Slap the Sign
Fansided

Notre Dame Basketball: Cormac Ryan holds the keys to Irish success in 2020

By Ben Belden

PALO ALTO, CA - MARCH 03: Matisse Thybulle #4 of the Washington Huskies drives on Cormac Ryan #23 of the Stanford Cardinal during their game at Maples Pavilion on March 3, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - MARCH 03: Matisse Thybulle #4 of the Washington Huskies drives on Cormac Ryan #23 of the Stanford Cardinal during their game at Maples Pavilion on March 3, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Notre Dame basketball will rely heavily on a new (kind of) face in 2020. Cormac Ryan will get his shot on the floor after sitting out in 2019.

Cormac Ryan came to the Notre Dame basketball program prior to the 2019-2020 season after playing his freshman season at Stanford. The 6-foot-5 rising junior sat out his sophomore season in accordance to NCAA transfer rules.

But Ryan is ready to enter into the Irish rotation in 2020. In fact, the New York, New York native holds the keys to the success of Mike Brey’s team this season.

Ryan figures to be in contention for a starting spot in the Irish backcourt, alongside fellow junior Prentiss Hubb. This backcourt pairing should excite Irish fans.

If Ryan takes over the majority of the point guard duties, Hubb can move to the wing, a place where he can create in open space, and most importantly, score.

But Ryan won’t exactly be a slouch in his role, either.

The scouting report on Ryan is clear: He has an infectious personality as a leader, he has a high basketball IQ, he has tremendous length for his position, and the man can shoot the basketball. It doesn’t hurt that Ryan, who grew up playing basketball in New York City, adds a little bit of a much-needed toughness to the team, as well.

In high school, Ryan scored over 1400 total points and averaged over 23 points per game as a senior. At Stanford, his stats were much more modest, but Ryan still managed to average a respectable 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, while playing much of the season with a sports hernia injury that slowed him down.

Ryan is a great fit in an Irish lineup that will feature the talents of Hubb, Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski, and Juwan Durham. That lineup, which figures to be the starting group for the Irish, has a good mix of slashing, spacing, length, and rim protection.

Notre Dame outlines plan for football players to return to campus. dark. Next

With Cormac Ryan in the fold, the Irish will undoubtedly be a formidable opponent in an always-talented Atlantic Coast Conference.