Former Pitt guard Ryan Murphy transferring to Duquesne
Ryan Murphy, who spent last season leading Pitt in 3-point shooting before transferring, will enroll at Duquesne and join the basketball team as a graduate transfer, coach Keith Dambrot said Thursday night.
Murphy will be eligible to join the team Dec. 11.
After leaving Pitt, Murphy initially planned to go to Tulane, but he decided in August to pursue a pro career in Europe. When those plans were derailed by the covid-19 pandemic, he decided to return to college for his final year of eligibility. Dambrot said Murphy initiated contact with Duquesne.
Murphy, 6-foot-2, led Pitt in 3-pointers (42) and 3-point shooting percentage (.331) in 2019-20. In 30 games, he started 12 and recorded an average of 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He suffered a concussion during the season and subsequently lost playing time.
Murphy grew up in Calabasas, Calif., and played collegiately at Charlotte in 2017-18 and New Mexico Junior College in 2018-19 before going to Pitt.
“Ryan is an experienced player who is game-tested,” Dambrot said. “He reminds me a lot of (former Duquesne player) Bailey Steele with his work ethic and business-like approach to the game.
“He just wants to get better every day. He felt our place was a good fit for him. We look forward to having him be a part of our team.”
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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