On June 24th, Kim English and staff landed their first high school commitment since taking over at PC in Daquan Davis. A month and some change later, English is back at it securing a commitment from Ryan Mela. Mela is a 6-6 wing from Natick, MA and attends The Newman School in Boston. He also plays AAU ball for the Middlesex Magic and is coming off a tournament win in the Under Armour U17 Tournament.
Mela has good athleticism, positional size and shot making ability. He should fit well into Kim English’s open offensive and even said as much when speaking to Deshaun London of 247 Sports, who broke his commitment Tuesday evening. Let’s take a look at some of his tape.
BONUS: I’d be remiss if I didn’t include this highlight vid. It may be from over a year ago and on Facebook but it’s set to the musical talents of the Shop Boyz and is an electric factory.
Crier’s Player Comp: I’ll go with Middlesex Magic alum Pat Connaughton. Pat is definitely more athletic but they have similar size, are good cutters to the basket, and capable shooters.
To the Crier it appears that Ryan Mela can really play. Don’t be distracted by the 3-star ranking, Mela is a kid who will probably rise in the rankings over the next season. Playing for the Middlesex Magic AAU squad also plays a role in my confidence. The Magic have produced a ton of unheralded recruits that have been really productive players in college. Duncan Robinson, Pat Connaughton, Cormac Ryan, Tyler Kolek, and Andrew & Luke Fonts (ever heard of em??) all laced them up for the Magic.
For Mela this obviously doesn’t guarantee success but if you watch his tape and you think of program fit, we believe Mela will have an impact on the Friar program a few years down the line.
BOC Take: Similar to Rich Barron, this is English and staff really trusting their eval and pursuing a kid early who they think can play at the Big East level. His offers don’t necessarily scream high end conference player, but English thinks they landed somebody who is about to blow up on the recruiting scene. They wanted to ensure they wrapped up this recruitment before others came calling. Good on English and staff for identifying a player and pushing full steam ahead when the other offers may give other staffs some pause.
In terms of fit, he is a perfect wing for the four out offense. He can stroke it from deep and has enough athleticism to keep defenses on their heels when guarding him. English wants to have shooters all over the court, and Mela is a shotmaker.
For playing time, it may take a year or two for Mela to physically develop as a Big East player. I anticipate Carter and Hopkins to both leave after this year, and Hollywood Gaines is also out of eligibility. There are going to be minutes to be had at the wing position going into 2024-2025.
What’s Next: With Davis and Mela in the fold, English and staff are going to turn the heat up on landing a few big men. Providence desperately needs size heading into next year. Look for the staff to continue to feverishly pursue Ngonba, Queen, etc.
Friar Recruiting Articles
Crier Recruiting Corner – 2024 Stretch 4 Garrett Sundra – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/07/01/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2024-forward-garrett-sundra/#more-7146
Crier Recruiting Corner – 2024 Wing Isaiah Abraham – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/06/26/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2024-wing-isaiah-abraham/
Daquan Davis Commits to Providence – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/06/24/the-flag-has-been-planted-2024-dmv-pg-daquan-davis-commits-to-providence-coach-kim-english/
2025 Recruiting Primer, Version 2.0 – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/30/2025-providence-college-high-school-recruiting-primer-version-1-0/
Crier Transfer Portal Spotlight – Will McNair Jr. – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/06/07/friars-fill-the-missing-piece-land-mississippi-state-transfer-big-will-mcnair-jr/#more-6963
Crier Recruiting Corner – Del Jones – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/06/03/crier-recruiting-corner-del-jones/
Crier Recruiting Corner – Patrick Ngonba II – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/05/06/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2024-center-patrick-ngonba-ii/#more-6900
Crier Recruiting Corner – Guard Daquan Davis –https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/05/06/24-recruiting-spotlight-daquan-davis/#more-6898
Crier Recruiting Corner: 2024 Big Man Somto Cyril: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2024-big-man-somto-cyril/
2024 Recruiting Primer, Version 6.0:https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/27/providence-college-basketball-recruiting-class-of-2024/
Transfer Portal Primer, Version 3.0: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/28/tracking-the-transfers-pc-targets-in-the-2023-portal-providence-crier-transfer-portal-primer/
Garwey Dual Commitment Article: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/09/01/deep-dive-analysis-of-2023-providence-commit-garwey-dual/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Davonte “Ticket” Gaines: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/08/davonte-ticket-gaines-following-kim-english-to-friartown/
Rich Barron Commitment Article: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/10/richard-barron-commits-to-providence-analyzing-the-impact/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Josh Oduro: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/25/transfer-portal-spotlight-george-mason-forward-josh-oduro/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Justyn Fernandez: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/26/transfer-portal-spotlight-george-mason-wing-justyn-fernandez/
Crier Recruiting Corner: Kany Tchanda: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/12/29/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-kany-tchanda/