Rykan Woo has been an impact transfer for DePaul Prep
While it’s still not nearly the norm or as prevalent as it is in college basketball, player movement and transfers in high school basketball have become more commonplace than ever before.
Each spring and summer we wait and see where players will be when school begins in August.
This past year there were a plethora of transfers. While there were some bigger names and more highly ranked prospects who moved to new schools, no transfer has made a bigger impact than Rykan Woo at DePaul Prep.
The former Young guard has excelled since arriving at DePaul Prep, the No. 1 ranked team in the Super 25.
In a showdown with highly ranked Warren and star guard Jaxson Davis this past weekend, Woo had 24 points, including six three-pointers.
He’s averaging 17 points a game for a team that typically always boasts balanced, modest individual numbers. He also chips in 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and nearly two steals a game.
More importantly, he has fit well within what DePaul Prep does from a philosophy and personnel standpoint. He came in as a solid on-the-ball defender who has grown into what coach Tom Kleinschmidt expects at that end of the floor. And he has been a smart, unselfish and efficient player.
How efficient? Woo has been exceedingly efficient across the board, including an eye-popping 60% from the three-point line (39-for-65), 63% inside the arc and 85% from the line.
Class 2A Dyett impresses
No team that finished 2-2 over the holidays was a bigger winner than little-known Dyett.
There isn’t a lot of buzz surrounding coach Jamaal Gill’s team on the South Side, but there might be when the state tournament rolls around in late February.
Dyett, which plays in the Public League’s Red Star, is 11-3. But no team has gained more in all of its losses than the Eagles.
They played tradition-rich Rock Island (14-1) very tough on Thanksgiving and against ranked 4A teams Evanston and Marist at the Centralia Holiday Tournament.
Dyett was tied 43-43 with Evanston in the fourth quarter of the semifinals before falling 58-48 and then lost to Marist 48-38 in the third-place game.
That’s not too shabby for a Class 2A school.
“Those are some great teams with really good coaches that we played,” Gill said. “There was a lot of growth in those losses. That is the type of skill, intensity and coaching that prepares you for state. Those high-level teams are good preparation for our guys.”
Gill has won three 2A regional titles since taking over the program in 2014. This team has a different look than the 14-12 squad from a year ago that won a regional before falling to Hansberry 55-52 in the sectional semifinals.
“Experience,” Gill said. “That’s the difference.”
Last year’s team was a junior-led one. This year, Gill has 10 seniors on the roster, including the two leading scorers: Jaden McKinnon (14 points per game) and Aramis Brown (11 ppg).
“With that experience there has been more attention to detail and commitment,” Gill said.
Gill is hoping battles against 3A and 4A schools, even in defeat, can help propel the program to its first sectional championship — a sectional in which Dyett looks to be the favorite.
“One step at a time,” Gill said. “Even in those losses, it’s given me a trust in this team, and I also see a belief in the players.”