Ryan Rhoomes Talks TCU Commitment

When New York native Ryan Rhoomes chose to go to prep school for a year after his graduation from Cardozo High School, he made that decision with the hope of continuing to develop his game and get more offers from colleges once his game developed. Well those offers came and ultimately he came to TCU for the same reason.

“My main reason [for coming to TCU] was I wanted to continue to develop and play for a Big East school, and I see a lot of potential for TCU,” Rhoomes said in a phone interview with SportDFW.com.

Jim Christian has hit the recruiting trail a lot lately with the departure of two of his assistants who left to further their own careers. Christian’s staff has been short-handed but ultimately, it was Christian who made the difference for Rhoomes.

When asked what person had the greatest impact on Rhoomes’ commitment, he said, “It was definitely Coach Christian who sealed the deal for me…I also talked a lot with J.R. [Cadot] and Hank [Thorns]. J.R. told me that he was just really excited for me, and even though he was graduating before the move to the Big East, he just showed how he was really excited for the program and really excited for me.”

“Hank and I are basically from the same background. He used to be in Virginia at Virginia Tech, so he understands how basketball really is. He understands the flow of the game, and we kind of took off as soon as I met him, so he was a real cool guy,” Rhoomes added.

For any coach trying to sell himself and his program to his recruits, there must be a unique level of trust between player and coach, and when Rhoomes was asked what type of bond he and Christian have he said “definitely trust.”

Rhoomes adds front court depth and the type of physicality that a 6’9, 240 pound big man can add. Ryan said that his biggest strengths are his unselfishness and speed to out run other big men. “People look at me and underestimate my strength, but I am really strong down low and more athletic than some other posts,” Rhoomes went on to say.

Rhoomes will arrive in Fort Worth in June where he will begin working out and adjusting to life as a Horned Frog. He will also take summer classes to get ahead academically.

Coach Jim Christian said of Rhoomes: “Since he is from New York, our move to the Big East Conference really helped to create an attractive opportunity for Ryan. I think his potential, both on and off the floor, is going to be something special for TCU.”

Rhoomes agreed that being able to return to his home region in the northeast and even his home state of New York was an important part in his decision to sign with TCU. “When [TCU goes] to the Big East, I will take every chance I get to go back home and see my family, and they can see me play too.”

There is no doubt that expectations will be high for Rhoomes at TCU, and he is prepared for that. “I just want to go and be myself,” Rhoomes said in the phone interview with SportDFW. TCU recruited Rhoomes to do just that. Play his game and play Jim Christian’s game.

Coach Christian said that he was looking for a physical big man to rebound, be tough, and play defense, and in Rhoomes, he has found just that.

Finally, Rhoomes admitted that he has a good relationship with Shaquille Stokes, but has not talked to the Lincoln (NY) point guard lately. Stokes is still considering TCU and taking his official visits.

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