A Look At Ryan Dermody

With the only scholarship ride already allotted to touted forward Calvin Williams of Memphis, TN, it was important to the Colorado men's basketball program to bring in some strong walk-ons. That was accomplished when 6-8 wing forward Ryan Dermody of Loveland, CO announced he would spurn a scholarship offer from Southern Methodist University to walk on at CU.

Dermody was an honorable mention 5A all-state player last season at Loveland, and is on a tear again this year. His game benefited greatly from playing with the top traveling squad in Colorado, Colorado Select, last summer. On that squad, Dermody was able to play in both forward slots, and showcase an outstanding mid-range offensive game from coast to coast.

While he isn't overpowering physically, Dermody is deceptively athletic. His defensive is solid, as evidenced by his block 12 shots in a game earlier this season. This year he will star, during what is expected a down season for the Loveland Indians this year. Dermody can hit consistently from three point range and from inside the three point line, but doesn't have an outstanding post game yet.

Somewhat of a tweener, it will depend on physical development more than anything whether Dermody will play small forward or power forward at the next level. Dermody will pay his own way to CU next year, in anticipation of earning a scholarship in following years.

It's obvious Dermody is a D-1 talent, as he would have received a scholarship from several programs other than SMU, so in reality CU is getting a scholarship player without having to offer a scholarship for a season. It sounds like a win-win situation for both sides.

Dermody's high school team plays in a conference that spans geographically from Fort Collins in the north to Thornton in the south. Loveland doesn't have very many offensive threats, so Dermody will be the man this season. I recently saw Loveland against Hinkley (Aurora, CO) in tournament action in Colorado Springs. The lead changed hands several times during the game, and Loveland was down by three with a minute left. Dermody hit a three, and Loveland ended up winning the game in overtime.

Dermody has great upside, and has the potential in two or three years to be a Big XII contributor.

About the Author: Hassenstab is the editor/publisher of a website focused on high school basketball, www.cohoopstracker.com . He also published a sixty-eight page magazine focused on Colorado's first basketball preview magazine, which features college and prep basketball previews and other information. The magazine can be purchased at the Colorado Hoops Tracker website.