Notre Dame Forward Matt Ryan To Transfer
Notre Dame's basketball team is suffering a personnel loss. Forward Matt Ryan has been granted a release to transfer to another school.
Notre Dame’s basketball team is suffering a personnel loss. Forward Matt Ryan has been granted a release to transfer to another school.
Notre Dame was unable to advance to a third straight Elite Eight appearance this season, and the Fighting Irish also failed to deliver Mike Brey his first Final Four. Things won’t get any easier in 2017-18 either, as the team is losing one of its best 3-point shooters.
The school announced on Tuesday that sophomore forward Matt Ryan has been granted a release to transfer to another school.
Ryan is coming off of a sophomore campaign in which his minutes were nearly slashed in half compared to his 2015-16 freshman season. He averaged about 15 minutes per game off the bench as a first-year player and was used primarily for his 3-point shooting ability. He arrived in South Bend as the most accomplished freshman in a class that included Rex Pflueger and Elijah Burns. The New York native connected on 42 percent of his shots from long range, averaging 5.1 points per game in ’15-16.
But head coach Mike Brey seemingly did not feel comfortable using Ryan as much this season, likely because he did not offer the Irish consistently strong defense and rebounding despite boasting a 6-foot-8 frame. Ryan was expected to complement his outside shooting with decent defense, but he saw his playing time dwindle when ACC play started. Brey went with a smaller and more athletic lineup, costing Ryan a lot of playing time, as he averaged just eight minutes per game.
Despite seeing limited action, Ryan still connected on 43 percent of his attempts from 3-point land, and he found himself receiving more minutes in the season’s final four games. He averaged about 12 minutes and seven points per game against Florida State, Duke, Princeton and West Virginia to close out the year. Still, though, Ryan will look for a better opportunity outside of South Bend.
Whichever team lands him will be getting an accomplished long-range shooter who has two years of eligibility remaining. He also showed glimpses of developing as a driver to the rim. If he can be even an average defender and contribute on the glass, there is no doubt that he can be a valuable contributor at a high-major school. After all, he has shown value for a Notre Dame squad that has been one of the nation’s better offenses during his tenure in South Bend.
