Support The Daily Orange this holiday season! The money raised between now and the end of the year will go directly toward aiding our students. Donate today.

In 2024, Ryan Moesch was walking through Destiny USA Mall in Syracuse when he noticed a group of kids passing by. As their eyes keyed in on him, Ryan heard the kids whisper to their parents.

“Oh my goodness, there’s Ryan Moesch,” Ryan’s father, Jeff Moesch, remembered the children saying.

Jeff still sees his son as a “dopey kid,” but those murmurs show how much attention Ryan has earned. In three years at Chittenango High School (New York), Ryan scored 1,686 points and led New York State in scoring with 36.3 points per game as a junior. He transferred to Cushing Academy (Massachusetts) in 2024 for a challenge and reclassified to the class of 2026.

Ryan is a four-star recruit committed to Siena since Sept. 19, making him the highest-rated commit in Saints history. After leaving central New York to hone his game, the self-described “pass-first point guard” will return to play under legendary former Syracuse guard and Siena head coach Gerry McNamara.

“I really trust Coach Gmac,” Ryan said. “No other coaches tried as hard to get me. The vision is me running the offense and me being the guy.”

Ryan chose the Saints over offers from Providence, Akron, Bowling Green and Bradley, among other schools.

“I have very little doubt he’ll be one of the best mid-major freshmen in the country,” wrote Adam Finkelstein, 247Sports’ Director of Basketball Scouting, after Ryan’s recruitment.

Ryan grew up with a basketball in his crib, Jeff said. Jeff played basketball at Cortland State and served as an assistant coach for Chittenango for two decades, including three years coaching Ryan. Ryan’s brother, Alex Moesch, is currently a guard at Hobart College.

Ryan Moesch celebrates during a game with Chittenango High School. Ryan played three years for the Bears before moving to Cushing Academy in Massachusetts. Courtesy of Ryan Moesch

Even before Ryan was old enough to play for Chittenango, he would follow his dad to practice. When Ryan reached high school, he suited up for the Bears and dominated. As a freshman, he averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game, upping his production to 23.8 points as a sophomore. In his junior year, he averaged the state-high 36.3 points per game, highlighted by a 55-point explosion against Jamesville-DeWitt on Dec. 22, 2023, and eight games with at least 40 points.

“He was kind of a one-man show,” Jeff said of Ryan’s time at Chittenango. “As great as it was for stats and scoring the basketball and the social media stuff that came, he really wasn’t getting much better. At the next level, that was not going to translate.”

So, entering Ryan’s junior year at Chittenango in 2023, Jeff encouraged Ryan to seek a bigger challenge by looking at the preparatory schools.

Ryan and Jeff liked Cushing best and reached out to the school’s head coach, James Cormier, in the fall of 2023. Although Cormier was impressed by Ryan’s skillset, he already had a point guard and didn’t have an extra spot on the roster, he said.

Ryan went back to Chittenango and put up attention-grabbing numbers. When the 2023-24 season ended, he attempted to join Cushing again. Ryan scheduled an official visit to the campus. He immediately “clicked” with Cormier and impressed the head coach when the two went over Ryan’s film. In January 2024, Ryan received an official offer to Cushing, where he’d complete his high school career.

“He’s relentless in his desire to attack,” Cormier said. “I thought he had a good deep range. He played with incredible pace, and he put a lot of pressure on the defense. I say he’s the best pick-and-roll player in the country.”

Since becoming the Penguins’ starting point guard, Ryan has learned to share the ball rather than solely focus on scoring, he said. Cormier is pushing him to be more vocal on the court, but Ryan has still built strong pick-and-roll chemistry with teammates, including his roommate Brady O’Connell.

Sophia Burke | Digital Design Director

“When (the ball) is in his hands, we’re always one pass away from a great shot,” O’Connell said.

Despite standing at 6-foot, Ryan isn’t afraid to shoot over taller players, Jeff said. He hopes that confidence can transfer to the collegiate level.

But that mindset came with a cost. In August 2024, before his first season at Cushing, Ryan felt pain in his foot after a dunk. The guard suffered a stress fracture and was sidelined for nearly two months. During his time off the court, Ryan wondered if he’d be the same player once he recovered.

“A lot of things can get in your head, and that all just negatively affects you,” Ryan said. “I just tried to keep my headspace clear.”

Since returning, Ryan has helped the Penguins defeat teams loaded with top recruits, Cormier said. In a tournament game against Western Reserve Academy (Ohio) on Nov. 22, Cushing found itself in a tight battle with two minutes remaining. All eyes turned to Ryan. He ended up taking over, scoring the final 10 points leading Cushing to a two-point win.

During his time at Cushing, Ryan has grown as a ball-handler, defender and leader on the court, he said. He helped guide the Penguins to the National Prep Championship Tournament Semifinals last season. But off the hardwood, Jeff has been impressed by how his son has grown more comfortable in the spotlight.

He’s set to garner attention when he returns to upstate New York to start his college career next season. Then, wherever he goes, eyes will follow and voices will hush.

Oh my goodness, there’s Ryan Moesch.

“It’s kind of surreal to us as a family, but it doesn’t affect him,” Jeff said.

Published on December 8, 2025 at 11:31 pm