Prospect Watch: Ryan McAleenan (2017)
Class of 2017 guard Ryan McAleenan of John K. Kennedy High in St. Louis is one of the top perimeter shooters in the metro area. The hard-working 6’2″ McAleenan has made 42 3-pointers in the Celts’ first 14 games. McAleenan’s…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingClass of 2017 guard Ryan McAleenan of John K. Kennedy High in St. Louis is one of the top perimeter shooters in the metro area.
The hard-working 6’2″ McAleenan has made 42 3-pointers in the Celts’ first 14 games. McAleenan’s shooting prowess has earned him a lot of recruiting attention from several smaller collages. He has received offers from schools such as Belmont Abbey, Graceland and St. Mary’s (KC). He has also received interest from Blackburn, Greenville, Aurora, Missouri Baptist, Truman State and Central Methodist.
McAleenan is an excellent shooter off the catch, but he also does a nice job coming off screens with a quick release. His success is not by accident as he spents a lot of time working on his shooting skills
“The key to my success as a shooter is the countless hours of perfecting my art as a shooter,” McAleenan said. “I have worked on perfecting my shot since sixth grade, being able to shoot off the dribble, coming off curls, flaring to the corner, and catch and shoot.
McAleenan is currently averaging 18 points a game to lead the Celts in scoring. In his last game, he had 27 points and six 3-pointers in a victory over Crossroads in the Affton Tournament. He also had 25 points and six 3-pointers in a victory over Principia and a season-high of 32 points in a victory over Gateway Science Academy.
McAleenan is playing his senior season with added motivation because not only is it his last year as a high school player, it is also the last year basketball season that JFK High will ever play. It was announced at the beginning of the year that Kennedy will be closing its doors permanently at the end of the school year.
“Unfortunately, we did receive the news that our school would be closing,” McAleenan said. “I have so much motivation to make this a great year for our team, school and Kennedy community. I want everyone to remember the last Kennedy basketball team to be a team of hard working, talented and selfless players.