Green Street | Real-world experience

Nov. 22—’s final college basketball season hasn’t just been about playing the sport she loves.

But talking about it, as well.

The fifth-year senior guard on the Illinois women’s basketball team has also been a color analyst for an Illini men’s basketball game this season on BTN Plus, calling Illinois’ season opener against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 4. It’s a continuation of what Bryant did in early October when she interned with Big Ten Network and interviewed the conference’s coaches and players at Big Ten women’s basketball Media Day in Rosemont.

Bryant will again be on the BTN Plus call for Saturday’s 3 p.m. tipoff at State Farm Center when Brad Underwood and the Illinois men’s basketball team host Maryland-Eastern Shore.

“I’m very blessed to be able to do that,” Bryant said. “Just being able to get that hands-on experience. It’s one thing shadowing and seeing it from afar, but actually being in it, being behind the seat, having the headphones on just everything you see that goes into play with that made me have more of an appreciation for what those people do and also realize this is what I really want to do. I feel comfortable in it. I feel like it’s my element. I feel like the more I do, I’m going to get more comfortable.

“Being out there, I thought I was going to be nervous, but I felt like I’m just talking about the game. This is what I do naturally whenever I’m watching games, so just doing what I already feel like I’m gifted to do … I just feel like all of that kind of fits in with me.”

Not a bad way for Bryant to get a start in what she hopes will be a future job for the Jonesboro, Ga., native. The 22-year-old, who is entering her final season of eligibility and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Illinois this past May and is now working on her master’s, is aiming to go into broadcasting or sideline reporting once her basketball career is finished.

Bryant, who has played 103 games at the college level starting her career at North…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/green-street-real-world-experience-154700303.html

Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Publish date : 2024-11-22 15:47:00

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