Ryan Andrus makes an impact inside for American Fork

AMERICAN FORK, Utah – There aren't many teams that know what to do to contain Ryan Andrus when he gets the ball in his hands.

Andrus can stretch defenses with his outside shooting and interior scoring. He can pass the ball well out of the post and does a good job cleaning up the glass. Put it all together in a 6-foot-10, 225-pound frame and it becomes obvious why the American Fork (Utah) senior is blanketed by multiple defenders every time he steps on a basketball court.

He loves the defensive attention. For Andrus, the most enjoyable part of seeing other teams try to stop him is showing them he's equally capable of making them pay for whatever choice they make.

"I've been a competitor my whole life," Andrus said. "To be able to find something you love and enjoy and can compete at is fun. To be on a team like this and compete with my brothers and teammates is fun."

Andrus forms an effective "twin towers" tandem with 6-foot-9 forward Tyler Rawson. The duo averages 26.5 points per game to power the Cavemen offense. Their presence has helped American Fork perform well versus out-of-state competition this season.

The Cavemen posted a 2-1 record in the Great Western Shootout at the beginning of December and then posted a 2-2 record at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic to close out the month. Along the way, American Fork earned impressive victories over Overland (Colo.), Foothill (Nev.), De La Salle (Calif.) and Tampa Catholic (Fla.).

Andrus showed well in those games. He averaged 15 points per game in the early going and enhanced his team's offense in more ways than just scoring. His passing and rebounding were also major assets.

The senior can be unselfish to a fault at times when American Fork is working to get baskets. But it also creates a healthy team chemistry for the Cavemen.

"Any guard is excited to play with him because they know if they throw it in, it's going to come back out," American Fork coach Doug Meacham said. "He's not a black hole. He's a guy who is really getting better at seeing the floor and trying to take what the defense gives him."

Basketball was going to play a part in defining the future for Andrus once he sprouted to 6-1 by the sixth grade. Andrus kept growing at a steady pace through middle school and into high school and his skill development matched the physical growth stride for stride.

Consistent growth let him develop a smooth offensive game and begin drawing attention from colleges. Utah State offered a scholarship when he was a freshman. Utah followed a year later. Andrus was nearly headed to the Utes when BYU entered the picture after a breakout junior season where he posted 19.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Andrus loved the thought of playing for the Cougars because they had developed into a consistent winner under Dave Rose. He decided to commit to BYU before the start of his senior season. Meacham thinks he is a perfect fit for BYU's style of basketball.

"He's just a nice option – a 6-foot-10 guy who can go play the four and the five," Meacham said. "You never know your foul situations. You don't know what you're going to have down the road. And I just think he presents a multipurpose post player that can handle both (positions)."

For a time, Andrus split time between baseball and basketball. He had two older brothers who played baseball and golf in high school and he wanted to test the waters before settling on one sport. He helped American Fork finish as the Class 5A runner-up in both sports. Getting so close in basketball, though, helped push that sport over the top.

Andrus felt hungry to do more in the years ahead.

"That's when I realized I just wanted to focus on basketball," Andrus said. "I knew I'd have a good team. Making basketball a priority was No. 1 for me. I knew that I wanted to just play one sport in college and basketball was that sport."

It's a decision that should pay huge dividends for American Fork throughout this season.

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps.com. He is a former prep sports reporter with the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports