Yeshiva University's Ryan Turell to enter NBA draft, looking to be first Orthodox Jewish player in league history
Ryan Turell is looking to make history.
The senior guard at Yeshiva University in New York City told ESPN he is entering the 2022 NBA draft with the intention to become the first Orthodox Jewish player in league history.
"My full intention is to play professional basketball next year," Turell told ESPN.
Yeshiva is a D-III program, but Turell leads scoring in men's college basketball across all divisions. In 29 games this season — all but two of which were starts — Turell notched 27.1 points per game on a 58.7% field goal percentage. He also excelled behind the arc, knocking down 46.8% of his three-point shots.
Yeshiva went 25-3 this season and won the the Skyline Conference championship to climb to the No. 19 spot in the D-III men's basketball rankings. The Maccabees, however, saw their season end in the first round of the Division III men's basketball championship on March 4 in a 63-59 loss to Johns Hopkins.
Despite having both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Turell became the Yeshiva all-time leading scorer with 2,158 career points. According to ESPN, NBA teams have scouted Turell this season, with some franchises sending executives, former players and even team owners to see him in person.
"I know NBA teams came to see me," Turell said. "My coach would tell me after each game, especially toward the end of the season. Quite a few NBA teams came to watch."
Listed at 6-foot-7, Turell's ability to shoot and score could prompt teams to give him a closer look.
"I want to get into as many NBA gyms as possible and show them what I can do," Turell told ESPN. "I've got to knock down shots and be a great defender and teammate."
Turell wears a yarmulke when he plays and said he plans to continue doing so as a professional player. A yarmulke is a brimless cap that Orthodox Jewish men customarily wear at all times.
"Being the first Orthodox Jew in the NBA would mean the world to me, and a dream come true, God willing," Turell said. "But, just as importantly, it would mean the world to others that never saw this as a possibility."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Turell looking to be first Orthodox Jewish player in NBA history
