Dulaney (Md.) 2021 guard Ryan Conway has been highly regarded in area basketball circles since middle school, and his freshman season last winter didn’t disappoint.

Now a sophomore, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has already stepped into a leadership role with the Lions, who came into the season with a loaded lineup and high expectations.

Conway currently holds scholarship offers from Boise State, Bryant, Kansas State, Loyola (Md.), Mount St. Mary’s, Old Dominion, TCU and Towson. His full talent was on display at the 2018 Governor’s Challenge, where he led the Lions to a 1-1 mark in the DMVelite Showcase Division.

In an opening 70-64 win over St. Georges (DE), he scored 23 of his team-high 30 points in the second half, and finished 13-of-15 from the free throw line. The Lions suffered their first loss of the season the following day, rallying from 20 points down before falling in a triple-overtime thriller against Neumann-Goretti (Pa.), as Conway finished with 19 points.

After the St. Georges game, Conway took come time to discuss this year’s expectations, his recruitment, and more:

HOW IS IT HANDLING HIGH EXPECTATIONS THIS YEAR?

“Great. It’s pressure, but I feel like we can handle it. We lost our leader last year in Josh Cornish [now a freshman guard at D-I Southern Utah], but we gained Cameron Byers and now we have a true big. I think we’re starting to put all our pieces together and I think once we do all that, we’re going to be dangerous as a team.”

HOW IS YOUR RECRUITMENT GOING?

“It’s great. I have eight Division I offers and a few new interests. Most recent [I’ve talked to] Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Oklahoma State, Maryland - I actually just went to a Maryland game the other day when they played Seton Hall. Those have been probably the most recent; there’s more but I can’t think of them right now.”

YOU STILL HAVE TIME, BUT WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A SCHOOL?

“You know, the right fit; a good relationship with the coach. Like you said, I have a little bit of time right now, but hopefully as it comes closer to the time, I should know.”

DID YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS GROWING UP?

“I did used to play baseball and football. As a matter of fact, baseball used to be my best sport at one point - I played first base. I played a little bit of football, but baseball was my best sport. Then around like, middle school, I developed a love for basketball, and that’s where I went from there.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OFF THE COURT?

“If I’m not in the gym working on my craft, I’m probably playing video games or making sure my grades are straight to maintain a high GPA. Hanging out with friends, too, because I’m a very social person.”

ANY PARTICULAR GAMES?

“Fortnite and NBA 2K.”

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR FAVORITE BASKETBALL MEMORY?

“Probably when we won AAU Nationals in 7th or 8th grade; that’s probably my best memory that I can think of off the top of my head. I was playing with Team Trill, we had a really good team that year.”