Germantown Academy’s Bryce Presley gets it from his dad, a longtime college coach
Dino Presley, a Rider assistant, has been in the college coaching scene for more than 20 years. His son has grown up around the world of basketball, one with constantly changing scenery.
Byrce Presley is an absorber.
Every time the Germantown Academy sophomore gets his hands on the basketball, he pauses, taking a second to survey the floor and find the best method of attack.
“I was always taught to do that,” Presley said after GA’s 71-60 win over the Pennington School (N.J.) on Wednesday. “You’ve got to face up, look, and see what you’ve got first, observe, then take the play.”
Presley learned that from his father, Dino Presley, a longtime college basketball coach and current Rider assistant who’s a Philly native and Kutztown graduate.
Bryce Presley has grown up around the world of basketball, one with constantly changing scenery. The 6-foot-4 guard was born in upstate New York while his father was coaching at St. Bonaventure and moved to West Virginia (Dino was at Marshall) for four years, then spent a year in New Jersey (His dad was an assistant at NJIT) before finally settling down in Bensalem before eighth grade.
“Philly is home, all my family is here,” said Presley, who finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and three assists on Wednesday. “I used to come here sometimes when I lived in Jersey, so I always knew people around here — Philly is home to me.”
Presley has two years of varsity experience. He started at times as an eighth grader in his first year at GA.
And two games into Bryce’s sophomore season, his maturity was evident in his on-court patience.
“He’s a son of a coach, and so I think there’s tremendous value there because he knows the game,” said Germantown Academy coach Matt Dolan. “You can see the game slowing down and having him be patient. I think it’s a benefit for him because we need great spacing. When he’s not rushing, we have guys in great spots and then he can dominate the one-on-one opportunity.”
Dino, who has more than 20 years of college coaching experience, has worked at eight programs in seven conferences at various levels. That has been an asset to his son, who started taking basketball more seriously in middle school. The two admitted, though, they can butt heads when it comes to on-court training.
“Me watching him play is good and bad,” Dino said. “I can critique him on the good things, but I always talk about the bad things, not the good things. But he is working, they’ve done a good job with him over the last two years.”
GA hasn’t seen an Inter-Ac League crown since one under the late great coach Jim Fenerty in 2017. The local legend led the Patriots to 17 Inter-Ac championships in 30 years.
Last year, GA went 8-16 (3-7 Inter-Ac) but looked ready to take a step forward this season, with the duo of Presley and junior Bryce Rollerson leading a guard-heavy group that doesn’t have a senior on the roster.
» READ MORE: Germantown Academy’s Jim Fenerty was the best of Philly coaches, and the best of men | Mike Sielski
“I feel a lot more comfortable going in this year,” Presley said. “It’s good to gain game experience and have a better feeling of how this season will turn out.
“You got to play hard, I think that’s the biggest thing — if you don’t work, you’re not going to get anywhere with it.”
This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.