One of the greatest players in the history of the Ankeny boys’ basketball program will be honored during next week’s Big East Conference tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City–even though he never played in the league.
Former Creighton star Ryan Sears will be honored as one of 11 Big East legends. He completed his college career in 2001–more than a decade before the Bluejays joined the Big East in 2013.
“I was surprised since I was an MVC guy and wondered if that was an issue for an acknowledgment in a Big East context,” said Sears. “They mentioned it was based more on the school’s history and people who have contributed to the school’s basketball program. I’m definitely viewing the acknowledgment as something on behalf of our entire teams when I played, including the coaches and all the other players. It was a blessing to be a part of the Creighton program and family back then and still today!”
Sears was informed of the honor by Creighton officials back in January. He will be recognized during the Bluejays’ first game in the tournament, with the first round on March 11 and the quarterfinals on March 12.
“I’m excited to be a small part of things, but especially spending some time with (my wife) Angie and cheering on the Jays in NYC,” Sears said.
Sears started all 124 games in his Creighton career, scoring 1,311 points while finishing his career as the school’s all-time leader in assists (570), steals (283) and 3-point goals (245). He helped lead the Bluejays to three NCAA Tournaments and was the Most Valuable Player of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in 2000.
Sears compiled an 87-37 record as a collegiate player. He was named to the MVC all-Centennial team and was inducted into Creighton’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
The third class of Big East legends will include such notable names as Donyell Marshall of UConn (1991-94), Travis Diener of Marquette (2001-05), Eric Murdock of Providence (1987-91) and Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) of St. John’s (1997-99). The conference will also recognize 11 women’s legends during their league tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“We are excited to continue this annual celebration of former players and coaches who have had profound impacts on the history and success of our 22 basketball programs,” said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman. “Our third group of Big East Legends includes trailblazers as well as more recent stars, all of whom have contributed significantly to their schools and many of whom are part of Big East basketball lore. We look forward to giving them the big round of applause they deserve during our upcoming tournament festivities.”
Sears is looking forward to seeing MSG, the mecca of basketball arenas, for the first time.
“I’ve been to New York but I’ve never been to Madison Square Garden, so I’m really excited to see it and watch a few games there,” Sears said. “I’ll definitely be remembering old classic NBA playoff games and highlights that I watched growing up of (Michael) Jordan and others as they played the Knicks. It should be fun!”
Sears was a three-time all-state guard at Ankeny, where he was named to the all-tournament team after helping the Hawks to their first state title in 1995. He scored 1,209 points during his high school career.
Sears joined his older brother, Todd, in the Iowa High School Athletic Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. He was selected to the Ankeny Fanatic all-time Ankeny boys’ basketball first team in 2020.
“It’s a lot of reminders that I’m getting old,” Sears joked.