Recruiting Report: Derek Van Ryswyk (2017)
Big guys who can shoot are always valuable. Big guys who can do more than just shoot are even more valuable. Glenville-Emmons senior forward Derek Van Ryswyk is a big guy who can shoot the light’s out, but can also…
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Continue ReadingBig guys who can shoot are always valuable. Big guys who can do more than just shoot are even more valuable. Glenville-Emmons senior forward Derek Van Ryswyk is a big guy who can shoot the light’s out, but can also impact the game in other ways too.
Van Ryswyk spent the spring and summer playing grassroots with the Southeast Minnesota Lightning and his play during the AAU season as well as his high school season has him garnering interest from several local Division III programs.
Van Ryswyk said the programs showing the most interest thus far have been Gustavus and St. Scholastica and he’s hoping to get visits set up with both in the near future — Van Ryswyk plays football and farms, so he’s extremely busy.
The 6-foot-5 forward filled up the stat sheet as a junior for the Wolverines, averaging more than 21 points and 12 rebounds.
The Wolverines haven’t won more than 10 games since the 2011-12 season. Van Ryswyk said the team has high hopes for this upcoming season though.
“This is the year we’ve been waiting for,” Van Ryswyk said. “We have three returning seniors that have been starting for a long time. This is our year to make some noise.”
G-E plays in the Southeast Conference, which saw three teams win more than 20 games last year. With a few of those teams potentially taking a step back due to graduation, Van Ryswyk thinks the Wolverines can have a successful year.
Van Ryswyk’s ability to shoot the ball at 6-foot-5 is going to get him noticed by scouts. It also got him noticed by opposing teams and because of that, he’s improved a lot at other areas of his game.
“I’m definitely a shooter but I’ve really improved on my drive and post up games,” said Van Ryswyk. “I was brought up as a shooter but by the middle of my tenth-grade season, everybody knew I could shoot so I had to add other things to my game.”
In a day where spacing is so important and mobility from big men is sometimes more important than sheer size and strength, Van Ryswyk is an intriguing player.