Bryant freshman Clay McMath, from Australia, is expected to see significant playing time along the base line.

The Providence Journal / Andrew Dickerman

All too many times last season, first-year Bryant University basketball coach Tim O’Shea looked out on the floor and shrugged his shoulders at his team’s fatal flaw.

In their first year as a Division I program, the Bulldogs enjoyed some potent 3-point shooting, played hard on defense and found a way to score enough points to scratch out eight wins. But all too often, Bryant was physically outmatched in the size department. The Bulldogs were out-rebounded by seven rebounds a night but that didn’t begin to tell the full story.

“We really didn’t have one true big man and we’re playing teams with 7-footers,” said O’Shea. “Good big guys had their way with us.”

To even the score up front, O’Shea and his assistant coaches have added significant reinforcements. Thanks to new players from Senegal (Papa Lo), Australia (Clay McMath) and the Ukraine (Vladyslav Kondratyev), the Bulldogs have a completely new look. Lo, a long-armed 6-9 center, looms as a shot-blocker in the lane if his damaged knees hold up. The 6-8 McMath, is a strong, impressive athlete whose father played at Bradley University and uncle is an ex-NFL player. Kondratyev, who stands 6-8 and boasts a powerful, 235-pound frame, is the most polished prospect. He’s equally adept at finishing plays with dunks at the rim or stepping out and shooting 20-footers.

“Those three guys will all play a lot this year for us,” said O’Shea. “Teams can’t ignore us physically anymore.”

A year ago, 6-5 forward Cecil Gresham led Bryant with 4.7 rebounds a game. Nick Pontes, a 6-6 New Bedford native, was the top inside scorer. Both players are back for their senior seasons but the addition of the newcomers adds some irreplaceable size to the lineup.

Lo spent last year at Bryant after transferring from UMass. He tore his ACL last fall and has spent the last 10 months working his way back to full form.

McMath is a product of the Australian Institute of Sport, a program that’s sent stars like Paddy Mills (St. Mary’s) to American colleges in recent years. “We really recruited him through the Internet,” said O’Shea. “His mother [Rhonda] took Clay to Bryant on his official visit last spring. The trip took 22 hours. After that, we were the only school he saw so he signed.”

Kondratyev grew up in Siberia but moved to the Ukraine for school. He was sent to Gainesville, Fla., where Bryant assistant coach Mike Kelly found him playing at The Rock School. “Mike knew a coach in Florida who had seen him and when we went to watch Vlad we were very, very surprised we could get him,” said O’Shea. “He will make a major impact for us and I think he can be one of the better freshmen in New England.”

Bryant isn’t the only Division I school in Rhode Island that will benefit from new players this season.

The impact of Keno Davis’ first recruiting class at Providence College cannot be understated. Davis signed seven recruits and he’ll see eight players making their collegiate debut when the Friars begin their season on Nov. 13 against Bryant University. Early returns are mixed on several of the new players, but it’s clear that point guard Vincent Council, wing man Kyle Wright and redshirt freshman Bilal Dixon have emerged as leaders to see major minutes.

Brown coach Jesse Agel will rely on new faces to help his second Bears team rebound from a 9-19 season. The Bears’ offense frequently ground to a halt late last season, so Agel’s focus on stocking his roster with some advanced offensive players was mandatory. He believes he’s found some answers in guard Matt Sullivan and forwards Tucker Halpern and Andrew McCarthy. Sullivan is the brother of Bears junior Peter Sullivan, and Agel can see the duo sharing the court at times this season.

“They’re different players but can complement each other well,” said Agel. “Matt is more of a ball handler/shooter and should be able to make plays for us.”

Halpern, from Brookline, Mass., can be an explosive scorer and boasts “a high court IQ,” according to Agel. McCarthy is more of a post player who’ll be able to help All-Ivy big man Matt Mullery in the lane.

URI probably has the least need for instant impact recruits. The Rams lost three key players, especially shooter supreme Jimmy Baron and rebounder Kaheim Seawright, but return the bulk of a team that has contended for the Atlantic 10 title in each of the last two seasons. Even so, Jim Baron’s class of four recruits holds plenty of promise.

The most pressing need comes at the wing shooting position, where Jimmy Baron’s 3-point accuracy will not be easily replaced. Freshmen Akeem Richmond, a high-scoring 6-1 guard from North Carolina, has impressed early on and Serbian forward Nikola Malesevic will see time if his outside shooting stroke heats up. Point guard Lisandro Ruiz Moreno and big forward Ryan Brooks have also looked good but find themselves behind some key veterans.

“Akeem is going to be real important for us because he’s a guy we are counting on to score,” said Baron. “Akeem and Nikola are at the wing position and we need help there.”

kmcnamar@projo.com