'He's not a Division II player': Ex-Pike star Ryan Conwell's rise with Indiana State

TERRE HAUTE -- The first recruiting event Indiana State coach Josh Schertz attended as the Sycamores new head man was the Indy Top 100 camp in June of 2021.

Coming from Division II Lincoln Memorial, Schertz built a powerhouse program by finding players who were overlooked by bigger conferences. At the camp, one of the first players to catch his eye was former Pike High School standout guard Ryan Conwell.

"At the time (Conwell) was a Division II recruit, ranked like 30th in the state," Schertz said. "My associate head coach Matthew Graves was with me, I said to him, 'I've never coached in the Missouri Valley, I have no idea what that looks like, but I have coached Division II -- he's not a Division II player.'"

A week later, Conwell visited ISU and received his first offer from Schertz and his staff. But Indiana State wasn't the only school Conwell impressed that summer. Throughout July and into September, scholarship offers from mid-major and Power 5 Division I programs were rolling in for the 6-4 combo guard. Schertz quickly realized Conwell's recruitment had exceeded his mid-major program, but the relationship he built with Conwell laid the groundwork for a reunion a couple years down the road.

Conwell averaged 5.1 points per game in 32 games with South Florida as a freshman during the 2022-23 season. Conwell made 21 starts and played a significant role for the Bulls, but after his first season in Florida, Conwell wanted to be closer to home.

"When I went into the transfer portal there was other schools contacting me, but as soon as Indiana State contacted me, I kind of already knew what Coach Schertz was going to say," Conwell said. "I had already built a great relationship with him, so I feel like that played a big factor in me choosing Indiana State."

Conwell has blossomed during his first season in Schertz's system. He's third on the team in scoring and rebounding at 15.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, respectively. He's fourth on the team in assists per game (2.2) and he's averaging one steal per game while shooting 47.5% from the field, 40% from 3 and 81.8% from the free throw line.

On a national stage against Ball State at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Conwell rebounded from a scoreless first half to score a career-high 27 points in an 83-72 win.

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Conwell's acclimation to Schertz's system has been gradual. He scored 25 points in ISU's season opening win against Saint Mary of the Woods, but he did not score more than 17 points until the Sycamores beat Ball State. He followed up his breakout performance with a six-point game on 3-of-6 shooting in a 90-69 win over Tennessee State, but they'll need more from the dynamic guard with a trip to East Lansing to face Michigan State looming Saturday afternoon.

"In the beginning, it's definitely a learning process," Conwell said of adjusting to Schertz's system. "Just learning how to play with everybody and play within the system. But I feel like the system has benefited me and the team extremely well.

"It allows me just to play fast, get to certain spots that I'm comfortable in and be able to help the team anywhere I can."

Conwell, Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope have helped ISU produce the No. 1 offense in effective field goal percentage per KenPom. ISU is 33rd in offensive efficiency, No. 3 in 3-point percentage and No. 6 in 2-point percentage. That high-powered offense gives the Sycamores the stats of a NCAA Tournament team. With a Top-100 win over Bradley under their belt already, Saturday's Top-50 game against Michigan State will be a huge resume builder for the program.

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At 11-1, ISU seems poised to surpass last season's 23-13 mark. Continued improvement is a telltale sign of a program on the rise. Players can sense when a staff has things headed in the right direction. The belief in the program's guidance and his strong relationship with the staff brought Conwell back home to Indiana. Now he has a chance to help ISU return to glory with a strong performance against the Spartans.

"We had already built a relationship with Ryan, with his mom and dad from the initial process, but I didn't know if it was gonna be any different," Schertz said. "He had other options, but he wanted to be closer to home and we're just really glad he decided to come.

"He's a guy that as a sophomore has a chance to have a massive career here at Indiana State. He's an unbelievable player, but equally as good a kid. He knew we were the first ones to offer him, he knew how much I thought of him. ... He knew we had a good group (coming) back and that he could have a chance to impact us immediately."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana State's Ryan Conwell and one of the top offenses in Division I