Ryan McMahon Signs with Louisville

Mark BlankenbakerApril 16, 2015

Ryan McMahon, an impressive long-range marksman from Cardinal Mooney High School in Sarasota, Fla., has signed a national letter-of-intent to continue his basketball playing career at the University of Louisville.

“Ryan is going to be an outstanding basketball player down the road with added strength,” said UofL Coach Rick Pitino. “He will most likely redshirt this upcoming season, but we think we have an outstanding shooter and scorer that will be an integral part of our team in future years.”

The 6-1, 165-pound guard averaged 26.4 points, 3.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals in leading Cardinal Mooney to a 26-4 record and the state final four for the first time in school history. He made 51 percent of his three-pointers and 83 percent at the free throw line.

McMahon, who finished third in the voting for Florida Mr. Basketball, was named to the Class 3A all-tournament team after scoring 16 points as his team fell in the state semifinals. He led his team with 30 points, including burying three free throws in the closing seconds, in Cardinal Mooney’s double-overtime victory in the regional championship game.

As a junior at Cardinal Mooney, McMahon averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 steals and 3.5 assists. He has been compared to Mark Price who played 12 years in the NBA, was a four-time all-star and was of a similar physical stature to McMahon.

He participated in the Derby Classic all-star game played in Louisville’s Freedom Hall, setting a record in the three-point competition semifinals with 26 points (17-of-25 shooting) before finishing third in the finals. He will play on the U.S. All-Stars squad in the Capital Classic at Catholic University’s DuFour Center in Washington, D.C. on April 24.

McMahon is the fifth new addition to the Cardinals’ roster for next season, joining Deng Adel, a 6-7, 190-pound forward from Melbourne, Australia who attended Victory Rock Prep in Bradenton, Fla.; Trey Lewis, a 6-2, 190-pound guard from Garfield Heights, Ohio who will be a fifth-year transfer from Cleveland State University; Donovan Mitchell, a 6-3, 210-pound guard from Greenwich, Conn. who attends Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.; and Raymond Spalding, a 6-10, 210-pound forward from Trinity High School in Louisville.