Bryant Makes Big Splash with First Division I Recruit
Bryant College will make the historically difficult transition from division II to division I basketball next year. But don’t be shocked if the Bulldogs fare far better than some of their recent predecessors from around the country. They got off to a good start on Thursday as they landed one of the best remaining big men on the board in Romeric Lasme.
Lasme has seen his stock skyrocket in recent weeks as he was a crucial component to Winchendon’s run to the NEPSAC finals. He may have played his best game of the season in that championship game as he more than held his own against Arizona bound big man Emmanuel Negedu. In fact, it wasn’t until Lasme fouled out in overtime that Negedu was able to take the game over in the paint.
The Winchendon big man began commanding the attention of college coaches this summer as he shined while running with the Connecticut Basketball Club. By the end of the summer he had already obtained scholarship offers from schools in the Atlantic 10. But Lasme was cautious not to rush his decision and ultimately decided to play out his senior season.
While he didn’t have the impact some expected during the first part of the season, that all changed when John Riek went down with an injury with three weeks left to play in the season. Lasme was inserted into the starting line-up and provided the spark that fueled Winchendon’s tremendous run to close out their season.
Lasme is an outstanding athlete who is capable of making plays around the rim that most others can only dream about. Consequently, his ability to finish inside and block shots on the defensive end are virtually unrivaled.
His commitment is significant for Bryant for several reasons. First it shows that Head Coach Max Good and his staff can already recruit with the best of them as they beat out schools in the MAAC and the A-10 who tried to get back in the picture after Lasme’s tremendous finish to the season. Second, it provides them with an interior player who has the ability to step right in and be an impact player next season, especially on the glass and at the defensive end of the floor. Third, Romeric is the younger brother of former UMass star and Golden State Warrior Stephane Lasme, who improved remarkably over his college career. Many coaches who are familiar with both brothers say Romeric is farther along now then Stephane was at the same stage. If by some chance Romeric continues to progress in college like Stephane did, then Bryant College may just have a future star on their hands.
Emmanuel Negedu
Romeric Lasme