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2015 small forward Matt Ryan commits to Notre Dame

Notre Dame v Miami

Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey Ge

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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.

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, who has dealt with pain in both hips since originally injuring himself as a freshman, will have two surgeries — on March 3 and March 17 — to repair torn labrums and bone impingements. Ryan’s father, Rich Ryan, told the Daily News on Wednesday that his son’s medical condition is similar to the one Alex Rodriguez dealt with for much of last baseball season.

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.

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