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UNC Sharpshooter Secures Exciting Opportunity With NBA Contender

Cormac Ryan will begin his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Summer League.

By Jovan Alford

March 21, 2024, Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Cormac Ryan (3) drives against Wagner Seahawks guard Javier Ezquerra (1) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Spectrum Center.
March 21, 2024, Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Cormac Ryan (3) drives against Wagner Seahawks guard Javier Ezquerra (1) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Spectrum Center. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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The North Carolina Tar Heels only had one player taken in the 2024 NBA Draft last month (Harrison Ingram) after a good 2023-24 season. 

Armando Bacot nor Cormac Ryan heard their names called during last month’s draft, which was shocking, given that Bacot was one of the best big men in college basketball, while Ryan played well in his lone season with the Tar Heels.

Ryan, the 6-foot-5 guard from New York, began his college career at Stanford, before spending the next four years at Notre Dame. However, Ryan’s hard work and consistency paid off as he will play in the summer league.

Last week, Priority Sports reported that Ryan signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ryan will reportedly be joining the Thunder on an Exhibit 10 deal. This means he’ll have a shot to go to training camp with OKC and play with their NBA G League affiliate (Oklahoma City Blue) next season.

It’s an outstanding opportunity for the former Tar Heel guard, as the Thunder have done a good job developing players through their G League affiliate. The Blue won their first NBA G League title in franchise history this season, defeating the Maine Celtics.

In his lone season at UNC, Cormac scored 11.5 points per game on 38.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.4 percent from three-point range (5.9 attempts per game). Cormac’s ability to be a quality three-pointer could help him make some noise in the summer league and the G League.

Tar Heel fans will get a chance to see Ryan in action next week in the Salt Lake City Summer League before the Thunder make the trek to Nevada for the NBA 2K25 Las Vegas Summer League.

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