DENTON - North Texas head men's basketball coach Tony Benford has announced the addition of former three-star recruit and midseason transfer guard Ryan Woolridge (Mansfield, TX/Lake Ridge HS) to the program.

"We are very fortunate to have Ryan Woolridge join our program here at North Texas," Benford said. "Ryan comes from a great family and he is going to make a huge contribution to our team. When you talk about recruiting this area we want to make sure we keep quality players home. He can play multiple positions, defends, he can score and plays with a lot of passion."

Woolridge, a six-foot-3 point guard, signed a NLI to play for San Diego this past fall but transferred closer to home and didn't play a single game for the Toreros. Woolridge enrolled in classes for the spring semester at North Texas and could be eligible to play come fall of 2016 if an NCAA waiver allows him to suit up early.

"The reason I came to North Texas is because I felt like it would be a great opportunity to come back to a school where all my friends and family could watch us win," Woolridge said. "I bring the ability to get to the rim, push the ball up the floor and I have great passing ability to setup my teammates."

In high school, Woolridge guided Lake Ridge to a 24-8 overall record and 11-4 mark in district play. An explosive point guard who can penetrate and distribute, Woolridge averaged 17.3 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game in his senior season at Lake Ridge. He played AAU with the GP Blazers.

He was selected co-Offensive Player of the Year for District 14-5A, and named First Team Super Team (Star-Telegram). He earned a spot on the Whataburger All-Tournament Team. In the 5th place game against Summit in the Whataburger Tournament, Woolridge chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Woolridge was selected to compete in the Metroplex24 High School Basketball All-Star Game in 2015.

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