Colt Ryan is a former American basketball player best known for his standout career with the University of Evansville Purple Aces from 2009 to 2013. The 6-foot-5 guard finished his career as one of the greatest scorers in University of Evansville basketball history.

High School

Ryan grew up in Batesville, Indiana, and attended Batesville High School.

As a senior, he averaged 25.6 points per game, ranking fourth in the state of Indiana in scoring, while leading Batesville to a 19-3 record. He broke the school’s career scoring record and was named Third-Team AP All-State.

Ryan was also selected to the 2009 Indiana All-Star team, helping Indiana sweep its annual two-game series against Kentucky.

University of Evansville

Ryan joined the University of Evansville in 2009 and made an immediate impact.

As a freshman, he averaged 14.5 points per game and earned Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman honors. He continued to improve throughout his career, becoming the centerpiece of the Purple Aces offense.

As a junior in 2011-12, Ryan averaged 20.5 points per game, followed by 20.1 points per game as a senior.

He earned First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors twice and was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in consecutive seasons.

Ryan completed his four-year UE career with 2,279 points, making him the school’s all-time leading scorer at the time of his graduation.

He also finished his Evansville career with:

• 183 steals, then a school record
• 406 assists
• 601 made free throws, a UE record
• An 86.2 percent career free-throw percentage
• A 39.9 percent career three-point percentage

Ryan averaged 17.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 128 games for the Purple Aces.

Professional Career

Following his graduation from Evansville in 2013, Ryan pursued professional basketball.

He played professionally overseas, including time in Belgium and Poland, continuing the basketball career that began in Batesville and made him a star in Evansville.

Evansville Legacy

Although Ryan was not an Evansville native, his college career made him an important figure in the city’s basketball history.

For four seasons, Ryan was the face of the Purple Aces, developing from an Indiana All-Star into one of the Missouri Valley Conference’s premier players.

His 2,279 career points remain one of the defining accomplishments of the University of Evansville’s Division I basketball era and place Colt Ryan among the most productive players ever to wear a Purple Aces uniform.