Ryan Sharry (right) played professionally in Luxembourg after graduating from Middlebury.

Forward - Ryan Sharry
Middlebury College
2008-2012

All-American selections: 2011 (4th), 2012 (1st)

All-Region selections: 2011 (1st), 2012 (Player of the Year)

Conference MVPs: 2012

Other honors: 2012 Jostens Trophy finalist

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2009 (2nd round), 2010 (2nd round), 2011 (Final Four), 2012 (Sweet 16)

From the archives

• Sharry nets double-double in NCAA Tournament 2nd round (March 2012)
• Sharry leads the way in Sweet 16 victory (March 2011)
• Panthers down Ephs for NESCAC crown (Feb. 2011)

What others say: "Ryan was a special player for Middlebury College. He had the ability to affect games in many different ways. On offense he was able to score inside and on the perimeter. He was so efficient on the offensive end – he shot over 60% from the field and over 40% from 3-point range during his senior season." – Jeff Brown, Middlebury men's basketball coach

In their own words: "My experience at Middlebury was incredibly rewarding. I had amazing teammates that have become my friends for life, and was spoiled with fantastic point guards in Ben Rudin, Jake Wolfin, and Joey Kizel who always made me look good on the court. The Middlebury basketball program made the NCAA Tournament for the first time the year before I got there, and I am proud to be part of the teams that built on that foundation and brought Middlebury into the national D3 spotlight."

Where are they now: Solutions Provider Manager at HubSpot

Career synopsis: Some of our honorees enrolled at established Division III power prgrams and continued their tradition of excellence. Others, like Ryan Sharry, were cornerstones for building new powerhouses.

Middlebury men's basketball history before Brown took over as coach was fine if unremarkable, with its win-loss records hovering around the .500 mark. That changed in 2007 when Middlebury made the NCAA Tournament for the first time, the year before Sharry arrived. Then the Panthers won their first NESCAC men's basketball title in 2008-09 with Sharry playing in every game as a reserve in his freshman season. The next season Sharry led the Panthers in scoring and rebounding and Middlebury set a new single-season record for wins (25). In Sharry's junior season, the Panthers broke through with success in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Final Four and finishing with a 28-2 mark.

As a senior, Sharry was selected first-team All-American and NESCAC player of the year. Middlebury lost in the Sweet 16 of the 2014 NCAA Tournament and didn't return to Salem, Virginia, for the final weekend. But Sharry did. He played in the Division III All-Star game and took home MVP honors. Middlebury's record during Sharry's career was 103-14 and the Panthers remain a prominent program today. After graduating, Sharry continued his success as Eurobasket.com's Top Center for the three seasons he played professionally in Luxembourg, all of which ended in team champsionships.