We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with FGCU SR G Brylee Bartram, who talked about making the NCAA tourney last March and her expectations for this season.
At Seffner Christian Academy you joined the school’s varsity team in 7th grade: what was it like to be teammates with players who were several years older than you? It was definitely interesting. Since that time I have been used to being around older players. It was a little intimidating at 1st but it turned out well for me as I got to push myself against bigger/faster/stronger players. It helped me develop into the player/person I became by having to work harder.
You eventually broke the national high school record for boys/girls with 533 career 3PM: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? There is not a secret: it just happened naturally. I did not even know what the record was until a couple of weeks before I broke it. If you put in the work then you know you will make the shots: it is about confidence.
You began your college career at Florida and then transferred to Vanderbilt: why did you decide to leave the SEC, and what made you choose FGCU? Florida was pretty close to home and then COVID hit and everything was crazy. I liked my time at Vanderbilt but after their staff got fired I felt the new coach was not the right fit for me. It was a tough decision to transfer mid-year, which was a crazy process, but it was the right decision. I knew a little about FGCU and really thought that I could see myself in my home state so my family/friends could come see me play.
Last year you went 17-1 in conference play with only an OT loss at Liberty in January: how close did you come to going undefeated? Pretty close. We also lost some non-conference games to a pair of great teams in Stanford/Duke. We could have played better in all of our losses but that is easy to say after the fact: we just want to play our best basketball.
Last March in the Atlantic Sun tourney you won 3 games by double-digits to clinch the title: how much of a home-court advantage did you have at Alico Arena, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? We were very lucky to get the #1 seed and worked hard for that so that we could play at home. Our fans are great and show up every night and give us energy. The title game was electric and we played a really good game. I was proud of what we did but knew that it was not over yet so we celebrated…but stayed focused.
In the 2023 NCAA tourney you beat Washington State before losing at Villanova: what did you learn from your postseason run that you think will help you this season? We learned that we can compete with anybody. There was a lot of talk about us being a #12 seed but we never doubted ourselves. We played 2 really good teams and it gave us a lot of experience. We know the changes that we need to make to get a different outcome.
You are majoring in entrepreneurship: why did you choose that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I felt like it was a unique opportunity: I never had majors like that available to me before so it really intrigued me. Growing up I worked in different jobs and had different side hustles so I changed my major. It was a risk but I really love it. I eventually want to open my own business like a bar/restaurant but in the short-term I plan to get my real estate license. I have a lot of good connections so I think that I will have some really good options to choose from.
You lost all 5 of your starters from last year but still have 1 of the most veteran rosters in the nation with only 1 true freshman and 1 true sophomore: how do you think all of your upperclassmen will be able to replace all of that experience? It is a big transition but also not unusual for our program. We had a lot of players graduate but have a solid group of returners who continue to work and know what it is like to play here. We have some experienced transfers and everyone is jelling together to find our flow. We have a really talented team and everyone brings something to the table.
Your father Greg played basketball at Penn State and your brother Blake played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? We are a very competitive family and grew up competing against each other: our goal growing up was always to beat dad! It is hard to say who is the best because we are all different, which is why we butt heads when we play against each other, but we love each other through it.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? I am going into this season continuing to be consistent in my approach to every game/practice. The ultimate goal is to win a national championship but we also want to win our conference and play our best every single day. If each individual improves then the team will improve so I will try to take my own game to another level.