Ryle

[RebelRaider25]

Let's be honest, it probably was not random, although I hesitate to speak for the Mcneil family and the decisions made for their family. At this point and in the last few years, if a kid is a decent player and the opportunity is present to attend Cooper or Ryle, the obvious choice is Cooper. Ryle has to find a way to break the cycle of good players failing to come out for basketball. Ryle has a very real opportunity to at least be competitive with Cooper next year and should be ranked ahead of both Conner and Boone for the 2nd spot to make it to the regional. Admittedly there are a lot of ifs and my fear is the cycle will not be broken and a couple of their good players will not be back.

[oldgrappler]

That seems really strange to me, would think those kids would've stayed in NKY. Their parents all buy farms down south?

 

:lol2: That was the exact thought that went through my head. So you may want to take some advice... you should see a psychiatrist. :lol2:

 

Thread began with "What's wrong with Ryle" and quickly transitioned to Vince Rankin. My son played and graduated from Ryle and my nephew is currently playing so I'll offer a little insight. First, put the Vince Rankin questions to rest. VINCE IS A PLAYER. Top ten in region? Maybe, maybe not, but he is a Junior and will definitely be one of the best players in the 9th next year. Works his tail off in the off season and is an excellent teammate.

Lets dispel some of the myths surrounding what is wrong with Ryle Basketball.

Myth #1: Kids are leaving Gray before arriving at Ryle. Inaccurate. The kids at Gray ARE coming to Ryle, if anything they have had at least 1 "new" player come in recent seasons. The truth is some of the kids that had success at Gray just didn't get any better, or aren't playing basketball. The Junior class that won so much at Gray is a great example of the argument of Middle school success not translating to High school success. 4 of the 5 starters from that team are still playing, with Vince being the only real contributor. The others were bigger and stronger than everyone in Middle school, not so much now.

Myth #2: Ryle doesn't have very good players. Inaccurate. The program has several promising underclassmen. 8th grader, Robinson, could end up being a real point guard. The Middle school success translating to High school argument can certainly be made here. However, he does not have the size advantage in Middle School and has had some success this season. He has good vision, but his shot selection could definitely improve. Freshman, Tyler Bush is long, can jump with anyone, is developing a perimeter shot and will make an impact next season. Sophomores, Benton, Ashcraft and Caggiano all bring a very different skill set to the table. If Benton develops a post presence, look out! He and Ashcraft share a similar problem in that defensive struggles limit their minutes. Ashcraft has shown flashes of being a top tier shooter and has made several big shots, but has to improve defensively. Caggiano has shown the ability to run the floor, finish in the paint and rebound, but disappears for extended periods of time, which is not uncommon for this age. The Juniors have Vince of course, but Andrew Schmitt is the kid that could really help Ryle get over the hump next year. He is extremely long, a well above average defender, but has struggled finishing on the offensive end. There are several other players that could end up being serious contributors, but I am just not willing to buy in yet.

What might really be wrong with Ryle is in reality a combination of factors. The trend of good players not playing after their Sophomore/Junior seasons is disturbing. This is a trend that I expect WILL CONTINUE. Surrounding Vince with a supporting cast that can threaten opposing defenses has been a huge problem this year. Currently, Ryle's best scoring options aside from Vince are sophomores that cannot stay on the floor due to defensive lapses.

 

I wont begin to speculate on why kids stop playing. I also wont speculate or question Coach McFarland's basketball knowledge. The only fair statement is that it his responsibility to turn the ifs into absolutes. As the coach it is his responsibility to make Benton and Ashcraft adequate defenders so they can alleviate the pressure on Vince on the offensive end. It is his responsibility to make sure Caggiano learns to perform regardless of the situation or opponent. It is his responsibility to teach Robinson and Bush that its a team game and the value of a great pass. He has to bring out the best in Andrew Schmitt.

 

What is wrong with Ryle is they are young. A better question is why are they so young and what put them in this situation? Identify it and keep the young kids that are contributing, playing. If not, there will be an identical post next season.

 

Thanks for some solid information regarding the basketball program at Ryle. And thanks for taking the bullseye off of Vince. That was bogus.