Catching Up With Colin Ryan '22

2/6/2024

When you watch Colin Ryan perform in the athletic arena, the very first thing you see is his ultra-competitive spirit.

The 2022 Collegiate graduate displayed that noble attribute as a basketball and soccer standout for the Cougars.

Not surprisingly, he displays it still as the starting point guard for the men’s basketball team at Washington and Lee University, an Old Dominion Athletic Conference signatory whose record now stands at 14-7 overall and 8-4 in what’s considered the toughest Division III league in the country.

How, you might ask, can you actually “see” an attribute? With Ryan, it’s easy. His motor runs nonstop. He hustles like crazy from baseline to baseline. Ball loose on the floor? He’s quick into the scrum. Shot goes up? He’s battling with every fiber of his being for the rebound. He’s constantly moving on offense whether the ball is in his hands or not. On defense, he plays with passion, intensity, and relentless energy.

“I love the challenge,” he says.

That mindset defines him.

After coming off the bench as a freshman, Ryan, at 6-4, 190, has started each of the Generals’ 21 games. His official ledger reads 4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 27.7 minutes per game.

His court sense and his beneath-the-radar stats such as floor burns, hustle plays, deflected passes, and altered shots are what earned him 12.2 minutes of playing time per game last season and make him a key component of the Generals’ attack this winter.

He’s adept and astute in the classroom as well. He earned ODAC All-Academic team honors as a freshman and was recognized the past two years as a W&L Scholar Athlete.

Before he headed to class one recent morning, Ryan spoke of his journey, his motivation, and his inspiration.

Speak about the academic transition from Collegiate to W&L.

It was definitely a step up, but Collegiate prepared me well. There were classes I placed out of due to classes I took at Collegiate. Collegiate got me ahead of the curve. We had long days at Collegiate, 8-3 and then straight to sports, but you learned how to get homework done during the day so your whole night wasn’t taken up by homework. Now, I have more free time. I know how to use that time to get my work done during the day and not save it for 8 o’clock at night until midnight.

You earned a raft of soccer honors at Collegiate. You were an All-American. Your last team was undefeated and Prep League and state champion. How hard was it to give up soccer after high school?

At the time, it wasn’t that hard. Obviously, I had a great senior season and loved it and would do anything to run that team and season back another time. I was ready to focus on basketball. I will admit that as I watched the World Cup last year and the W&L soccer team play — they’re really good — I do miss it more and more as time goes on.

Any chance you’ll give college soccer a try?

I’m pretty focused on basketball. I’m excited about keeping my off seasons free to really improve at basketball.

Speak about the transition from high school and AAU to college basketball.

The mental part was really challenging. At Collegiate, I had the ball in my hands a ton. Coach (Del) Harris trusted me to make plays. You come here, and you’re starting off at the bottom of the totem pole. You’re diving on loose balls or being the best defender to have a chance to get on the court. Having to slip back to that underdog role was challenging. No one thinks you’re that good on October 15, the first day of practice your freshman year. The first day of practice of my senior year, I knew if it was the worst practice of the season, I was probably still going to play a lot for Coach Harris. That transition was tough. Physically, there’re a lot of fifth-year players in the league, guys that are 22 or 23 and fully grown men. I’m still kind of skinny. The strength side of it was a big adjustment for me. I’m still working on it.

Speak about working your way into the starting lineup as a sophomore.

It was definitely difficult. Last year we had a really good senior point guard, Sam Wise. I knew pretty quickly that I was probably going to be in a reserve role behind him. I learned a ton watching him run the offense and tried to emulate parts of his game. [Being a reserve] was definitely a struggle just being the competitor I like to think I am. I wanted to be on the court more. At the end of games, I wasn’t used to watching from the bench. That was definitely frustrating, but I tried to use that as motivation. I really wanted to play a ton this year. I knew there was an opportunity to expand my role, so I kept learning and trying to get better, knowing that I’d have the opportunity at some point to prove I can expand my role. I’m happy it’s worked out.

You were always known for your defensive prowess. How have you improved in college?

I’m a pretty physical defender, and I’ve always had an issue with fouling. When I got into the college game, I got called for a lot of fouls. Guys are really physical on their drives. I got caught by surprise last year, so I resorted to using my hands too much. This year, I’ve learned how to play angles. Guarding quicker guys and bigger, stronger guys, I’ve gotten better at playing solid, tough, physical defense without fouling. I’ve gotten the responsibility so far this year of guarding the other team’s best player pretty much every game, whether he’s a 5-8 guard or Guilford’s best player, Tyler Dearman, who’s averaging 20 a game. 6-3. Competing with some of the best players in the ODAC is really awesome and something I love to do.

How have you made that happen?

The point of concern for me was that if I have this opportunity [to play more], I didn’t want to get into foul trouble quickly every game. That’s something I’ve worked on. The biggest thing is being in shape. When you’re tired or out of shape, it’s so easy to be a hero and try to slap the ball out. Easy foul call. With more time playing against these higher level, stronger players, I’ve learned to play their angles better and know I don’t have to block every shot or get a steal every possession. [Causing] a miss is just as good. I’ve learned not to try to make the home run defensive play every single possession.

How have you improved your offensive skills?

I think I’ve become a better passer and playmaker. I could always see the floor, but I’m understanding the game a lot more. I don’t shoot that often from the outside, and I use that as a tool. If people are playing off me, how can I get my teammates involved and use that space that they’re giving me against them? At Collegiate, I had the ball in my hands a lot trying to make plays. Here, I’m still doing that, but also learning how to be a cutter and playing from down low under the basket.

The ODAC has three nationally ranked teams: Hampden-Sydney, Randolph-Macon, and Guilford. The league is strong top to bottom and no breathers on the schedule.

You know you’re getting a challenge every single game. Not every team gets the opportunity to play a team in the Top 25. We have that chance almost every week. That’s really fun. You feel like you’re gearing up for a big game every time you go out on the court. I cherish those opportunities.

What keeps you motivated?

The fact that I haven’t found great success yet, at least at the college level. I’ve had some personal success by expanding my role from freshman to sophomore year, but I want to have team success. W&L hasn’t won an ODAC basketball championship since the ’70s. We haven’t made the [NCAA] tournament. I want to find team success here. That keeps me motivated. Winning the (2021) state championship in soccer…you feel like you’ve reached the pinnacle. I guess I’m still chasing that feeling again. An ODAC championship or a national championship would be spectacular.

Who inspired you as you traveled your athletic journey?

I want to say thank you to all the coaches I had at Collegiate: Coach Harris, (head soccer coach) Rob (Ukrop), (assistant soccer coach) Shep (Lewis), (Harris’s assistants) Coach Roy (Haliburton), Coach Mac (Farley Macdonald), Coach (Wilbur) Athey. I came into college knowing how to compete, knowing how to fight for a role. Rob always talked about [the importance of] the bench mafia. That’s something I had in my head a lot last year, trying to do the best I could in my role. I’m so grateful for the time I had at Collegiate.

~Weldon Bradshaw

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