Photo by Dave Hilbert, d3photography.com

Forward - Ryan Garver
Nebraska Wesleyan University
2015 - 2019

All-American selections: 2018 (honorable mention), 2019 (1st)

All-Region selections: 2018 (2nd), 2019 (Player of the Year)

Conference MVPs: 2018, 2019

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2018 (national champion), 2019 (second round)

From the archives

• Garver gets triple-double, career milestone in win (January 2019)
• Old friend comes back for Salem finale (March 2018)
• Prairie Wolves learning as they go (March 2018)

What others say: "People don’t believe me when I start talking about him, because it sounds so ridiculous. He was a 6-3 center who shot 63% from the field and led the country in assists. He was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and we played zone. The reason he was a two-time conference player of the year is that he impacted the game so much on both sides ... perfect 5-man for the Princeton offense who was best passer I’ve ever seen, but could also score inside and out." – Dale Wellman, Nebraska Wesleyan men's basketball coach

In their own words: "My collegiate experience was one not many athletes get to enjoy. Nebraska Wesleyan gave me an unmatched education that has allowed me to get to places I never thought I could. NWU also showed me what it is I want to do in life, and that is coaching the great game of basketball while inspiring young minds."

Where are they now: Teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska, Public Schools

Career synopsis: Ryan Garver's Twitter bio says simply, "They don't boo nobodies," and it could not be a better description of his career. Always ready to take a charge. Always in position on the rebound. Always ready to make the right pass. Cooper Cook won Most Outstanding Player during Nebraska Wesleyan's run to the national title and Nate Schimonitz was the flashy point guard throwing up triple doubles, but Ryan Garver was the one winning conference and regional Player of the Year awards. He won both the ARC Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. TWICE!

When asked about his success, Garver cited his coaches and teammates, like a lot of players on our team. But he cited something else unique to Nebraska Wesleyan. "During my time at NWU, I got to experience two different basketball organizations, the NAIA and NCAA. This let me really grasp and observe many different ways on how the game could be played. I think that is a testament to how I played my last couple of years at NWU and why I was awarded so many accolades."

Garver was so good on the defensive side that he was able to play by his own set of rules. "As well as I thought we could coach and teach our zone, his instincts were better, so we allowed him to do things that others couldn’t," Wellman said. That would lead to nights like he had in a January 2019 game at Buena Vista, where he recorded six steals in addition to going 9-for-10 from the floor en route to 23 points. He had seven steals in a home win against Dubuque later that month and six in the conference tournament against Simpson. He also had a triple-double his senior year with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win at Coe. A two-year starter, Garver finished with 1,197 points, 427 assists, 474 rebounds and 223 steals. He ended up leading the conference in steals per game three years in a row.

Garver's senior year statistical averages were: 16 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and three steals per game. He also shot 63% from the floor as a 6-3 forward. As stated, his game was never flashy, but it was a headache for opponents and coaches always picked him out as the most difficult NWU player to play against. The boos came frequently for Ryan Garver, because there was very little you could do to stop him and he could do almost anything to stop you.

After finishing his career on the court, Garver played football for the Prairie Wolves and became a certified teacher in Lincoln where he also coaches basketball.