Cormac Ryan, UNC Heating Up in Anticipation for NCAA Tournament
Cormac Ryan Stats: Coming Off Career-High 31 Points Against Duke
Cormac Ryan stole the show Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium, pouring in a career-high 31 points in North Carolina’s 84-79 victory over Duke. Ryan shot 8 of 12 from the field and made six 3-pointers to help the Tar Heels complete a season-sweep of the rival Blue Devils.
North Carolina also locked up the outright ACC regular-season title, its first since 2017. The Tar Heels won the national title later that season.
As the top seed in the ACC Tournament, North Carolina received a bye to Thursday’s quarterfinals. It will face the winner of the No. 8/9 game between Virginia Tech and Florida State.
Can Ryan build off his performance against Duke? Read on as we break down Cormac Ryan’s stats.
Cormac Ryan
Cormac Ryan
North Carolina Tar Heels
3
25 (10-26-98)
6’5”
New York, N.Y., USA
G
Cormac Ryan Stats
Cormac Ryan has made the most of his time in North Carolina. The sixth-year senior has been a steady contributor for the No. 4 Tar Heels, averaging 11.5 points on 37.9% shooting to go with 2.9 rebounds per college basketball stats.
But none of his performances were as impressive as Saturday’s. Ryan’s previous season-high was 20 points in an 87-83 loss to Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 16. He had six other games of at least 15 points, including three within the last month.
For much of the season, Ryan, a two-time transfer, has been the third or fourth scoring option in North Carolina behind R.J. Davis, Armando Bacot, and Harrison Ingram. Davis (team-high 21.1 points) should be a finalist for the Naismith Award, which will likely go to Purdue center Zach Edey for a second straight year. Edey would be the first repeat winner in men’s basketball since Ralph Sampson in the early 1980s.
Last season with Notre Dame, Ryan averaged a career-best 12.3 points and 2.5 assists. He shot 40.9% from the field and 34.4% from 3-point range, both in line with his career averages.
Odds Outlook
Davis and Bacot may generate more headlines with their play, but Cormac Ryan’s impact on the Tar Heels cannot be taken for granted. The oft-traveled Ryan has raised his performance of late, scoring in double figures five times over the last seven games. The Tar Heels are 6-1 over that span.
North Carolina is Ryan’s third stop in five seasons, having already played at Stanford in 2018-19 and Notre Dame from 2020-23. In between, Ryan sat out one season while redshirting. As such, he is one of the oldest players in Division I at age 25.
Ryan transferred to North Carolina in April along with Ingram, another former Cardinal. Together, they have helped the Tar Heels get back on the NCAA Tournament map after a rare hiccup last season. The Tar Heels are a lock for March Madness, with ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi projecting them to land a No. 2 seed.
The Tar Heels (25-6, 17-3) might even be able to sneak onto the No. 1 line with a strong showing at the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. They are a +150 favorite to win the tournament, with Duke a close second at +155.
Oddsmakers also like the Tar Heels’ chances of making a deep NCAA Tournament run, pricing them +380 to make the Final Four and +1600 to win the national championship, the sixth shortest odds on the board.
The Tar Heels have a strong resume, highlighted by seven Quad 1 wins and strong peripheral NCAAB rankings: No. 7 in the NET and No. 8 in KenPom.
At the same time, the Tar Heels have performed well for bettors. They are 18-13 ATS, including 4-2 over their last six NCAAB matchups. Their 58.1% cover rate is third best in the ACC, trailing only Pittsburgh (67.9%) and Duke (60%).
For Cormac Ryan stats, NCAAB betting news, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
