Stanford basketball recruiting is rolling and that builds excitement
The finish to the 2017 recruiting class for men's basketball had fans of the Cardinal thinking they were living in a wonderful dream world. But that No. 12 rated class is certainly real and, as Rivals national analyst Eric Bossi notes, the sequel from a coaching staff in its second year on The Farm got a great start with the commitment of Cormac Ryan.
News of Ryan's commitment broke Sunday night on Twitter and with a New York Post story providing details of the electric point guard's reasoning for his decision.
Ryan has been a star on EYBL circuit this spring and was reported to be the No. 1 target for both Northwestern and Stanford. It seemed each time Ryan stepped on a court he showed why the staffs of both top academic universities were working so hard to earn his verbal pledge.
Ryan's commitment to a school across the country showed that he was willing to go wherever was the best fit for him. And the Cardinal coaches continue to log serious traveling miles to find the right players.
The Cardinal have a minimum of two spots in the 2018 class because Michael Humphrey and Dorian Pickens will be true seniors.
Reid Travis and Robert Cartwright can return for fifth years at Stanford. At the moment it's likely the Cardinal are aiming for two recruits to commit by the first signing period because neither Cartwright or Travis are likely to make their decisions known by that point.
Ryan appears to be the perfect first recruit in the class because of his ability at the No. 1 position on the court, and how he plays.
Head coach Jerod Haase places a great deal of value on building teams with players who have a burning passion for basketball that keeps them in the gym when others might leave. Ryan's head coach at Milton Academy, Lamar Reddicks, described Ryan to Cardinal Sports Report as someone who is all-in on being the best basketball player he can possibly be. And it just so happens he's also a very smart young man.
It is almost certainly an exciting prospect for Haase and his assistant coaches to imagine incoming freshman Daejon Davis and Ryan working together on the court in less than two years.
Davis is a guard who is capable of playing point guard at a high level, according to Stanford's coaches, but most of the attention he received as a recruit was because of his play at shooting guard. Thought of another way, Davis may be a 2/1 combo guard while Ryan is a 1/2 who some schools viewed at the two first, but he prefers the idea of leading an offense.
Regardless of the exact wording of their future positions, the possibility of seeing that backcourt is sure to get Stanford basketball fans excited. And the ultimate goal of Ryan was made clear in the New York Post headline: "March Madness dreams lure star Manhattan recruit to Stanford."
Whether Stanford reaches the NCAA Tournament in the 2017-18 season is to be determined, but the current recruiting momentum provides an extra reason to mark the days on the calendar until the season opener.
