STORRS, Conn. – It wasn’t the type of ending Ryan Boatright had imagined when he decided to return for his senior season at UConn. Remember, Boatright said he had his bags packed for the NBA last April, only to reconsider, return to Storrs and chase his dream of back-to-back national championships.
The thought of cutting down the nets with confetti and streamers cascading from the heavens can be intoxicating.
Instead, the leader of the Huskies sat in the weight room at Gampel Pavilion Wednesday night, patiently waiting to take questions from media members – just as he always had for four years.
Boatright spent his last game on the UConn bench, dressed in jeans and a white polo shirt. His left shoulder, injured Sunday in the America Athletic Conference championship against SMU, kept him from playing in UConn’s first-round NIT game against Arizona State at Gampel Pavilion. When the buzzer sounded on Arizona State’s 68-61 victory, it was over.
That was it.
End of career.
For the first time as a Husky, he missed a game because of an injury. It just happened to be the last game of the season – and his UConn career.
“I’m 100 percent happy with my decision of coming back to school,” Boatright said Wednesday night. “I think I’ve accomplished a lot. The ultimate goal was getting to the [NCAA] tournament and winning another championship. I have [improved] my [NBA] stock. I think I proved to everyone that I can be a point guard at a high level. I led this team the best that I could. I’m glad I came back to school for my last year.”
Boatright injured his left shoulder Sunday in the second half of UConn’s loss to SMU in the American Athletic Conference tournament championship. One of the durable Huskies of all time couldn’t practice Tuesday. He got up Wednesday morning and went to rehab to warm up his shoulder.
“Once I got it warm enough, I still didn’t have the range of motion to be able to play and to be the player that I need to be on the floor,” he said. “If I couldn’t be that player, there was no point in me being out there. I decided to sit down and hope that we could pull this win out and I’d be back in the starting lineup.”
Asked if he would have played if the game had been in the NCAA tournament, Boatright said, “Definitely.” But understand that he was really hurting and this could be a serious injury. No one knows. Boatright is one of those guys who wants to play every minute. Coach Kevin Ollie has had a hard time pulling him out because Boatright fights him when he tries.
“It was extremely tough,” Boatright said of watching from the bench. “I was contemplating five minutes in if I wanted to go get my uniform on. It was rough.”
Ryan Boatright leaving the XL Center floor on Sunday. Turns out it was his last time in a UConn uniform (Ken Davis photo)
There was concern Boatright could have injured himself further if had played. He will need an MRI to find out exactly what is wrong and if surgery is needed.
“I know it has something to do with my rotator cuff,” he said. “They can’t really tell from the x-rays. The MRI will be better. That will let me know exactly what’s wrong with me and how I need to go about moving forward.”
Ollie knows the importance of doing everything right at this point.
“Ryan made the decision, him and [athletic trainer] James Doran, because the pain was too excruciating when they were trying to do things in the training room,” Ollie said. “I think he would probably have been back if we had the chance to play [in the second round], but he just couldn’t go today. You know Boat is a warrior, and if he was able to go, he definitely would have been out there with his teammates.
“They’ve already taken X-rays. But he’ll probably have an MRI. He’ll probably have a doctor in Chicago look at it and get a second opinion. That’s pretty much typical. We’ll see where it goes and Ryan will make the right decision, him and his family.”
Boatright suffered a deep thigh bruise against Temple earlier this season and now the shoulder injury. He has taken a pounding throughout his career, in part because he is really 5-9 and not 6-feet tall as listed. It’s amazing to consider this was the first game he missed because of injury. His toughness was tested when he missed nine games during his freshman season as the NCAA investigated eligibility issues. Last season he missed a game to attend the funeral of his slain cousin.
There is no doubt Boatright left his mark on the UConn program. He finished with 1,786 points, which ranks No. 8 in UConn history, just behind Ben Gordon with 1,795. He ranks No. 9 in assists with 491. Ricky Moore and Marcus Williams are tied for No. 7 at 510 assists. Boat right and Shabazz Napier are the only players in UConn’s top 10 in both scoring and assists.
Ollie said it just takes one person in the NBA to fall in love with Boatright.
“He really established himself as a better shooter this year,” Ollie said. “If he is going to be that small, he has to be able to shoot. He really worked on that. It wasn’t like he was just sitting in the corner. He had three people on him at times and still shot the ball at a high rate. . . . That kid wants it. He works so hard. If it’s a dogfight, I put my money on Boat.”
There is a much greater chance of him being drafted than last year at this time. If surgery is needed, that could be a setback as he prepares for the draft and the team workouts that come before that.
“I know it’s a long process but it’s something I’ve been waiting on my entire life,” Boatright said. ” It’s something I worked for my entire life and something I will continue to work for. I’m just going to control what I can control, which is the way I play. And hopefully somebody believes in me and gives me the chance to play.”
Boatright said he will never forget playing in front of the UConn crowd. His name was chanted by the student fans before the game Wednesday. In the final seconds, they recognized him again with “Ry-an Boat-right, Ry-an Boat-right.”
“I know there are going to be some great things for him in the future,” Ollie said. “He grew up as a man. As a basketball player, he has a lot of pride to get better. I know he wanted his team to go out on a better note. God is preparing him for something great. He has a bright future. If that’s in the NBA or wherever he’ll play. He’ll be playing somewhere and I’ll be rooting for him all the way. Boat wants it. He’ll do whatever it takes to get it. I’m very proud to say I’ve been his coach for four years.”
It wasn’t the easiest four years. The eligibility questions. A coaching change. The program’s postseason ban.
But that 2014 national championship happened too. Boatright has the ring – and the memories – to take with him.
“That’s the highest high I’ve had as a Husky and my career here,” he said. “My lows will stick in my head too. I never forget what I go through. That’s what makes me the player I am. That gives me drive and makes me strong. Remembering what I want through and what I don’t want to go back to. Everything about my college career will help me.”
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