This article is part of our Look Ahead series to UNC's basketball season.
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CHAPEL HILL – Cormac Ryan has not yet played a basketball game in a North Carolina uniform, but the moment he does, the graduate wing guard will set a record unmatched by any Tar Heel before him.
It will occur November 6 when Ryan is in the starting lineup for UNC versus Radford in the opening game of the 2023-24 season. As soon as a second ticks off the clock, he will have the distinction of being the first player to have played in the Smith Center versus Carolina in for two different schools before donning a Tar Heels uniform.
He was a starting guard for Stanford early in the 2018-19 season, when the Cardinal fell to UNC in the Dean Dome 90-72. A freshman, Ryan scored 14 points that night. He played 38 minutes in a one-point loss at Carolina in January of 2021 as a Notre Dame guard, while also losing last season when the Fighting Irish dropped a 17-point decision in the Smith Center.
In the current era of college athletics, crazy things like this are happening, and he’s okay with it.
“I don’t know the facts, but it sounds like a good one,” Ryan said, smiling.
More interesting, however, is how Ryan’s five-month tenure as a Tar Heel has gone. He wasn’t exactly a fan favorite last winter after a dust-up with then-UNC forward Puff Johnson in Chapel Hill. But competitive juices as they are, that moment was long gone to the players hours later.
No longer an Irish sharpshooter, Ryan is fully embedded as a Tar Heel.
“It’s awesome. It really is,” he said. “I felt welcomed with open arms from day one. I think the chemistry we have as a group has been amazing. And it’s a special place being a part of this family, the history of the program.
“And then being able to go out and compete with our guys in practice, work to help get each other better, it’s been really amazing so far.”
Ryan left Notre Dame last spring after his fourth year in the program and third playing. He averaged 12.3 points, 2.5 assist, and 4.0 rebounds per game last winter. He also shot 34.4 percent on 183 three-point attempts.
The 6-foot-5 New York native transferred after one season at Stanford and then sat out the 2019-20 campaign as a redshirt. He got the Covid year back, which is why he had another year of eligibility.
So, instead of playing overseas or taking a shot at the NBA, Ryan joined forces with a program and roster he thought could help him reach personal goals, which include winning a ton.
Ingratiating him into the process were two once-fierce foes, UNC veterans Armando Bacot and RJ Davis. The conversations they had last spring served as the lure reeling Ryan to Carolina.
“It was really quite immediate,” Ryan said, referring to those early cohesive conversations. “Once I decided to come here, even before I had spoken to both of those guys throughout the recruiting process. And we knew we had something special, and the roster that was coming together in early June, late May whenever it was. It was exciting.
“Obviously, we’re familiar with each others’ games, we felt we could really complement each other well, and it kind of fit right away. It’s been great to continue to build and get to know these guys, and we’ve had a lot of fun.”
Willing will also be fun, as will freeing up his game some.
Ryan sees himself meshing well in games with the other Heels around him. More opportunities to square and shoot, take more high percentage shots instead of the many rushed ones he was forced to attempt for the Irish. And just a blending of like-hoops minds and skill sets should allow his game to blossom, he says.
“I would agree with that,” Ryan said. “We have a ton of guys who are dynamic and can make plays. We’ve got versatile guys, we really share the ball, which has been great. And we run a lot of good stuff. Our coaching staff has done a great job identifying what guys do well and putting us in positions to succeed.”
Reason For Optimism
Ryan has some of the competitive and vocal traits Brady Manek gave the Heels two years ago, and he brings a similar amount of experience and personal success. He’s a battler, highly skilled, and has proven to be an unflappable player who will complement RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau quite well.
With more catch-and-shoot threes than a year ago, expect his shooting percentage to go up, and if he’s consistent, he will give UNC something at the two/three it hasn’t had in a while.
2023-24 Projection
Expect Ryan to start and play a lot. He became a leader his first week in Chapel Hill, and just may be this team’s most vocal and best leader by Christmas. He has some dog in him, which Carolina needs, and that, along with his skills and experience, will keep him on the floor a lot. He will be a key to the team’s success.
