Former Flyer Mikesell climbing the ranks in European basketball

St. Henry grad averaged 18.4 points last season for Tübingen
Ryan Mikesell, of Red Scare, dribbles against Category 5 in the second round of The Basketball Tournament on Sunday, July 25, 2021, at the Covelli Center in Columbus. David Jablonski/Staff

Credit: David Jablonski

Credit: David Jablonski

Ryan Mikesell, of Red Scare, dribbles against Category 5 in the second round of The Basketball Tournament on Sunday, July 25, 2021, at the Covelli Center in Columbus. David Jablonski/Staff

Former Dayton Flyers forward Ryan Mikesell will move from the second division of German basketball to the top division in France in his third season of professional basketball.

Mikesell, a graduate of St. Henry High School, signed with ESSM Le Portel on Saturday. Le Portel is located on the coast in northern France, 163 miles from Paris.

“Excited for this opportunity!” Mikesell wrote on Twitter. “Let’s work.”

According to Le Portel’s Twitter account, Dayton associate head coach Ricardo Greer, who played for Le Portel, recommended the team sign Mikesell.

Mikesell averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last season for Tübingen. He was named to the Eurobasket All-German Pro A First Team. He played two seasons at Tübingen after finishing his Dayton career in 2020.

“Ryan took responsibility from day one at our club,” Tübingen’s manager Jascha Maus wrote on Instagram. “Last season, he did an excellent job of leading our young team on and off the field. He has developed great and deserves the next step in his career.”

Dayton fans can see Mikesell at UD Arena this summer. He’ll play for the Dayton alumni team, the Red Scare, along with six other former Flyers in The Basketball Tournament for the third straight year.

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