The first open period of the month became a profitable one for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey on Friday, as Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) small forward Matt Ryan announced his decision to attend the ACC school via Twitter.
Honored and excited to say I will be attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 2015 🍀🏀 #GoIrish
— Matt Ryan (@Matt_Ryan04) July 11, 2014
Ryan was a priority recruit for Notre Dame, and that status didn’t change despite the fact that Ryan played in just eight games this past season due to a hip injury. Having undergone surgery in the spring, the 6-foot-5 Ryan hasn’t played in any grassroots events this summer.
And in an article written by Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News back in February, the hip issue is something that Ryan had to deal with for quite some time before undergoing surgery.
Ryan’s arrival in South Bend will come after Pat Connaughton wraps up his Notre Dame career, and that’s an important departure for the Fighting Irish to account for (Jerian Grant will also be a senior next year). Taking Grant’s 19.0 points per game in the 12 contests he played last season before being declared ineligible into consideration, he and Connaughton combined to average 32.5 points per game in 2013-14.
With that being the case there will be a need for others to step forward, with Ryan being one of those options when he arrives on campus.