Meet an Oklahoma State commit who just may be the best 3-point shooter in the country

Miller School (Virginia) senior Ryan Crotty has set numerous 3-point shooting records with what some have called "unlimited range"

Already a prolific outside threat, Ryan Crotty has taken his shooting game to an entirely new level since transferring to Virginia's Miller School, where he has set school and state 3-pointing shooting records, prior to his junior year. / Ryan Crotty

Ryan Crotty is a 6-foot-5 senior guard for the boys basketball team at the Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville, Virginia. Having already set school and Virginia 3-point shooting records, some believe he is the best high school shooter in the country.

“I came from a public school,” said Crotty. “I played three years there. I played for Boo Williams the summer going into my senior year. That’s when I started talking to Coach Jack [Meriwether] and Coach Colby [Summers], and they recruited me there. I reclassed, and I’ve played two years here. I just feel like it’s taken me to the next level in terms of my body, and discipline, in total. It’s been a really good experience for me.”

Congratulations 2025 Ryan Crotty of Miller School. Crotty is the all time leader in 3PM (134) in a season in VA❗️

🗣️BwslBasketball #bwslmade #snipergang🎯 pic.twitter.com/nUUkcBBC4P

— Boo Williams (@BooWilliamsAAU) February 29, 2024

Crotty was born on April 20th, 2006 in North Carolina to parents Dan, an engineer, and Shelly, a registered nurse. He has an older brother Zach, who is currently a junior at North Carolina State. Ryan was previously at Holly Springs High School in Holly Springs, North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh, before transferring to Miller School in Virginia in 2023.

At Miller, Crotty plays under head coach Jack Meriwether, who has coached around the state of Virginia and was previously the men’s basketball head coach for West Virginia Wesleyan College.

“He pushes us every day,” said Crotty. “He holds us accountable. All the good stuff. It’s been a pleasure.”

As of this moment, Crotty currently holds the Virginia single-season three-point record, and will leave Miller School as its all-time three-point shooting record holder. He also led the team in triples last season as well.

“We shoot a lot of threes,” said Meriwether. “That’s kind of always been our ammo. When I was a college coach and from the time I got here, and from the first time I saw Ryan play, it was really obvious that with a couple of really small things, and working on a couple small details, that in a system where a team plays that way that he was pretty much built to excel in it.”

Crotty grew up an NC State fan and used to train with former basketball player Scott Wood. Wood was a four-year starter for the Wolfpack from 2009-2013 and led the American Athletic Conference (ACC) in both free-throw and three-point shooting as both a junior and senior.

“Growing up a NC State fan, I used to train with Scott Wood for basically my whole middle school,” said Crotty. “I grew up watching him, and then he taught me the basics of shooting.”

Crotty’s basketball idols include Kevin Durant, who is from the DMV, as well as Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, in terms of shooters. “Just guys that have produced in college and went to the NBA,” said Crotty, “those are guys I kind of look up to.”

In his first year at Miller School in 2023-24, Crotty and the Mavericks had an incredible season. They finished with a record of 29-6, were named BRAC Regular Season Champions, and went on to be BRAC Tournament Champions and VISAA State Champions. This was Miller School’s third state championship.

“That was my first year here,” said Crotty. “I came in, and as a group, we were super locked in. We had a couple guys who were on the team before, and a couple new guys, and I just feel like from Day 1, we just meshed together. Then, I feel like we all had the same goal. We knew what we had to do, and we ended up getting it done.”

Crotty has generated a lot of buzz by being a national top-100 prospect for high school basketball, but the sharpshooter feels no pressure. “It’s almost just motivation,” said Crotty. “I put all this work in, and I’m getting recognized at that level. It makes me think, ‘Ok, so I’m doing the right stuff. I need to continue to do the same stuff, and continue on the path I’m on.’”

Crotty also has experience playing in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) for Boo Williams. “He’s probably one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for,” said Crotty. “Just with how much he’s done for AAU and his knowledge. He instilled a lot of confidence in me when I got there. He just wanted me to shoot the ball and didn’t care if I missed.”

Earlier this month, Miller School participated in the Capitol Hoops Challenge at DeMatha College High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. The Mavericks beat St. Andrews 54-50, as Crotty finished with 23 points on 6-of-8 shooting from behind the arc.

“We played DMV Live there, and then we came back for that one game,” said Crotty. “It was a super good experience. The hospitality was great. We picked up a big win. I feel like that game gave us a lot of momentum near the end of the season and going into the playoffs.”

Back on November 13th, 2024, Crotty committed to playing college basketball at Oklahoma State University. The Miller School senior had also received offers from Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Butler.

“From the start, they just recruited me different than other schools,” said Crotty. “It just felt more genuine to me, and that heightened when I got on campus. I loved the school, the area. First time going to Oklahoma, but everything was great. Then they just believed in me. I feel like it’s hard to say no to that when somebody believes in you that much, and wants you to succeed.”

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Crotty will be playing for new Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz, who was previously the head coach for Western Kentucky and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

“His track record, it’s three years in a row he’s been to the tournament,” said Crotty. “It seems like he wins with just about every team he’s had. He has the experience, his teams play super hard, so all that stuff just looked super good to me.”

Previously a college basketball coach himself, Meriwether approved of Crotty’s Oklahoma State decision.

“I thought they did a great job of recruiting him,” said Meriwether. “Coach Lutz is an unbelievable coach, and a particularly great defensive coach. I just think there’s a plan for Ryan to get better, and there’s an opportunity for Ryan to play. These days, that’s all you can ask for.”

As for playing in the NBA in the future, Crotty says that he will focus on college first. “That’s the goal for sure,” said Crotty. “Once I set foot on campus, I think the goal is to be a pro.”