Ryan Cline’s resiliency, patience pay off in his senior year
A lot of people might have given up. They might have transferred. They might have allowed their frustrations to get the best of them. They might have lost their patience. Not Ryan Cline. He knew his time would come.
As a senior at Carmel High School, Cline led his team to a state championship. He was in the running for Indiana Mr. Basketball, an honor bestowed on the top high school basketball player in the state. He came in second to Caleb Swanigan. The two became teammates at Purdue, where Swanigan dominated the court. Then Cline found himself in the shadow of a strong group of seniors. For his first three years, Cline didn’t see much playing time.
“You have to come in and know your role,” says Cline. “Nothing was promised to me. I never had an instinct to transfer. I felt like I had to earn my spot, and I feel like I have as of late.”
Cline has always been a chameleon, blending into the team in whatever role was needed. In his senior year, he became a clutch player, sinking big shots, playing steady defense, and demonstrating strong passing instincts as Purdue rose in the rankings.
“I don’t spend much time thinking about expectations. I just want to go out with confidence in myself and my game. I’m a really competitive person. But no matter the outcome of the game, you have two or three days to recover, scout the next team, and play again.”
Reflecting on his collegiate journey, Cline is grateful for the opportunity to prove himself and his resiliency.
“I am excited about where I am now,” Cline says. “But basketball isn’t everything. You learn a lot of great lessons from it. You have to realize what you have and take advantage of it, because one day it can all be done.”
This story appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of Purdue Alumnus magazine.
