By Terry Toohey
Bo Ryan ran into Rondae Hollis-Jefferson during a rare visit to the Boys & Girls Club in Chester last summer.
As fate would have it, two of Chester’s finest will meet again, this time in Anaheim, with a berth in the Final Four at stake when Ryan’s second-seeded Wisconsin Badgers take on Hollis-Jefferson and the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats in the West Regional final Saturday night.
The date is significant, too. Butch Ryan, Bo’s dad, would have turned 90 Saturday. Butch Ryan, who died last summer, would have loved the Chester connection to this game.
Shortly after Arizona rallied to knock off San Diego State Thursday night to reach the regional final, a reporter asked Hollis-Jefferson if he realized he is from Ryan’s hometown.
The 6-7 freshman forward and two-time Daily Times Player of the Year quickly corrected the reporter.