Last Wednesday Colgate beat Navy 74-58 in the Patriot tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Raiders were 8-11 after a loss at Boston University in late-January but have won 15 games in a row to make the NCAA tourney for the 2nd straight year, where they will face #3 seed Wisconsin on Friday in Milwaukee. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Colgate JR Ryan Moffatt about going back to the NCAA tourney and having a geographic disadvantage.
You were born/raised in Lancaster, PA: what made you choose Colgate? I wanted to get a little bit away from home and Colgate is the perfect distance. The driving force was also the scholarship they offered me!
You play for Coach Matt Langel: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? 1 thing that is great is how he relates to his players and lives in the moment. There is a lot that I have learned but 1 lesson is to keep things in perspective.
You started no games as a freshman and every game as a sophomore: what is the biggest difference between being a starter vs. coming off the bench? Your mindset has to change. I did not play much in conference play as a freshman because I was behind 1 of our best players ever in Will Rayman. As a starter you are held more accountable and people look up to you due to your bigger role on the team.
In the 2021 Patriot tourney title game you scored 11 PTS on 4-4 FG with no turnovers in a win over Loyola MD: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? Just preparation and trusting that the work I put in during the offseason was worth it. When the moment is ready you have to take advantage of the opportunity.
In the 2021 NCAA tourney you had 3 REB in a loss to Arkansas: what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this time around? Against good teams you do not have any room for error. Last year we did not play any high-major teams due to COVID. Wisconsin is a #3 seed for a reason so we will have to play our game and limit our mistakes.
Last February you scored a career-high 24 PTS/6-9 3PM in a win over Bucknell: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I definitely felt good that night, and might not have missed a single shot in the 2nd half. My teammates draw so much attention that when I get the ball I am often wide-open.
Your teammate Jack Ferguson was named conference tourney MVP last week: how crucial is he to your team’s success? He has been incredible, not only on the court but as a veteran leader for us off the court. He stuck around for a 5th year to be a part of something special, so I am glad that we could win another conference tourney for him and our other seniors. We are no longer just happy to be there.
Your team’s 40.2 3P% is #2 in the nation: what role does 3-PT shooting play in your team’s offensive philosophy? It plays a huge role. We usually have 4-5 guys on the court who can shoot it from behind the arc, which helps our offense flow. It is the system that we play in: our coaches recruit guys who can shoot.
What did you do on Selection Sunday, and how do you feel about being a #14 seed? We went to a little on-campus pub to gather with family/friends to watch our name get called. I thought that we would be a 14/15 so I am glad we are a 14. I wish we had done better in non-conference play but we are playing much better now.
What do you know about Wisconsin, and how much of a home-court disadvantage are you expecting in Milwaukee? I am expecting that place to be rocking in prime time on Friday night! They won 15 Big 10 games and have the conference POY in Johnny Davis. If they do not turn the ball over then that makes every possession important for us as well so we definitely have to tighten up our game.