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Scoring over 1,000 career points at the high school and collegiate level is a rare feat, achieved only by elite players and scorers. The final addition to my Tremendous 24 series is a man of God who was the ultimate floor general on the court. He was the last person I interviewed to complete this tremendous group, encapsulating the first 24 people of the first four years of DJ’s Sports Show. An All-State selection in high school, he played a pivotal role in leading the New Paltz Hawks Men’s Basketball team to their first-ever conference title as the lead floor general, a unique achievement in his career.
I couldn’t have asked for a better person to close out the group in June 2024 than Rylan Blondo, the 2024 Male Scholar Basketball Player of the Year, a recognition that reflects his academic and athletic excellence.
It was a hot, sunny day on June 9, 2024. The birds were chirping, and I could hear the loud summer music in people’s cars as summertime approached. It was a long time in the making trying to get Blondo on the show, with whom I formed a relationship as a sports announcer at New Paltz in 2021-22. We genuinely connected there, and I saw his game up close.
Blondo is a 6-foot guard with a stocky, muscular frame—a la Kyle Lowry. He can score from all three levels, is a high-level playmaker, shifty handle, and leads by example on the court. He was a true leader who displayed his passion and gave everything he had on the court. It’s what made him different.
Blondo was born in Brooklyn, New York, to his parents, Tania and James. Despite being born in Brooklyn, Blondo was raised in the borough of Queens in Glendale till he was in third grade before moving to Long Island. As a kid, Blondo loved being outdoors and going to the park with his friends. It was also where he grew to love the game of basketball, thanking his dad for introducing him to the game.
“Probably my dad…He would always bring us to the park. I was always watching my brother play, and then I just decided to put a basketball in my hands and try to attempt to shoot or whatever. I remember not even close to touching the rim…All air ball. I’ll be happy if I touch the net with the ball.”
Blondo’s competitiveness and drive came from those great duels between him and his older brother, Noah, who was three years older than Blondo. He trained specifically just to beat him in the beginning. Losing consistently to his older brother made Blondo want to improve his game and become the best player he could be, as he hated to lose, whether on the court or board games.
Every athlete has a player or players they idolized or patterned their game after. For Blondo, that was NBA legends such as Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook due to his passion, ferocity, unselfishness, and never taking possessions off, which resonated with Blondo. Queens is known for being a basketball hotbed that’s produced NBA players such as Kenny Anderson, Kenny Smith, Mark Jackson, and Lamar Odom, to name a few.
Facing elite competition helped expedite Blondo’s development as a basketball star. Basketball wasn’t the only sport Blondo played; playing baseball helped with his hand-eye coordination, and soccer helped with his quickness and endurance. However, it was basketball that Blondo loved, and that’s what he mainly focused on as he cut out the other sports.
Blondo attended Lynbrook Middle School in Long Island, where he played on the AAU circuit for Queens Marksman and Game 7, both organizations that enhanced his game to new heights.
“I definitely learned a lot from both Game 7 and Queens Marksman. It was kind of tough…I always played with Game 7, and I switched to Queens Marksman...I felt more confident there in my game, so it definitely helped me get my scoring side out of that mode, but Game 7 always taught me like playing defense, playing hard, and all the principles to make me the player I am today…I think the combination of both those coaches and teams and cultures definitely both combined into helping me be the player I am today.”
Blondo attended Lynbrook High School to play for the Lynbrook Owls, where he joined his older brother as a freshman on varsity. The team struggled as Blondo came off the bench, going 2-17 overall; however, one of his teammates would get sick one day and get the call-up from his coach during the school day he’d be starting. He scored 18 points that game, which propelled his confidence.
“I remember Nick Tuzzio. He was the starting point guard at the time, and he got sick one game, and coach texted me he was like, “You’re going to start this game.” I was all nervous and stuff…I wasn’t even focusing on school, and I think I had a career-high 18 points…I was like, I’m meant for this.”
As he prepared for his sophomore season, Blondo worked on his conditioning, strength, and deceleration. He mentioned that he sometimes went too fast and needed to slow down. They took an emphatic leap.
The Owls went 20-8 overall, an 18-game improvement from the previous year, and finished fourth in league play. Blondo credited better chemistry with the improved record and the fact that the guys enjoyed each other's company and hanging out off the court. The Owls upset Glen Cove, who ranked as the best in the section that year, 49-46, where Blondo scored 12 points to help the Owls win their first playoff game since 2012-13 in a rowdy environment on the road.
He felt on top of the world.
“We upset Glen Cove, I remember, and it was just like after that win was crazy cause we never won a playoff game in like a couple of years…To win two and upset…Our crowd was crazy. We had all the students section jumping… I’ll never forget that game. It was something crazy… I’m like, I’m a sophomore…I got two more years…Felt like the top of the world at that time.”
The Owls lost to Valley Stream 66-34 in the next round, ending their breakout season. As he entered his junior year, Blondo took on a more leadership role, helping the Owls to a 14-7 overall and 8-4 league record, good for third in Section 8 ABC-3. Despite the Owls' success, Blondo unfortunately missed the last five regular-season games and the playoffs due to a broken kneecap injury.
Blondo expressed that it was tough for him to watch his teammates, especially the seniors, lose in the playoffs to Floral Park Memorial, 92-46, knowing that it was their last time playing. Despite it not being the season Blondo wanted, he was magnificent. He would be named Alheimers Basketball Classic All-Star to the Section VIII and XI All-Tournament team.
As great as his junior season was, his senior year was the stuff of legend. The Owls finished 20-3 overall with a 9-2 league record, second best in the section and best of Blondo’s high school career. The Owls started hot, winning their first five games as Blondo averaged 32.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game through the first four. Video game numbers!
Blondo opened up with a 27-point outing against one of the top teams in Suffolk County in Kings Park in an 81-60 win. Two days later, he dropped 41 against Hewlett in an 86-64 victory, nine shy of the Lynbrook Owls single-game record. It was all motivation from being unable to help his teammates on the floor.
“I felt it from last year for all those guys that I couldn’t play in the playoffs. I just wanted to play hard for them…I probably worked my hardest that summer trying to get healthy…Those first four games, I don’t know what was happening…I felt like I could score anytime I touched the ball.”
His head coach, Jamie Adams, and assistant, Brian Donaldson, highly praised the star guard.
“Rylan is a natural leader,” Adams said. He leads both by example and by encouraging his teammates and wanting the best for them and the team.” Donaldson added, “Rylan is the first in the gym and has that Kevin Garnett effect, where he is already working up a sweat before the practice/game.”
That trust between Blondo and his coaches helped elevate his game to new heights, leading the Owls to one of the best seasons in the program's history. The Owls shared the conference title with Valley Stream, defeating Lawrence 72-58. It was the second conference title in the school’s history since 1989.
Blondo and the Owls' dream season ended as they lost to Manhassett 55-42 in the Nassau County Class A final despite his team-leading 18 points. Despite not winning, Blondo left an indelible mark and legacy at Lynbrook. He helped turn around a team that was a laughing stock his freshman season with two wins to become among the best teams and players his senior year.
“It definitely felt pretty good because we just felt like we brought that energy back to Lynbrook and that swagger…We put them back on the map…It felt good to get our town back to a good sports rating or just have an edge that we’re not just some kids from Lynbrook…We got some ballers in this town, too, so it was definitely nice to see we brought some passion back to the town and to the community.”
Blondo finished his high school career with the following accolades:
Led team to Section VIII Class A Conference IV title (2019)
2019 All-State Class A Selection
2019 Newsday All-Long Island Second Team
Section VIII/XI All-Tournament Team (2018)
Alzheimers Basketball Classic All-Star (2018)
Reached historic 1,000-point scorer plateau
A legendary high school career. But now it was time for the next level: College. Blondo would have a great AAU tournament where he met with New Paltz men’s coach Keith Kenney, who made him feel wanted and welcomed. It was perfect as it wasn’t too far from home for his parents to come to games, choosing New Paltz over schools such as Adelphi and Cortland.
Blondo chose to be a business major as a backup plan in case he ever wanted to run a business or be a leader for a top company. Once Blondo’s official freshman season started in 2019-20, it was full of growing pains. The team went 7-18 that year as he averaged just 10.5 minutes per game with two starts in 23 games. It was a humbling experience for the former high school star.
“It was definitely humbling to know that coming from…When you’re the guy, you’re the man…It was something I had to get used to…Knowing I wasn’t the guy anymore and being a role player and bench player, definitely humbling.”
However, Blondo didn’t let the lack of opportunity deter him. He’d use his spare minutes to play lockdown defense and make hustle plays to show the coach his will to win and unselfishness. COVID-19 prevented the 2020-21 season in what would’ve been Blondo’s sophomore year, but he described that time as a “blessing,” working tirelessly on his game and skills at the park to abnormal times such as 3 a.m.
“I would say that year was definitely the most blessing in my life, honestly. I lived at the park. I was at the park all day, training playing pickup at night. We’re playing till like 3 a.m. with the lights on. I was playing against so much good competition at the time…It was the turning point of my college career I would say.”
Those relentless days of training, playing pickup games on Avalon Court on Long Island at Rocko Center against the best of the best. It sharpened his game and mentality, helping take his collegiate career into a new stratosphere. The following season, all those workouts paid off. The Hawks took a jump, improving to 15-11 overall.
Blondo averaged career-highs that year, averaging 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 50% from the field and 32% from three. He would be selected to the All-SUNYAC First Team in one of the best one-year developmental turnarounds you could ask for—a testament to his unwavering work ethic.
The Hawks made the postseason in 2022 for the first time since 2013, with Blondo leading the way. They lost to their rival Oswego Lakers in a blowout 94-60 loss. The following season, Blondo’s numbers dipped a bit, averaging 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 46% from the field and 28% from three, starting in all 26 games, being named All-SUNYAC Second Team.
The Hawks struggled mightily, finishing with a 13-14 record, losing to Oswego in the playoffs again, 73-68 in a close game with 11 lead changes and the score tied seven times. Losing on the road for the second consecutive season in the semifinals. It ate at Blondo and the Hawks.
“We’re here again… We didn’t do the job. It was like, man, what is it? What is it?... What is it that we have to do to get past this team?”
Blondo and the Hawks would. In 2023-24, they added transfer AJ Knight, who helped alleviate pressure off Blondo in the backcourt as a scoring guard who can also facilitate the offense. They also added frontcourt help in Kobe Bogart and Ethan St. Lucia to add more skill and size to the team.
New Paltz Athletics
Blondo’s scoring went down, averaging 12.5 points, the lowest since his freshman year, but career-high in assists (6.6) as he sacrificed for the betterment of the team en route to being named the 2024 Male Scholar-Athlete Basketball Player of the Year and All-SUNYAC Third Team despite battling injuries all season.
The added acquisitions paid off, as the Hawks set records in 2023-24 for the most wins in program history (20) and conference wins (12). However, they finally achieved their ultimate goal, defeating their rival Oswego 85-80 to halt their three-peat and claim their first SUNYAC title in the program's 96-year history. Blondo finished with 16-5-3, and a steal—a memory Blondo will never forget.
“It was definitely something. I would tell my kids one day…I will always remember that feeling. It just felt like we were on top of the world… Just that feeling of being a champion. I never won a championionship like that, not in high school, middle school we didn’t have anything like that. It was just knowing that feeling that we finally did it. All that work actually paid off.”
Blondo’s father drove hours to see his son win a championship, and they hugged each other tightly, celebrating, knowing history had been made. During the interview, I saw Blonde's emotions emerge as he reflected on celebrating with his family and teammates, defeating Oswego for the first time in his career.
Blondo credited his teammates and coach, Keith Kenney, with all the team's sacrifices in achieving their ultimate goal. Like his high school and collegiate careers, the team wasn’t great, but over time, they continuously improved and eventually became champions.
He then reflected on his accomplished collegiate career.
“I would say it was just… I could say it was just a magical time. Everything about it was just like being in that presence, in that zone. That different mindset being in college of winning a championship, being close to everybody…Every day, it just felt good waking up and knowing that you got a lot of people to support you…I’m never going to forget those four years.”
Once we got to quick hitters, Blondo mentioned he loved a grilled chicken Caesar salad before each game. His gameday routine consisted of skill sessions, getting shots up, form shooting, and stretching before games. He also mentioned possibly trying out for the Euroleague and looking for an agent.
Aside from basketball, Blondo enjoys hanging out with friends, playing poker, and exercising. His all-time NBA top five consists of Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Kareem, and Wilt Chamberlain, with his starting five switching Kareem and Wilt for Stephen Curry and Shaquille O’Neal.
Blondo is self-motivated and loves helping people. I asked him what he wanted his legacy to be.
“Someone who just gives their heart out and works hard and just a person you know that’s going to bring the best version out of you.”
Readapting his collegiate career back at square one from being a high school legend in his hometown to eventually becoming a champion and star at New Paltz. His insatiable work ethic and selflessness as a leader led him to accomplish amazing feats in high school and college, being revered by his peers.
That is why Blodno embodies Greatness Within.
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