Cormac Ryan Bio
Cormac Joseph Ryan is an American professional basketball player who most recently suited up for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on a two-way contract, while also playing for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. A shooting guard listed at 6 feet 5 inches, Ryan is known for his perimeter scoring, steady playmaking, and composure in high-pressure moments. He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the North Carolina Tar Heels, building a reputation as a reliable scorer at every stop.
Born on October 26, 1998, Ryan came to the professional ranks as an undrafted free agent in 2024 after a productive four-year college career. He earned a foothold in the NBA ecosystem through the Oklahoma City Blue and the Wisconsin Herd before inking his first in-season NBA deal with the Bucks in February 2026. His journey from a New York City prep standout to a two-way NBA guard reflects steady development and durability.
Early Life and Background
Ryan was born on October 26, 1998, in New York City, New York, and grew up in Manhattan. He is the son of Michael Ryan and Rosemary Ryan, and he grew up in a household that valued athletics. His father, Michael, and one of his four brothers, Thomas, both played basketball at Yale, giving Cormac an early blueprint for what a college basketball path could look like.
He first attended Collegiate School in New York City, where he played basketball as a freshman and sophomore. After his sophomore year, Ryan transferred to Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, reclassified as a sophomore, and finished his high school career there. Across three seasons at Milton, Ryan scored 1,423 points and was nominated to the All-NEPSAC team in each of his three years, earning NEPSAC Player of the Year honors in both his junior and senior seasons.
Path to Professional Basketball
Rated as a four-star high school recruit, Ryan was ranked No. 63 by ESPN, No. 64 by the 247Sports Composite, and No. 77 by Rivals, and he was regarded as one of the top three players from the state of New York. He chose to sign with Stanford under coach Jerod Haase, passing on offers from Northwestern, Florida, Indiana, Notre Dame, Villanova, and Michigan. That decision launched a college career that would eventually carry him through three storied programs.
Cormac Ryan Career
Early Career: Stanford Cardinal (2018–2019)
Ryan arrived at Stanford as the highest-rated recruit in the program. In his college debut against Seattle, he posted 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, immediately showing the offensive polish that had drawn national attention. He went on to start 17 of 24 games for the Cardinal, averaging 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while scoring in double figures ten times. His performances against ranked opponents, including 14 points versus No. 7 North Carolina and a season-best 19 points in a win over UCLA, signaled his readiness for a higher level of competition.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2020–2023)
Before the 2019–20 season, Ryan transferred to Notre Dame and used his first year as a redshirt to learn the system. Once cleared to play, he opened with 13 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists against No. 13 Michigan State and tied his career high with 19 points in a win over Pittsburgh. He set a new career high with 28 points in Notre Dame’s second all-time win at Duke, and over the next two seasons he grew into one of the program’s most trusted starters.
In his redshirt junior year, Ryan erupted for a then career-high 29 points against Alabama, lifting Notre Dame to a Round of 64 upset in the 2022 NCAA tournament before the Irish fell to Texas Tech. The following season, as a redshirt senior, he started all 32 games and averaged 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, closing his Notre Dame tenure with 23 points against No. 20 Michigan State and 20 points versus No. 25 Pittsburgh.
North Carolina Tar Heels (2023–2024)
Ryan used the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA following the shortened 2020–21 season to transfer to North Carolina for 2023–24. He opened his UNC career with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists against Radford, and he later dropped 20 points on No. 14 Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic. He saved his best performance for March 9, when he set a new career high with 31 points in a win over No. 9 Duke. Ryan started 34 of 36 games, averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists for the Tar Heels.
Oklahoma City Blue (2024–2025)
After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Ryan joined the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2024 NBA Summer League and signed with the franchise on September 27, 2024. He was waived on October 18, 2024, but quickly landed with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, on October 25, 2024. His time with the Blue allowed him to refine his role as a perimeter scorer while adjusting to the professional game’s pace and physicality.
Milwaukee Bucks and Wisconsin Herd (2025–Present)
Ryan joined the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2025 NBA Summer League and earned an invitation to training camp. He was named to the Wisconsin Herd’s opening night roster on November 7, 2025, and on February 26, 2026, he signed a two-way contract with the Bucks, securing the first in-season NBA contract of his career. He posted a then career-high 25 points in a 119–113 loss to the Houston Rockets on April 1, then set a new career high with 28 points in his first NBA start, a 125–108 win over the Brooklyn Nets on April 10.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ryan profiles as a confident perimeter scorer with the size to shoot over smaller defenders and the playmaking touch to operate as a secondary ball-handler. He is most effective as a movement shooter off screens and in transition, and he has shown a willingness to attack closeouts and finish through contact at the rim. His three seasons as a full-time starter at Notre Dame and North Carolina prepared him for the pace and physicality of professional basketball.
Notable Events and Milestones
Ryan’s signature college moment came on March 9, 2024, when he poured in 31 points to lead North Carolina past No. 9 Duke. Earlier, he had powered Notre Dame’s 2022 NCAA tournament upset of Alabama with 29 points. On the professional side, his first NBA start on April 10, 2026, against the Brooklyn Nets, where he scored 28 points, marked the clearest signal yet of his two-way potential.
Cormac Ryan Career Highlights
Although Ryan is early in his professional career, his body of work already includes milestone performances in the NBA, the G League, and three high-major college programs. He has scored in double figures in more than 100 college games and has translated that consistency into a two-way NBA contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
NBA and G League Highlights
Ryan made his NBA regular-season debut as a two-way member of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2025–26 season, posting a then career high of 25 points against the Houston Rockets on April 1, 2026, before breaking that mark with 28 points in his first start against the Brooklyn Nets on April 10, 2026. In the G League, he spent the 2024–25 season with the Oklahoma City Blue and the 2025–26 season with the Wisconsin Herd, building a profile as a reliable scoring guard. His signing of a two-way contract with the Bucks on February 26, 2026, was the headline transaction of his professional career to date.
College Highlights
Ryan’s college résumé features a 31-point performance against No. 9 Duke during his North Carolina season, a 29-point outburst that upset Alabama in the 2022 NCAA tournament while at Notre Dame, and a 28-point showing in Notre Dame’s second all-time road win at Duke. He finished as Stanford’s highest-rated recruit and left Notre Dame as a three-year starter, capping his career with a 23-point performance against No. 20 Michigan State.
Cormac Ryan Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Ryan is the son of Michael Ryan and Rosemary Ryan. The basketball gene runs deep in the family: his father, Michael, played at Yale, and one of his four brothers, Thomas, also played at Yale. Growing up in that environment helped shape Cormac’s approach to the game and his understanding of what a college pathway requires.
Personal Life
Ryan keeps his personal life largely private. He has four brothers, one of whom is Thomas, and he has spoken about the steady support of his parents throughout his basketball journey. Details about a spouse, partner, or children have not been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year marked Ryan’s transition from the Oklahoma City Blue system to the Milwaukee Bucks and Wisconsin Herd organizations. After spending 2024–25 in the Thunder’s developmental pipeline, he joined the Bucks for the 2025 NBA Summer League, where he did enough to earn a training-camp invitation and a place on the Wisconsin Herd’s opening night roster on November 7, 2025.
Through the early months of the 2025–26 G League season with the Herd, Ryan served as a featured perimeter scorer and secondary playmaker, continuing the efficiency he had shown in Oklahoma City. His strong G League play led to a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on February 26, 2026, rewarding his consistency and fitting him into the franchise’s long-term guard development plan.
Following the in-season move, Ryan posted back-to-back career highs in April 2026, first scoring 25 points against the Houston Rockets on April 1 and then erupting for 28 points in his first NBA start against the Brooklyn Nets on April 10. With a two-way deal secured and a foothold in the Bucks’ rotation, his 2025–26 trajectory points to a continued opportunity to compete for standard NBA minutes going forward.
