Notre Dame Basketball: Transfer Cormac Ryan destined to be future key contributor
Mike Brey and Notre Dame Basketball landed guard Cormac Ryan, who played his freshman season with the Stanford Cardinal.
“Cormac” is a traditional Irish name, so it’s only fitting that Cormac Ryan will continue his collegiate career with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame Basketball.
As first reported by Jeff Goodman of Stadium, Ryan has decided to transfer to Notre Dame after just one year playing with the Stanford Cardinal. Ryan will sit out the 2019-20 season, meaning he won’t suit up for Notre Dame until 2020-21.
247 Sports confirmed that Ryan had entered the transfer portal earlier in June. Marcus Sheffield also transferred out of Palo Alto, committing to Elon in the spring.
Ryan was the No. 68 recruit in the Class of 2018, so his commitment to Stanford out of New York City was a big deal. The Cardinal won his services over the likes of Boston College, Florida, Michigan, Villanova…and Notre Dame, who did offer him a scholarship before his commitment to Stanford.
Other top contenders for Ryan on the transfer market included Michigan, Villanova, Northwestern, and Yale, according to 247 Sports.
As a true freshman, Ryan had a sneaky strong season with Stanford. He did struggle with injuries, which limited him to 24 games. But the guard started 17 of those contests, averaging 8.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He also drilled 2.0 3-point shots per game, shooting 31.6 percent from 3-point range for the season.
Despite missing several games, Ryan attempted 155 3-pointers in 2018-19, ranking in the top 20 of all players in the Pac-12. His confidence in his shot will be a positive attribute for the Fighting Irish beginning in 2020-21.
Mike Brey’s squad just suffered through their worst season of his tenure, going 14-19 and finishing in 15th place in the ACC. With no current commitments for the Class of 2019, prospects for Notre Dame looking forward aren’t good. But the Class of 2018 is heralded as the No. 15 in the nation, so it will be well-developed by the time Ryan becomes eligible.
Next. Sleeper 3-star contributors from Class of 2019. dark
Cormac Ryan’s arrival will continue to turn the program’s fortunes back around in two years. If Notre Dame fans can be patient, the ultimate outcome will put the Fighting Irish back in the NCAA Tournament conversation.