The 18th ranked Blue Jays continued their fantastic season last weekend as they faced off against Centennial Conference challenger Muhlenberg College. The game was a close matchup as the Mules kept within striking distance of the Jays at all times. In the end, Hopkins pulled through with an 80-75 win. Although the victory was a total team effort, the contributions of one player stood out among the rest. Ryan Curran, a sophomore New Jersey native, posted a career-high 19 points as well nine rebounds to lead the Jays to victory. The News-Letter got a chance to sit down with Curran and ask him a few questions about himself and this year’s team.
The News-Letter: Congratulations on the big win this weekend! What was the team’s reaction to winning such a close conference game?
Ryan Curran: I think the win over Muhlenberg was a good win, and it was a good test for the team on the road with a big student section. We had won eleven straight going into the game, and this could have very likely been a trap game. Muhlenberg is a young and very talented team who can beat anyone in the country on any given night. But all together the team was happy with the win, and the focus is now on McDaniel.
N-L: You posted a career-high 19 points as well as nine rebounds against Muhlenberg this weekend. What did it mean to you to have your best performance ever in a Hopkins jersey, especially in such a close game?
RC: It was a great feeling winning the game against Muhlenberg especially considering that [Muhlenberg] was another school that I had interest in during the recruiting process. It being a close game definitely made me feel better after the game knowing I helped the team keep the winning streak alive.
N-L: What do you think makes this 2014-2015 Hopkins men’s basketball team unique and enables it to succeed?
RC: I think there are endless reasons for what makes this team successful. Just like last year, we have a great senior class and locker room. Everyone on the team gets along, and we are one big family. I also think that we never look down the road at games. Especially being No. 18 in the country now, it’s easy to look over some of our lesser opponents and look forward to bigger games but we’ve been doing a great job this year focusing on each game one at a time.
N-L: What do you think will be the biggest challenge for the team over the rest of the season?
RC: The biggest challenge for the team the rest of the season is probably to stay healthy and focused. Beating fourth ranked Dickinson and 12th ranked Centre this year proved to ourselves that we could beat anyone. I think that if we stay healthy and focus on one game at a time we will be prepared for any team.
N-L: What are your personal goals and the team’s goals for the rest of the season?
RC: My personal goal and our team goal is always to win the Centennial Conference. With three top 25 teams in the conference this year, everyone wants to come out on top. I would love for us to host the Conference Tournament and win back-to-back Conference Championships in my first two years as a Blue Jay. On top of that, I think the team also wants to go far in the NCAA Tournament this year as well. Making it last year and with an improved team this year, we’ve started to realize that we can beat any team and really make a run in the tournament this year.
You can see the team in action again this Saturday, Jan. 31, as they face off against conference foe Haverford.
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