacramento, Bryson was one of the best players from the tail end of Bob Williams’ long coaching career at UC Santa Barbara. Bryson actually started his collegiate career back in 2012 and carved out an important role for himself early in his career. We’re just focusing on those final three seasons today, but it’s clear he became one of the top wings in the Big West.

Bryson was good for 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore, though both numbers would slowly rise in the coming seasons. He helped the Gauchos win 21 games that season and was even more important on offense going forward. UC Santa Barbara played in the CBI during his junior year, though his production as a senior was most impressive. Bryson averaged 18.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in a stellar senior campaign, including a 36-point, 13-rebound performance at Seattle.

Bryson was First Team All-Big West in his two final seasons, becoming the league’s top scorer as a senior. He was named to the conference’s All-Tournament squad twice, having some of his best performances in the postseason, though the Gauchos never made the Big Dance during his time on campus. Regardless, he emerged as a great shooter who also had pretty decent defensive metrics and played a big role for 59 wins in his final three seasons.