COLLEGE

Michael Bryson played college basketball at UC Santa Barbara from 2012 through 2016, developing into a four-year rotation guard for head coach Bob Williams and finishing his Gauchos career with 124 games played and 118 starts while averaging 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

As a freshman in 2012/13, Bryson appeared in 30 games and started 25, averaging 25.8 minutes per game while posting 8.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per contest. He shot 38.6% from the field, made 46 three-pointers, and averaged 1.5 threes per game (46-of-142 from three), while UC Santa Barbara finished 11–20 overall and 7–11 in Big West play.

As a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara, Bryson posted 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

That sophomore season (2013/14) saw him start all 29 games, increase his role to 29.1 minutes per night, and deliver 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the floor and 41.7% from three (55-of-132). UC Santa Barbara went 21–9 overall and 12–4 in conference play, finishing second in the Big West standings.

Bryson averaged 13.9 points and 4.8 rebounds a game as a junior in 2014/15.

In that 2014/15 junior campaign, Bryson played 33 games with 32 starts and averaged 32.1 minutes, producing 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% overall and 36.0% from three (68-of-189) and 85.4% at the free throw line. He set a single-season school record for consecutive free throws made with 34, and he delivered a notable scoring peak with a season-high 26 points against Cal State Northridge while going 5-for-7 from three on February 15, 2015. UC Santa Barbara finished 19–14 overall and 11–5 in Big West play (second in the league), reached the Big West Tournament semifinals, and also played in the College Basketball Invitational.

Bryson was named to the First Team All-Big West.

Entering his senior year, Bryson missed a game in November 2015 because he played in a unauthorized league in July.

As a senior, Bryson averaged 18 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

During the 2015/16 season, Bryson started all 32 games and averaged 33.8 minutes while posting 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, with shooting splits of 47.9% from the field, 38.3% from three (72-of-188), and 82.1% at the line. He produced a career-high 36 points and 13 rebounds against Seattle on December 30, 2015 while hitting 9 three-pointers, a single-game UCSB record for made threes, and the same game also matched the program record for three-point attempts with 18. By late February 2016 he had become just the eighth player in school history to reach 1,500 career points, and he ultimately closed his career with 1,620 points, a total that placed him tied for sixth on UC Santa Barbara’s all-time scoring list.

He became the all-time leader in three-point makes for the Gauchos.

Across his four seasons, Bryson made 241 three-pointers on 651 attempts, with the 651 career attempts listed as the program record, and he finished his Gauchos tenure recognized for high-volume perimeter production while also contributing 593 total rebounds and 219 assists. UC Santa Barbara went 19–14 overall in his senior season and 11–5 in Big West play, advanced to the Big West Tournament semifinals, and also reached the semifinals of the eight-team Vegas 16 postseason event.

Bryson was named to the First Team All-Big West as a senior.