Dec. 6, 2025, 9:38 a.m. ET
- Ryan Conwell is a key participant for the Louisville Cardinals after transferring thrice as a consequence of teaching modifications.
- Regardless of being neglected in highschool, Conwell turned a sought-after participant and earned his diploma in three years.
- Conwell’s journey has taken him by 4 completely different Division I applications in as a few years.
- The senior guard has deep household roots in Louisville and considers taking part in for the Cardinals a dream.
Ryan Conwell sneaks glances up on the rafters at any time when Louisville basketball practices on the KFC Yum! Heart.
The retired numbers. The nationwide championship banners. They’re reminders he is residing a dream.
“I am a agency believer that the whole lot occurs for a cause,” the senior guard mentioned. “I am on this place for a cause.”
To explain Conwell’s journey as lengthy and winding could be an understatement. From being neglected as a excessive schooler to his three journeys by the NCAA switch portal after teaching modifications at every of his earlier stops, the 6-foot-4 Indianapolis native has run the gamut of contemporary Division I basketball.
However now right here he’s: in a hoops-crazed metropolis that appears like a second house — a key determine within the No. 10 Cardinals’ hunt for a nationwide championship in Yr 2 of the Pat Kelsey period.
“I am simply grateful to be on this place,” Conwell mentioned, “having the ability to put on this Louisville throughout my chest.”
In keeping with the expertise evaluators at 247Sports.com, Conwell was the Thirteenth-best participant to hit the switch portal this previous offseason after incomes third-team All-Huge East honors as a junior at Xavier.
After his first three seasons at Pike Excessive Faculty, he had zero DI scholarship provides regardless of main the Purple Devils in scoring with 16.4 factors per sport as a junior.
“I undoubtedly had these nights the place it is like, ‘Dang, this won’t be it,’” Conwell mentioned. “You at all times have these doubts.”
“The need, the fervour, the drive has at all times been there,” added his father, Rod Conwell. “I believe that is what sort of motivates him now — taking part in with somewhat chip on his shoulder.”
Conwell’s life modified on the Indy High 100 camp in June 2021. That is the place he caught the eyes of Indiana State coach Josh Schertz, who was attending his first recruiting occasion on behalf of the Sycamores after making the soar from the DII ranks.
“On the time, he was a Division II recruit — ranked like thirtieth within the state,” Schertz informed IndyStar in 2023. “My affiliate head coach, Matthew Graves, was with me. I mentioned to him, ‘I’ve by no means coached within the Missouri Valley; I don’t know what that appears like; however I’ve coached Division II. He isn’t a Division II participant.’”
Per week later, Conwell obtained his first DI supply whereas visiting Schertz in Terre Haute. From there, “it appeared just like the floodgates opened,” his dad mentioned. “All people noticed his potential.”
South Florida’s Brian Gregory wasn’t far behind Schertz. He referred to as Conwell his “main goal on the guard place” in an announcement when he signed with the Bulls in November 2021 — over provides from greater than a dozen DI applications.
“I like guards who can impression the sport in quite a lot of methods, and Ryan is strictly that,” Gregory mentioned. “He’ll give us depth on the place and convey a maturity that can lend itself to him having an incredible collegiate profession.”
Conwell cemented his DI standing by being topped the 2022 Marion County Participant of the Yr, averaging 22.6 factors, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and three steals throughout his ultimate go-around at Pike. What he did not know when he set off for USF was simply how eventful his collegiate journey could be: 4 applications in as a few years.
To say the least, there are misconceptions about gamers who can not seem to keep out of the switch portal. Earlier this month at SEC media day, Arkansas coach John Calipari mentioned, “You simply cannot switch 4 instances, as a result of it isn’t good for you. 4 faculties in 4 years, you will by no means have a university diploma.”
The Corridor of Famer clearly is not conversant in Conwell’s story.
“It has helped me mature quicker,” he mentioned. “I am grateful for my entire path.”
South Florida fired Gregory after the Bulls went 14-18 throughout Conwell’s freshman season. He began 21 of the staff’s 32 video games, however his stat line wasn’t distinctive: 5.1 factors, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 18.5 minutes per contest. His takeaways from the stint in Tampa: “I’ve to be an awesome participant on each ends of the courtroom and are available to work each single day understanding the depth that it takes to play on the faculty stage.”
That is the place Schertz reenters the image. After turning down Indiana State getting into his senior 12 months at Pike, Conwell determined to affix the Sycamores for what ended up being a near-storybook sophomore marketing campaign. ISU went 32-7, falling one win wanting an automated NCAA match bid, and he was voted MVC Newcomer of the Yr after averaging 16.6 factors per sport and rating fifteenth nationally in made 3-pointers with 109.
“He helped me perceive the sport extra,” Conwell mentioned of Schertz. “The Xs and Os, the completely different schemes, how groups guard and the way you need to use that to your benefit.”
With their success, nevertheless, got here alternatives for upward mobility. Schertz was employed at Saint Louis, and Conwell took his abilities to the Huge East. He not solely proved himself worthy of high-major competitors whereas serving to information the Musketeers to March Insanity — ending seventh within the convention in scoring with 16.5 factors per sport on 45% capturing and a 41.3% clip from past the arc — but additionally earned his bachelor’s diploma in liberal arts.
“I am simply so proud and completely satisfied for him,” his father mentioned. “He understood the drive that he wanted within the classroom in addition to on the basketball courtroom.”
A few of that may be attributed to what Conwell mentioned Xavier coach Sean Miller imparted to him: “Do not take any days off. You have to at all times be prepared, at all times keep ready and provides your greatest effort each single day.”
Miller, in fact, left Cincinnati this previous spring to change into Rodney Terry’s successor at Texas and tried to deliver Conwell with him. The guard selected Louisville as a substitute however did not lose his former coach’s respect.
“I simply noticed Sean the opposite day,” Kelsey informed reporters in July. “Sean goes, ‘How’s Ryan doing?’ I mentioned, ‘Man, he is nice; phenomenal child.’ He goes, ‘You recognize what? (He) does not change. When issues get down, when issues get dangerous, he does not change.’”
“He is been round faculty basketball so lengthy, performed for a bunch of actually good coaches; and he has such a superb really feel on follow — such a superb really feel on the heart beat of like, ‘What does my teammate want? What does the teaching employees want?’” Louisville assistant Michael Cassidy added. “If the teaching employees is attempting to boost the extent, he can really feel it and sense it earlier than it is even occurred; and he type of rises to the event and rallies his teammates. I believe that is such an underrated factor that RC does.”
Rod Conwell mentioned the Playing cards “rolled out the crimson carpet” once they pulled as much as the Planet Health Kueber Heart for an official go to in April. Members of the employees had been ready exterior of the ability holding indicators, whereas Kelsey introduced boundless power and an in depth plan for creating his son’s sport to assist him get to the NBA.
“It helped us see that it is extra than simply bringing in a participant and, ‘That is what we’d like you to do,’” he mentioned. “It is about how one can be part of a household.”
“The tradition is simply — it’s extremely welcoming,” Conwell added. “You could be unapologetically your self.”
That is how he defines himself: “A person of God — somebody who could be very sturdy in his religion. Somebody who by no means offers up, who’s keen to discover a method. Somebody who’s at all times joyful, who needs to make others completely satisfied and smile. Somebody who’s very devoted to his work — likes to work, loves the sport of basketball.”
“Ryan has that pure management skill,” sixth-year guard J’Vonne Hadley mentioned. “It is easy to see.”
Louisville was a part of Conwell’s id lengthy earlier than he dedicated to Kelsey. His mom, Daune, hails from the Indianapolis space, however his dad claims the 502.
Rod Conwell grew up close to Chickasaw Park, “across the nook” from U of L standouts comparable to Darrell Griffith and Bobby Turner, and attended Highland Park Missionary Baptist Church with Wesley Cox. He loved watching the Kentucky Colonels at Freedom Corridor as a teen and went on to play basketball at Western Excessive Faculty. His father, Roger Conwell Jr., rose by the schooling ranks and served as principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Faculty, Meyzeek Center Faculty and Fern Creek Elementary Faculty. “Near 30, if no more,” of his family members nonetheless dwell within the space.
Conwell visited Louisville typically as a baby. The day after he picked the Playing cards, he shared a photograph to his Instagram story from a kind of journeys. It was of him and his grandfather smiling exterior the Yum! Heart after they celebrated the latter’s birthday with a meal throughout the road at Doc Crow’s.
“This is not only a dedication — it is a promise,” he wrote in one other Instagram submit that day. “Louisville, I am all in. Let’s construct one thing particular!”
Roger Conwell Jr. died Nov. 21, 2023, at age 86. Conwell, who was in Las Vegas that night time for a multi-team occasion with Indiana State, devoted the rest of his sophomore season to him — writing “GRANDPOPS” on his sneakers.
Two years later, he is taking the courtroom contained in the 22,090-seat enviornment from that cherished childhood {photograph}. Sneaking glances up on the rafters.
“It is a blessing,” he mentioned.
Attain Louisville males’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and comply with him on X at @brooksHolton.
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