Dan Ruland

Daniel Ruland
Born	(1960-08-24) August 24, 1960 Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	1979–1991
Known for	Collegiate basketball at James Madison University; 1983 NBA draft pick

Daniel Keefe Ruland (born August 24, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. He competed at the collegiate level for James Madison University (JMU) from 1979 through 1983.

College

Originating from Annapolis, Maryland, Ruland spent four years at Annapolis High School before completing a postgraduate year at Fork Union Military Academy. Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 240 pounds, he played as a center at JMU and was instrumental during one of the most prosperous eras in the program’s history. The Dukes qualified for the NCAA Tournament three consecutive times, securing first-round victories against nationally prominent teams.

Throughout his college tenure, Ruland amassed 1,255 points and 640 rebounds, showing consistent improvement in scoring from an initial average of 5.9 to 15.1 points per game by his final season, concluding with a career average of 10.1 points per contest. JMU captured the ECAC South regular season crown in 1982 and won tournament titles in both 1981 and 1983. During these seasons, the Dukes achieved significant upsets over established programs such as Georgetown, Ohio State, and West Virginia, earning a reputation as formidable postseason challengers.

The ECAC South transitioned to become the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) starting with the 1984–85 season, with honors retrospectively applied. Ruland earned the distinction of co-CAA Player of the Year alongside Carlos Yates from George Mason University. This marked the inaugural CAA Player of the Year award and remains uniquely tied through the conclusion of the 2017–18 season.

Professional and later life

Following his collegiate career, Ruland was selected in the third round (70th overall) of the 1983 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Although he did not appear in an NBA game, he pursued an eight-year professional career with multiple teams across Europe, the Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. Since retiring from professional basketball in 1991, he has engaged in various non-sporting occupations.