Auburn Hills, Mich ? The question made Marcellus Sommerville laugh a laugh that screams, “Are you serious, man?”

“Yeah,” he said between snickers, asked if Bradley University basketball teammate Patrick O’Bryant had NBA tools. “He’s got that potential.”

Sommerville meant no disrespect, but at the same time, he knows what kind of talent O’Bryant possesses – and it’s enough to make that answer to a reporter’s question a no-brainer.

Most of all, Sommerville is aware that if the Braves want a chance against Kansas University, O’Bryant might have to be the center of attention after today’s 8:30 p.m. tipoff – for more than just his 7-foot, 255-pound frame.

“His presence,” Sommerville said. “His presence on the floor, his presence rebounding, defending, blocking shots. If he can establish his presence throughout this tournament, I think we’ll go a long way.”

What already is established: O’Bryant is Bradley’s X-factor tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

A sophomore out of Blaine, Minn., O’Bryant is averaging 13.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game for Bradley, a 20-10 team and at-large bid out of the Missouri Valley Conference.

His journey has been rocky, but it has been nothing but an ascent.

Bradley big man Patrick O'Bryant has a laugh during Bradley's workout at the Palace of Auburn Hills Thursday evening.

After averaging 10.0 points per game as a freshman, O’Bryant went in search of a couple of summer jobs for spending money. One was as an intern chef at Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse in Peoria, Ill. The other was at Star Transport, along with teammate Will Franklin.

The NCAA found a problem with the latter, suspending Franklin for six games and O’Bryant eight after it was determined the transport company paid too much money for the work the two did.

O’Bryant returned with two straight double-double performances, the second at Wichita State when he had 14 points and 19 boards.

“I think it kind of made me want it more, actually,” O’Bryant said of the suspension. “You get to sit there and watch your team for eight games and not get to play with them. You come back with a vengeance for the eight games you missed.”

O’Bryant continued to soar after getting back in the groove. He had three more double-doubles the rest of the season and nearly had a triple-double, collecting 19 points, 16 rebounds and nine blocks against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 18. A 10th block was so clean and hard that the Tech penetrator came down with the ball, and traveling was called instead of a shot.

That gave O’Bryant his only steal of the game.

He has had great performances, but O’Bryant’s not invincible.

He averages just 25 minutes a game, in part to due to what Bradley coach Jim Les calls tired defense that gets O’Bryant into foul trouble too soon. He had just four points in a Missouri Valley Conference game at Creighton and had just four rebounds against Southern Illinois in the MVC tournament final.

Les said O’Bryant never wanted to come out of the game. So Les has an assistant keep an eye on him to see when fatigue becomes noticeable.

O’Bryant is not the most consistent, but Tennessee Tech and other less-fortunate squads got a sneak peak of what the MVC defensive player of the year can do.

Kansas, of course, has paid attention the past few days – examining tape and finding out O’Bryant is worthy of such conference accolades.

“He’s a real good player,” KU forward Darnell Jackson said. “He reminds me a lot of LaMarcus (Aldridge of Texas). We’re going to have to go out there and play to our strengths and don’t give him angles to dump the ball.”