"Ryan Conwell is one of the best players that played last year" - Coach Sean Miller has promising take on Indiana state guard

Xavier University commit Ryan Conwell, a standout transfer guard from Indiana State, opted for Coach Sean Miller's program over offers from NC State, Vanderbilt and Georgia.

Conwell's move follows a stellar season, averaging 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was shooting 48% from the field and over 40% from three-point range.

"Ryan Conwell is, I think, one of the best players that played in college basketball last year when it comes to the impact he had towards winning," Miller said on his podcast, praising Conwell.

"I think when I look at Ryan and watched Indiana State, first of all, they're one of my favorite teams I watched this year. I think Indiana State was as well coached as any team that I watched."

He lauded Indiana State’s coaching and highlighted Conwell's impressive three-pointers, playmaking skills and defensive capabilities:

"Ryan's ability, like he made even more three point shots than Quincy did, that should put it in perspective. But yet he has the playmaking ability, the ability to defend, to get fouled, to make big decisions, to make winning plays."

"He did a little bit of everything, delivering from the free throw line like Quincy did for us and getting fouled. He's a terrific player. We're super excited about getting him."

Conwell’s shooting prowess is evident from his 109 made threes at a 40.7% clip last season, earning him Second-Team All-MVC honors. He took 63% of his shots from beyond the arc, a mark only Trey Green surpassed for Xavier, with most of these being assisted attempts.

Conwell has a free throw rate of 31.0 and an 85% career conversion rate. Defensively, Conwell ranked in the top 300 nationally in steal rate as a freshman at South Florida.

Ryan Conwell joined Xavier amid coaching changes and strong recruitment

Ryan Conwell's path to Xavier began at the University of South Florida (USF) during the 2022-23 season. He played all 32 games there, starting 21 as a true freshman.

He averaged 5.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.9 apg in 18.5 minutes, ranking third on the team with 60 assists. Conwell shot 34% from the field, 30% from three, and 82% from the free throw line. He scored a season-high 20 points against Tulane and recorded a season-best seven rebounds versus Cincinnati.

In high school, Conwell was named the 2022 Marion County Player of the Year. He averaged 22.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.7 apg and 3.0 spg in his senior season at Pike High School. He finished his prep career with 1,083 points and earned spots on the MIC All-Conference Team in his last two seasons.

Conwell's move to Xavier follows Indiana State head coach Josh Schertz's departure to Saint Louis, which prompted Conwell to enter the transfer portal. Conwell joins Oklahoma center John Hugley IV and Toledo guard Dante Maddox Jr. as the third transfer to Xavier this April. This addition comes on the heels of Desmond Claude announcing his entry into the transfer portal.