On Nov. 9, 2022, Bryce Lindsay announced his commitment to Texas A&M. It was just three days after his mother, Takisha, died.
Lindsay, now starting at guard for Villanova, calls his mother his biggest inspiration and the strongest person he knew. He watched her fight through surgeries and life changes and take care of a family during a 10-year battle with Grade 2 astrocytoma, a brain tumor that was diagnosed in September 2012.
Up and down his left arm and leg are tattoos that are meaningful to Lindsay. On the back of Lindsay’s thigh is a tattoo of his mother and her middle name, Simone. It is a permanent dedication to her.
“That time when I was at [Texas] A&M, [still dealing with] my mother passing was a very hard time,” Lindsay said.
It was not the first or last time Lindsay, 20, faced adversity in his young life.
In 2022, Lindsay was committed to South Carolina out of St. Frances Academy in his native Baltimore. He was determined to play for Gamecocks coach Frank Martin. However, Martin was dismissed from the program in mid-March. Because of the timing of the firing, Lindsay was left with limited options.
He decided to play a prep school year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
That’s when Lindsay committed to Texas A&M. Exactly one year after his mother’s death, Lindsay finally played his first college minutes on Nov. 6, 2023.
‘Amazed at his strength’
“It was tough for him,” said Lindsay’s father, Dustin. “It was tough for our entire family. She was the rock. She held everything together, to be honest. So that stretch was really tough for him. Losing his mom could have broken anyone’s spirit. So watching him through it, though, I was honestly amazed at his strength, to be honest with you. He never let it define him.
“He grieved, he healed, but he also stayed committed to coming back stronger, and I saw it firsthand. That period really showed his resilience and character both on and off the court. He faced more than most people could imagine, but he turned it into fuel to grow mentally and emotionally.”
Then, just eight games into his college career, the 6-foot-3 Lindsay was struck with another setback. He suffered a sports hernia that required surgery on both sides of his abdomen and forced him to redshirt the remainder of his freshman season at Texas A&M.
Lindsay was without two of the most important things in his life: his mother and basketball.
“I saw him just put both feet in the sand and just say, ‘It’s my time, right?’” Dustin Lindsay said. “And that’s easier said than done. Because most of us never have to go through a tragedy like that. But, I tell people this all the time, it’s not until you go through a tragedy like that that you realize how strong a human being can really be. I saw an individual who realized that wasn’t making excuses.”
After he recovered, Lindsay committed to James Madison in May 2024. He came in thinking he would be a key player, but he was not in the starting lineup for JMU’s season opener against Ohio.
Despite yet another setback, Lindsay was unfazed.
“Bryce tells me, ‘Dad, I’m not even worried about it. I’m going to be sixth man of the year,’ Dustin said. “And when he told me that, I mean, it really almost brought tears to my eyes. The maturity that showed in him at that time was just priceless.”
Lindsay went on to accomplish that goal. He came off the bench for the first 18 games of the season, shooting 45.6% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. His performances pushed him into the starting lineup for the final 12 games of the season and the conference tournament.
At the end of the season, Lindsay was named the Sun Belt’s Sixth Man of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
“I believe that true confidence comes with the work you put in behind the scenes,” Lindsay said. “I was always the type of guy who was a gym rat. I would always be in the gym before practice, after practice, and I feel like that gave me my true confidence with me coming up.”
When Villanova hired coach Kevin Willard last spring, Lindsay had the opportunity to move up from a mid-major program.
“I absolutely think he’s had such a positive effect on everybody offensively just because of the way he’s playing,” Willard said. “And he never worries about missing a shot. He never worries about a turnover. He’s like, ‘Next play.’ Guys like that who have that confidence, who don’t get down on themselves — and he doesn’t get down on himself at all, which is great — always have a positive impact on his teammates.”
Baltimore basketball
When asked about his resilience, Lindsay laughed. “It’s crazy that you use the word ‘resilient,’” he said. “I was about to get that [as my] next tattoo.”
Much of that comes from where he grew up, in a city known for its basketball culture.
“I could be kind of biased, but I think we have the best group of guys coming out of not just Baltimore, but the [D.C., Maryland, and Virginia] area as well,” Lindsay said. “Specifically, Baltimore, I just think that we just have that competitive edge and that nitty-gritty to our game and play style. Just because where we come from, we don’t really come from too much.”
It was not easy to carve out a path in a crowded Baltimore basketball scene.
“I remember Bryce when he first picked up a basketball,” Dustin Lindsay said. “He was young, and I could already see the love for the game. Seeing him maneuver and again, finding that resilience to overcome a lot of the obstacles that he had to endure, just growing up and playing that sport here that so many people are passionate about.”
Lindsay’s father put him on teams with older, more experienced players, so he was forced to play more physical basketball.
“I think it created that part of him, that resilience that I’m going to try my best not to let these obstacles get in my way,” Dustin Lindsay said. “I tried to put him in a lot of difficult situations on purpose. Because I just know how hard life can be sometimes. And so I just wanted him to face obstacles early on in life, and it wasn’t easy. But that kid just never gave up.”
Lindsay was a part of the Class 3A state title team at Baltimore Polytechnic in his freshman year. Then he transferred to St. Frances, the second of three stops in his high school journey. In 2021-22, Lindsay averaged 19.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
“Being from Baltimore, I think that definitely puts an edge on me,” Lindsay said. “I mean, I just wanted to do extra work because nobody wants to be in Baltimore forever. They always want to get out, so I think I’m super grateful for being from Baltimore. I love my city.”
Now, Lindsay has transitioned from a mid-major to Villanova. He already has set a program record for three-pointers in a game, hitting nine against Sacred Heart on Nov. 11. It broke a record that had stood for 20 years.
He is averaging a team-high 16.6 points and has four 20-plus point outings in 11 games. Lindsay is also the 10-2 Wildcats’ best three-point shooter at 44.2%, and ranks in the top 40 nationally in threes made per game (3.17).
“I’m very grateful that I got to mesh with this group of guys,” Lindsay said. “We all came together pretty well in such a short time. So I’m grateful for that. We have a great coaching staff here. That’s why I chose to come here to Villanova. Plus, the culture and what Villanova means.”
Even after a dominant nonconference performance, Lindsay says there is more work to be done on his game. He believes he has not hit his ceiling.
“I would say I’m never satisfied with my play,” Lindsay said. “I feel like certain guys they get satisfied, and they stop doing all the little things. I was that type of person. Like during practice, I’m going to keep going hard 110% every day, and I’m never going to cut corners.”
