Over the weekend, Braylan Ritvo stole the show at the Hoophall Classic. He did so with a five-star guard as an opponent and a four-star forward teammate on the floor.
Ritvo’s 27 points (along with four rebounds and a block) keyed Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, New York) in their 74-67 win over No. 11 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).
A three-star guard, Ritvo’s strong outing came on Sunday night on ESPN2. Don Bosco was led by five-star guard Dylan Harper, a Rutgers basketball commit and a five-star recruit, who scored 22 points in the loss.
Currently, Ritvo has offers from Lincoln (Missouri), N.J.I.T. and Quinnipiac.
He said that following his Sunday night performance, several new programs came into his recruitment including Bryant, Central Michigan, Colgate and Vermont. A total of 11 programs reached out following the game or re-started their contact with him.
“I do think I opened eyes with my performance because I showed what I was able to do against nationally ranked teams and players,” Ritvo told USA TODAY High School Sports.
“And how effective I can be in these competitive games and environments on both ends of the floor.”
Ritvo partnered with teammate Boogie Fland, a four-star guard in the 247Sports Composite, who had 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting in the upset win.
But it was Ritvo who performed well on both ends of the court who really stood out from the game.
“My recruitment is still fully open and I am in talks on planning visits right now to Cornell, Long Beach State and Lemoyne,” Ritvo said.
“I do not have a timeline in signing right now. But I am hoping to sign once I see a school, check out their campus and program and (I) feel like it will be a perfect fit for me.”
With the win, Archbishop Bishop Stepinac almost cracked the USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25. They are listed as a team ‘On the Rise.’
“Huge statement, competing at the highest level versus a top 10 (caliber) team,” Ritvo said.
“And coming out with the win is always great. We also got a chance to show that our roster is battle-tested and that we can compete with anyone in the country.”
