Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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to cast aside its reputation as a team that can only shoot offensively. He also dazzled specta- tors in Southern California with his highlight- reel dunks this past season. Brey's Take: "We're excited to have him. First of all, he's an amazing athlete. He's ex- tremely athletic, comes from a great high school program playing for [head coach] Gary McKnight at Mater Dei. "He's that kind of wing-guard that has a great feel for the game, and has the ability to slash and finish around the basket because of his athletic ability. He's a solid shooter who will only get better. He's an excellent defender, who can really move his feet. He's an amaz- ingly competitive kid. We'll get some pounds on him — he's a little lean right now, like a lot of young guys we get. Given his background, where he played and how he is accustomed to winning, we are very excited to have him in our program." Matt Ryan Hometown: New Rochelle, N.Y. Size: 6-7, 220 pounds Rating: Three-star prospect according to Rivals.com Accomplishments: Named New York's Mr. Basketball after averaging 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists as a senior … Posted 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in the Jordan Brand Regional Game on March 21 … Shot 4-of-5 from on threes for 12 points and added three rebounds in the Kentucky Derby Basketball Classic on April 11, and also won the event's three-point contest … Was scheduled to play in the Capital Classic in Washington, D.C., April 24, and the Mary Kline Classic in New Jersey, May 30. The Skinny: Ryan was listed as a four-star by most recruiting outlets until a hip injury ended his junior season prematurely. Because of the ailment, which held him out for nearly six months, high-profile pro- grams like Duke, North Carolina and Michigan shied away. The Irish didn't, and he returned the favor last July when he became the first 2015 commitment. While he is not solely a shooter, he has the ability to help spread out opposing defenses, which will be an immediate plus for Notre Dame. Brey's Take: "It was great to have him and Elijah both commit during the July period while we were out there recruiting. It gave us direction on who to look at the rest of the summer. We recruited Matt Ryan for a long time. "I don't think there's a better shooter in the class. No one got to see him much in the last year, so people have forgotten about him a little bit. What makes him such a potent shooter is he shoots over the top of people. We've had a lot of great shooters in my tenure, and he'll be right there with any of them." Guard Rex Pflueger, the No. 99 overall player in the country according to Rivals.com, headlines a three- man recruiting class that is expected to make an immediate impact in 2015-16. PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL