Archbishop Wood grad Ryanne Allen excited to reunite with local players at Villanova

After two seasons at Vanderbilt, Ryanne Allen, a former Archbishop Wood basketball standout, is coming home.

Allen announced on May 3 that she’ll be transferring to Villanova, aiming to end her college career in close proximity to where everything started.

“It felt like a true homecoming,” Allen said. “So many people were reaching out, just excited [that I’m] back in the area and being able to see me play again.”

She’ll rejoin former Vikings teammate Kaitlyn Orihel while adding much needed reinforcement to the lineup. The Wildcats reached the WBIT championship game last season, but four members of the starting five have moved on from the program, including Lucy Olsen (Iowa), Christina Dalce (Maryland), and Zanai Jones (SMU), who transferred out, while Bella Runyan opted to not to use her fifth season of eligibility.

Villanova has picked up graduate transfers Lara Edmanson from Santa Clara and Bronagh Power-Cassidy from Holy Cross, and Allen has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Allen, who is from Perkasie, bolsters a local contingent on the Wildcats’ roster.

With Central Bucks West alum Maddie Burke taking her fifth year and Denae Carter (St. Basil’s) back from injury, along with former Catholic League foes in Annie Welde (Cardinal O’Hara) and Maggie Grant (Archbishop Carroll), Allen is looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.

“It’s a motion offense, so I’m excited to see how I can operate in it and use my shooting ability,” Allen said. “I know there’s a lot of new pieces coming in, so it’s going to be important to be together as a team and figure out what everyone can do and what everyone’s good at. I’m looking forward to seeing where that can go.”

» READ MORE: Bonner-Prendie’s Deuce Ketner believes his ‘best basketball is ahead’ after Millersville commitment

As a freshman at Vanderbilt, the 6-foot-1 Allen played in 30 games, making seven starts while averaging 6.4 points, shooting 35.9% on three-pointers. This past year, the guard played in 28 games, but saw her minutes reduced and averaged 2.4 points while still hitting 37.5% on threes.

Allen, who was the Catholic League MVP as a senior in 2021-22, admitted there was some trepidation putting her name in the portal.

Villanova was among the many suitors who watched Allen at Wood, so she already knew coach Denise Dillon, and when the Wildcats contacted her through the portal, there was immediate interest. Allen said she took three official visits while weighing her options, but the appeal of coming back home was a strong pull in Villanova’s favor.

“Going into the portal, I really didn’t know how the process was going to go, but when they reached out I was definitely interested in talking to them,” Allen said. “I knew Coach Dillon from before, so being able to reconnect and hear what they had to offer, I was all-in. Going on my visit, it felt like the right fit and the right place for me.”

Getting to share the floor with Orihel again was also a strong pull. At Wood, Orihel and Allen were a dynamic one-two punch.

They won the 2020-21 PIAA 4A title, which marked their last game played together, then Allen led Wood to repeat as champions during her senior year. Orihel, a two-time state player of the year, is coming off her best season at Villanova after making eight starts in 33 games and averaging career-highs in scoring (4.0 points) and minutes (23.6).

After Allen announced her commitment on Instagram, Orihel reposted it saying, “Run it back.”

“She texted me before my visit, I hadn’t seen her in what felt like a really long time before the visit but she just kept texting me and checking in on me,” Allen said. “She was the first person I texted after I committed, so that was pretty cool and then [Wood] Coach Mike [McDonald’s] reaction, I know he’s really excited to have me back around.”

Allen stayed connected to the Wood program, even while away. She was able to come back in March and helped present senior Ava Renninger with a basketball commemorating Renninger’s 1,000th point. Vikings junior Emily Knouse, who’s committed to St. Joe’s, commented “See you in the Big 5″ on Allen’s announcement post.

“Wood’s a big part of who I am as a person and player, I give a lot of that to Coach Mike,” Allen said. “I’ve definitely continued to follow and keep up with the Wood program. Emily Knouse, I love that kid, I wanted to keep her under my wing because I knew she could be something special and that goes true for all the girls at Wood.

“Wood’s always a place I will support, no matter what.”

» READ MORE: St. Joe’s Prep’s Ivan Bailey-Greene finds a passion aside from football: Portrait painting

Allen said she’ll be moving onto campus next month to join her new team for summer workouts and to start getting to know her new teammates.

“Every year’s going to be a different team so you’re always going to be adjusting to new players and the continuity of the team,” Allen said. “It’s almost like a restart at ‘Nova.”

Allen isn’t the same player from two years ago. She’s elated to be back and still has plenty to give.

“I’ve grown up in a way,” Allen said. “Going into college, I wasn’t even 18 yet. Going two years away from home, having to figure things out for myself and adapt, I’ve mentally matured, I’ve physically matured, and I’m continuing to use all my experience to continue to grow.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.