Cyclones' Spadaford to Play Division I Hoops at Navy

For South Side senior Ryan Spadaford, playing basketball at a Division I college was a childhood dream; a goal that pushed the power forward to work harder, practice longer and remain focused on what he wanted most.

The captain of the 2012 Nassau County Class A basketball champions will now see the fruits of his labor pay off and his dream become reality.

Spadaford has committed to playing Division I basketball at Navy this fall.

"A lot of people say they want to do things, but never go out and work hard and actually do it," Spadaford said. "To experience that now...I'm actually going to college and playing Division I basketball and have a chance to play on TV. It's awesome; theres no word to describe it."

Spadaford finished the regular season averaging 18 points per game along with 11 rebounds and three assists.

The 6'4'' power forward will transition to shooting guard at Navy, a position he's said he's played throughout his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) career. 

"I want to show them I'm the hardest worker and push for playing time as a freshman," he said. 

Spadaford said he's learned a lot during his time at South Side, from the time he came in as a "scrawny ninth grader" all the way through his senior county championship season. He pointed to Head Coach Gerry D'Angelo as a driving force and mentor who helped mold his game.

"What hasn't he taught me?" Spadaford said of what D'Angelo instilled in him. "He always said, 'There is always someone watching. Whether in the game or at practice, go 100 percent all the time. Support your teammates.' I think over the years, I've gotten better with that."

His teammates are something Spadaford said he'll miss when he leaves for Navy in the fall. He said he got close with a lot of the guys on the senior-laden team, and building those relationships helped the Cyclones capture the school's first county title in eight years.

After the Cyclones lost at home in the first-round of the 2011 playoffs as a No. 2 seed, Spadaford said he felt that team chemistry was an issue. Since then, he said the team had grown much closer, which led to a more cohesive unit on the hardwood.

Spadaford will study Business at Navy.