Ryder Frost is on the precipice of making a life-changing decision.
The 6-foot-6 small forward from Beverly, one of the nation’s Top 100 prospects in the Class of 2025, has narrowed his college choices down to eight schools: Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Notre Dame, Michigan, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Brigham Young.
A deadeye shooter from all over the floor who can also rebound, dish the rock and play stellar defense — in addition to sporting a 4.1 grade point average — will make his choice of where he’ll be spending the next four years public this Friday.
“Basketball-wise, I want to go where I can fit the style of play and make an impact with that team,” said the 18-year-old Frost, who checks in at 205 pounds. “I want to go where I felt comfortable with the coaching staff and learn from them as people and keep growing my game. And I want to connect with my teammates on and off the floor. I want a school with the right culture and where I’d feel comfortable.”
Between late June and September 3, Frost visited all of his top choices aside from BYU, with Notre Dame and Wisconsin his final two trips.
“The facilities were all so amazing,” he said. “I knew it’d be crazy going into it, but when you see everything that you could possibly want as a player — trainers, nutrionists, top-of-the-line weight rooms, hot tubs, cold tubs, all kinds of massage stuff — it’s truly amazing. It was so cool to see how each staff operates.”
Now having had time to decompress from his visits to each school, he’s ready to make his choice before the weekend.
Talking with his support system was also a huge part of the process, said Frost. That, of course, included his parents, Brady Frost and Kelly Brennan, and his older brother, Brennan; his grandfather Tom Brennan, a long-time college basketball coach who had his greatest success at the University of Vermont; and his coaches, Jay Tilton at Exeter and Mike Crotty with the Middlesex Magic AAU program.
“My grandfather and coaches, they’ve been through this so many times over the years and gave me a lot of good advice,” said Frost, who ultimately had more that 30 Division 1 scholarship offers. “And my parents have always stressed the importance of schoolwork, friends and sports, finding the right time for each. My dad (who was drafted by the Montreal Expos out of UVM) always told me ‘You’re playing a game; not you’re being forced to do it. So do it because you love it.’ That’s always stayed with me.”
A two-time Salem News Player of the Year during his time at Beverly High, Frost averaged 23.7 points, 14.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists a game during his junior season with the Panthers, earning his second straight Northeastern Conference Player of the Year accolades.
He then transferred to Phillips Exeter for the 2023-24 school year, reclassifying as a junior, and had a magical season both personally and with the Big Red. They finished 19-5 and won the New England Prep School Athletic Conference’s (NEPSAC) Class A championship. Frost averaged over 20 points a night with eight rebounds and four assists, earning Player of the Year honors in his first year in prep school.
His stock continued to rise over the summer. Frost went to the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) Top 100 Camp at ESPN’s World Wide of Sports in Orlando, Fla., playing with and against the best high schoolers in the country. He was coached by Jabari Walker of the Portland Trailblazers, listened to four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala give daily speeches to the players, and was awed to watch one of his basketball idols, former Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, work out and play each day.
Getting back to his AAU team in July, he and the Magic had a pair of Under Armour Association (UAA) sessions in Atlanta and Chicago, where he bonded with his teammates on the court and truly connected off the floor. All the while, he drew raves for his play while averaging 15.2 ppg.
Currently going through the paces of offseason workouts, Frost will serve as a captain at Phillips Exeter this coming season. He’s one of 10 Big Red seniors who hope to repeat as New England titlists come March 2025.
Frost said he’ll likely head into college with an undecided major, but may lean towards something in business.