Ryan Moesch’s Journey
If you have watched prep school basketball in New England over the past two years, you have heard the name Ryan Moesch. His unique blend of speed, athleticism, and craftiness all make him a must-watch talent.
Last year, he broke out on the scene as a knockdown shooter who brings game-changing quickness with the ball in his hands. With his ability to zip past the defense, he gets downhill relentlessly and can finish in many different ways around the rim.
I recently spoke with Moesch about his time in both New York and New England, as well as his path to becoming the highest-ranked recruit in Siena history.
At a young age, Moesch developed a love for basketball, something he credits to both his father and his brother, who currently plays at Hobart. He noted that “growing up with a ball in my hands” helped him realize early on that basketball was the game he was most passionate about.
The early grind for him as a kid was fueled by his passion and the desire to be the best.
Moesch grew up in Chittenango, New York, where he excelled quickly before ultimately moving to the prep level at Cushing Academy.
While at Chittenango, he was a 1,000-point scorer and won sectionals with his older brother during his freshman year. “Having Coach Clancy and my Dad was really big in my process,” he added, giving props to his Chittenango head coach.
The time he had in his hometown was fun, and it allowed him to make memories he will remember forever, but it was time to make the leap to the next level of high school hoops.
When looking for schools, he wanted a coach that he could have a good relationship with and push him to be better every day, no matter the activity. It was a mix of his dad and other mentors in Syracuse that helped him decide to become a Penguin.
Now that he has spent almost two years there, his decision seems to be a good one, as he says, “Coach Cormier and Coach Fabian are the best coaches I've had.” He has benefited from strong coaching throughout his development, while also embracing a coachable mindset and a commitment to learning the game.
In his time in Ashburnham, he has been a part of big-time wins for the program, as well as displaying his talents against some of the best in the country. Last year, he led his team to the game of the weekend at the National Prep Championship in the semi-finals against St. Thomas More, where London Jemison, now a role player at Alabama, hit a shot right before the buzzer to seal the game for the Chancellors.
This year, he had a gritty performance against Blair to help hand them their first loss of the season. Earlier this month, he finished with 31 points in the semi-finals of the NEBL to knock off reigning National Prep Champions, Putnam Science.
Since moving to New England, he has also joined the Middlesex Magic and was an integral part of their UAA team this past Spring/Summer. When I asked who some people who have helped him in New England are, he quickly said “Coach Crotty,” and he explained, “he improved me being a point guard and a leader.”
Moving from a small town outside of Syracuse, the competition was much different than what he was used to. “I didn't really think I was gonna play the way I did the past two seasons,” and the pressure and high-intensity games allowed him to shine in tough moments.
The environment around prep school is much different than public schools. Moesch noted that one thing that has been very impactful on his game is “playing against good players every day, in practice, and then every game is a good game.” This allowed him to play against great players every day and build a consistent training schedule for college.
One factor in his decision to stay in his home state and play for Syracuse legend Gerry McNamara at Siena was “his recruiting process and how the whole Siena staff was really good, and they got close with my parents.” Siena feels like home to him with his ties to the Syracuse area and the “at home” feeling Coach McNamara and his staff have built for him.
Next season is still in the future, but Moesch wants to improve his “defense and being a leader,” and he noted he wants to “make more of an impact with the ball not in my hand.” These tools will only make him more of a threat against every team in the MAAC next year.
As he looks towards the end of this season, he will look to lead Cushing to a NEPSAC AA championship as well as a National Prep Championship. They are a major threat to win both, and if they do, no doubt Moesch will have to perform at his best.
His advice to the younger generation is to “keep working and always trust yourself.” When he moved from upstate New York to upstate Massachusetts, he was taking a risk on himself and knew he had to step up to do what had to be done.
Moesch has left his stamp on prep school basketball forever, and as he continues at the Division 1 level, he will look to lead Siena and continue to compete against some of the best competition on a daily basis and represent New England at an elite level.
Ryan Moesch