Elijah Bryant

Elijah Brigham Bryant (born April 19, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for Elon University and Brigham Young University (BYU), before starting his professional career in Israel. Standing at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), he plays at the shooting guard position.

Elijah Bryant
No. 0 – Maccabi Tel Aviv
PositionShooting guard
LeagueIsraeli Premier League
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1995-04-19) April 19, 1995
Gwinnett, Georgia[1]
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolNew Hampton School
(New Hampton, New Hampshire)
College
  • Elon (2014–2015)
  • BYU (2016–2018)
NBA draft2018 / Undrafted
Playing career2018–present
Career history
2018–2019Hapoel Eilat
2019–presentMaccabi Tel Aviv
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school career

Bryant began playing basketball at a young age, always playing against older children. As a junior in high school, he had a growth spurt and grew one foot in a year.[2] Bryant attended New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire, where he averaged 13 points, four rebounds and four assists per game and led the Huskies to the NEPSAC AAA final.[3]

College career

Bryant started his college career with Elon University, where he averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game in his freshman year.[3] Bryant was named Colonial Athletic Association Bryant was named Rookie of the Year and earned a spot in the Third-team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie Team.[4] On July 28, 2015, Bryant transferred from Elon to Brigham Young University, but sat out first season at BYU per NCAA transfer rules.[5]

He posted 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a sophomore. He only played 23 games due to the effects of a knee injury.[6] Despite the injury, Bryant scored career-high 39 points, including seven 3-pointers in a win against Portland.[2]

In his junior year at BYU, Bryant finished the season as the West Coast Conference second-leading scorer with 18.1 points per game, third in free-throw percentage (.850), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.415), fourth in steals (1.2), eighth in rebounds (6.3) and tied for seventh in double-doubles.[3] On February 27, 2018, Bryant earned a spot in the First-team All-WCC.[7] On April 18, 2018, after completing his junior year at BYU, Bryant announced his plans to graduate and forgo his remaining eligibility for a professional career.[8]

Professional career

Hapoel Eilat (2018–2019)

After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, Bryant joined the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2018 NBA Summer League.[9]

On August 30, 2018, Bryant started his professional career with Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Premier League, signing a one-year deal.[10] On October 29, 2018, Bryant recorded a season-high 31 points, shooting 11-of-20 from the field, along with seven rebounds in an 81–75 win over Bnei Herzliya.[11] On December 4, 2018, Bryant was named Israeli League Player of the Month after averaging 20.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2 steals in four games played in November.[12] Bryant helped Eilat reach the 2019 Israeli League Final Four, where they eventually lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 36 games played for Eilat, he finished as the league fourth-leading scorer (17.5 points per game) and fourth in efficiency rating (19.4 per game). On June 6, 2019, Bryant earned a spot in the All-Israeli League First Team.[13]

Maccabi Tel Aviv (2019–present)

On July 1, 2019, Bryant joined the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2019 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.[14]

On July 23, 2019, Bryant signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv.[15] On February 5, 2020, Bryant recorded a EuroLeague career-high 21 points, while shooting 9-of-19 from the field, along with six rebounds and four assists, leading Maccabi to an 80–77 win over Khimki.[16]

Personal life

Bryant is the son of Israel Bryant and Reggie Bryant, a physician. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He married Jenelle Fraga in August 2017.[2]

References
  2. Call, Jeff (February 21, 2018). "How Elijah Brigham Bryant overcame knee injuries to star for BYU". Deseret News. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  3. "Elijah Bryant Profile – BYU Athletics". BYUCougars.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  4. "W&M's Thornton Headlines All-CAA Men's Basketball Team". CAASports.com. March 5, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  5. "Guard Elijah Bryant announces he is transferring to BYU". DeseretNews.com. July 28, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  6. Drew, Jay (November 8, 2017). "Elijah Bryant, Luke Worthington are BYU basketball captains for 2017-18 season". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  7. "BYU Men's Hoops: Bryant, Haws, Childs earn All-WCC honors". HeraldExtra.com. February 27, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  8. "BYU star Elijah Bryant announces plans to graduate, turn pro". KSL.com. April 18, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  9. "Summer 76 – Summer League Roster Finalized". NBA.com. July 5, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  10. "Hapoel Eilat signs rookie Elijah Bryant". Sportando.basketball. August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  11. "Winner League, Game 4: Hapoel Eilat Vs Herzliya". basket.co.il. October 29, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  12. "שחקן חודש נובמבר: אלייז'ה בראיינט". basket.co.il (in Hebrew). December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  13. "מצטייני עונת 2018/19 בליגת ווינר סל". basket.co.il (in Hebrew). June 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  14. "Bucks Announce Roster for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019". NBA.com. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  15. "Maccabi brings aboard swingman Bryant". EuroLeague.net. July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  16. "Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv vs. Khimki Moscow Region - Game". EuroLeague.net. February 5, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
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