Cormac Ryan was originally sought after by Alabama as a transfer. He must now play for the Tide in the NCAA tournament. Once more.
“We tried to hire him, but we were unsuccessful. Now that he has selected another excellent basketball program, let’s get started. Thus, we must attempt to devise a second strategy to stop him.”
California’s Los Angeles — In the Sweet 16, Alabama will face a well-known opponent on the other side of the floor.
The West Region semifinal between No. 4 Alabama and No. 1 North Carolina is scheduled to be decided on Thursday at about 8:39 p.m. CT on CBS. One of the numerous Tar Heel sharpshooters anticipated to have an impact is Cormac Ryan, a former Notre Dame player who is currently a student at North Carolina.
Ryan, naturally, set fire tothe Crimson Tide for 29 points in the 2022 NCAA tournament’s opening round. In only one game, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard sent Alabama, then a 6-seed, home with a 7-of-9 three-point shooting performance.
“We didn’t play our best in this NCAA Tournament,” Nate Oats, the coach of Alabama, stated on Wednesday. He murdered us. Against us, he scored 29 points, going 7 of 9 from three.
“Jahvon Quinerly tore his ACL in the opening few minutes of that particular game. Thus, it didn’t—he was doing admirably for us. That is the only NCAA Tournament they have had since I started at Alabama and we haven’t advanced to the Sweet 16.
In fact, this is the Crimson Tide’s third Sweet 16 participation in the previous four seasons. Employed today, five years ago, Oats has guided Alabama to four straight NCAA tournament appearances, the program’s first since achieving five straight from 2002 to 2006.
Alabama finished 19-14 overall and eliminated from the Big Dance in the 2021–22 season. A week after falling to Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament, the Tide dropped their final four games, including one in the SEC tournament’s second round.
After spending his freshman year at Stanford, Ryan went to Notre Dame and played for three years until using the transfer portal following the 22–23 campaign. Oats invited him to Tuscaloosa before he chose North Carolina.
“Coach Oats and I had multiple conversations,” Ryan stated on Wednesday. “I was recruited by them through the gateway. We had a good relationship during those talks. Things move swiftly in this system, and I’m obviously happy to have arrived in North Carolina.
“With all due respect yet this is where I really fit in.”
