Say My Name
Ryan Arcidiacono is making some serious noise.
by Jeremy Treatman
There are two people who have trouble sleeping the night before a Neshaminy (PA) High School game: the guy who gets the defensive assignment to guard Ryan Arcidiacono, and the public address announcer. 
While P.A. guys and fans alike struggle pronouncing Arcidiacono’s name—it’s Arch-ee-dee-a-con-o—no one has trouble seeing the 6-4 point guard’s talent.
This past season, “Archie” averaged 21 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals per game for a 22-5 Indians squad that advanced to the PIAA 4A state quarterfinals.
“He’s so assured with the ball in his hands,” says Gregg Downer, head coach at nearby Lower Merion since Kobe Bryant’s days. “He knows how to score, is the best three-point shooter in the area, defends, and at the end of the game he goes to the ball and makes his foul shots.”
While Arcidiacono’s success is no surprise to pundits who have watched him throw ungodly no-look passes since middle school, it is to the Villanova-bound teenager. “I really never saw this coming,’’ says Arcidiacono. “I never really knew about the attention that was headed my way until sometime in 9th grade when I got my first letter. I started to see coaches in the gym during our games and I said to myself, Are they here to see me?!
“Now, I’m playing in the Chris Paul, NBA Top 100, and LeBron James Skills Camps. It’s all pretty cool.”

Read the SLAMonline Discussion Rules before posting.