Notre Dame Basketball: Sophomore Matt Ryan to transfer

Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Matt Ryan (4), forward Zach Auguste (30), and guard Steve Vasturia (32) react after a play against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame basketball is losing a sharp shooter who comes off the bench in Matt Ryan.

Notre Dame sophomore forward Matt Ryan has been granted his release to explore his transfer options. The reasons behind him making the decision to leave Notre Dame could be his playing time.

If you look closely at Ryan’s minutes between this season and last season there was a big drop. According to ESPN, Ryan saw his minutes drop from 14.5 minutes in 2015-16 to 7.9 minutes this season. The 6-7 forward from Courtland Manor, averaged 3.6 points per game this season compared to 5.1 points in his first year. This past season, Ryan only scored in double figures in three of the 37 games that he played in.

When Ryan first arrived in South Bend, he was known as a very good shooter, one of the best in New York State as he was named Mr. Basketball in 2015 during his senior year at Iona Prep in New Rochelle.

In his first season, he shot 41 percent from the three point range and this past season, he shot 43 percent from beyond the arc.

Next: Grant Hill weighs in on NCAA Tournament

Whichever school he chooses will get a big wing who can shoot the ball from outside. It won’t be long before we find out the list of schools who are looking for his services but one thing we do know is if you need a shooter Ryan is a guy who can help you in that area. Personally, I think that Ryan will definitely find another home at another high major program that fits his playing style, but I also won’t rule out the possibility of him going to a high mid-major program in the A-10 or another conference.

Home/Notre Dame Fighting Irish