We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Duke C Ryan Young, who talked about having a “perfect game” last December and his expectations for this season.
You were born in Montreal and grew up in New Jersey: what made you choose Northwestern to start your college career? I moved around a lot growing up: my parents are both American but were working in Montreal. When I was in high school I received a lot of initial interest from Ivy/Patriot schools and later got recruited by some Power 5 schools. The 2 biggest things I was looking for were a good balance of academics/athletics: both Northwestern and Duke exemplify that balance. I vibed well with the Northwestern staff and thought it was the best place for me.
You led the team with 6.1 RPG as a redshirt freshman: what is the key to being a good rebounder? It is about effort more than anything else: maybe 80% effort and 20% positioning. I knew that I wanted to do anything to help my team win and at the time that was rebounding and being a great energy guy.
You were a 3-time Big 10 Distinguished Scholar and named to the ACC All-Academic team in 2023 while studying for your accelerated MBA after transferring to Duke: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? The 1st thing is the tremendous amount of guidance/help from our phenomenal support staff/academic coordinators. It is difficult to fall behind because there are so many people ensuring that you receive the help you need and know what you are doing. The 2nd part is over-communicating early and often: at Northwestern we stuck around after the 1st day of class, gave our professors a detailed travel letter, and discussed what we could do to make up the time we would be missing. If you are up front with people about the sacrifices you have to make then most people will be pretty understanding.
Last New Year’s Eve you became the 1st player in school history to have a game with 20+ PTS/10+ REB while not missing a single FG/FT in a win over Florida State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up went in because you were “in the zone”? I think so. There was a lot of hype around it being a “perfect game” but all of my shots were essentially layups within 4’ of the basket. It was an awesome team win and I had it going from the paint so my teammates did a phenomenal job of finding me. It is always fun to make every single shot but the best part was getting a good win against a good opponent.
You finished last season with 68.5 FG%: what is the secret to being a great shooter? If you are taking mostly layups it is easy to keep your percentage up but I take pride in not forcing my shots. I am not as big/athletic as some of the other centers in the top conferences so I try to be a smart player who does not make mistakes. Typically that means I am not taking fadeaway shots or forcing threes. You have to perfect your craft and be patient until you get a good shot.
Last year you went 2-0 vs. the Tar Heels: how do you describe the Duke-UNC rivalry to someone who has never experienced it in person? I felt I was in a pretty unique position because I grew up a Syracuse fan due to my parents. I was not really invested in the Duke-UNC rivalry but I quickly learned that everyone in this state takes it pretty seriously. It means a lot historically and there are a ton of former players who come back for it. It is awesome for the fans to have something to get excited about: just watch them camp out for weeks to watch a 2-hour basketball game! It is a fun thing to be a part of.
You have several great freshmen on the roster including Jared McCain/Caleb Foster/TJ Power/Sean Stewart: which of them has impressed you the most? As a 6th-year guy I have seen a lot of freshman groups but what impressed me the most is how hard they are working collectively as a group every day to get up extra shots at 6 or 7AM. In my experience that is pretty rare, which is why I took note of it. We have more returning players than Duke has had in a number of years but the freshman still came in with a chip on their shoulder. It would be easy for a teenager to defer and just learn from the older guys but they came in excited and ready to prove that they can have an impact here. They all bring different things to the table.
Your schedule includes games against Arizona/Michigan State/Arkansas/Baylor: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I played a lot of games against Michigan State when I was at Northwestern and they are unique due to how fast they get the ball up the court. I have never played Arizona/Baylor before so they will be great tests for us early in the year.
Your father Patrick was a member of the crew team at Syracuse, your mother Tammy played volleyball at Syracuse, your sister Jordan played volleyball at GW, and your brother Kyle played basketball at Siena: who is the best athlete in the family, and who does your family cheer for when you play against Syracuse?! I think my mom might be the best: she never lets us forget that she was recruited at the highest level and played/excelled at a number of sports. Our game at the (JMA Wireless) Dome last February was very special: I had my grandparents there along with a number of friends/extended family. It was special to feel their support…but I made sure they were all wearing Duke gear!
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Individually, my goal remains to be part of a program that I can help win championships. I want to have an impact and do whatever it takes to help this team reach the postseason. We feel that we are as good as any team in the country. We have 4 starters coming back from a team that won the ACC title last March, but there is still a sour taste after losing to Tennessee in the 2nd round of the NCAA tourney so the goal is to make it to Phoenix next April. It is a long way away and there is an unbelievable amount of work that goes into it.