Class of 2024 Wing Ryan Mela Commits to Providence

Read all about the latest Friar commit, and see exclusive highlights from both his prep and grassroots seasons.

While watching recent Providence commit Daquan Davis and others on the Under Armour Association Circuit this summer, I stumbled upon a wing from Massachusetts that hadn’t received much fanfare, but consistently put up numbers and made critical plays for the Middlesex Magic.

Here is what I wrote after watching Davis’ Team Thrill take on the Middlesex Magic in the Under Armour semifinals in July:

The Middlesex Magic are a bit of an anomaly on the summer circuit. They weren’t affiliated with a sneaker company until last summer when they joined Under Armour, yet they have produced countless college players and a pair of NBA forwards who flew under-the-radar for much of their high school careers in Duncan Robinson and Pat Connaughton. If there’s an overlooked prospect on their current roster it is likely Ryan Mela, a 6’6 small forward in the class of 2024 who has been producing in a big way in UAA games for the past two years. High major offers have yet to follow. They have a promising point guard in Luka Toews (Boston College just became his first high major offer), while 6’9 Jacob Hogarth is a physical defender who plays for a prep power in South Kent. Daithi Quinn is a knockdown shooter in the class of 2025 that Ed Cooley’s staff was tracking while they were still at PC.

Mela was terrific in the semifinals against Team Thrill. Middlesex trailed by 12 points in the third quarter, but he scored 16 of his 22 points after the break (on 9-11 shooting) to lead his team to a comeback victory. Mela scored in a number of ways in that game — off a great crossover, on difficult finishes at the rim, from beyond the arc, and a put-back in which he was fouled. Middlesex took home a 72-69 victory over Davis and a pair of five-star teammates on that night, then went on to win the title game the next day.

During that week, Mela averaged 16.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and shot 54% from the field and 35% from deep. This summer marked the second year in a row that he led the Magic in scoring (their star last summer was Tennessee commit JP Estrella) and to an Under Armour title.

Shortly after the Magic took home the 2023 Under Armour title, Providence became the first high major program to offer him a scholarship.

Less than three weeks later, he was on PC’s campus for a visit (this past Friday) and he publicly committed on Monday night.

Needless to say, Kim English and Co. moved quickly on Mela.

This spring, Mela received offers from Davidson, Vermont, Richmond, Indiana State, Yale, Miami of Ohio, William and Mary, Northeastern, and Buffalo, and the Friar staff quickly developed an appreciation for his game and made him a priority. They love his efficiency (shooting 60% from inside the arc on the UAA circuit the past two years), ability to get into the paint with consistency, his feel, and finishing ability.

Mela may not look the part of a terrific high major finisher, but he is great around the rim — making plays in all sorts of ways. At 6’6, he has good size for a wing, and he’s the type of passing small forward that will make everyone else on the floor better. He isn’t a knockdown shooter at this stage, but the belief is that he will turn into a more than capable 3-point shooter with time. His shot looks far from broken.

The Natick, MA native plays his prep ball for the Newman School in Boston. While not a traditional prep power, they transitioned to the top level of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) last year, playing in the same league as Brewster Academy, New Hampton, South Kent, St. Thomas More, and others. He averaged 19.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 3.3 steals last season on a team that notched wins over Brewster and St. Thomas More.

Here’s a highlight reel we put together of him from a few games we watched during his time at the Newman School.

In one of the games above, Mela had 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists against a Bradford Christian Academy team featuring former PC recruits Kur Teng and George Turkson (an 86-74 BCA win in which Northwestern commit Jordan Clayton went for 30 points). Also included is when Mela had a monster game against Winchendon with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists in an 89-87 victory. He shot 4-5 from three in the win over Winchendon.

July offered another opportunity to see Mela, this time at the Sportradar Showdown in Las Vegas. This was an event that featured top teams from both the Under Armour and Adidas circuits. It was a loaded field with a number of five-star prospects, and his team went 3-2 on the week, including a loss to Davis and Team Thrill in a return game.

Mela struggled with his jump shot that week (3-13 from three), but still shot 45% from the field thanks to nearly 53% shooting from inside the arc. He attacked the basket with both hands, as 11 of his 16 field goal attempts came when he went left. Here are highlights from that week that we pulled together:

Mela’s development will be an interesting early follow in Kim English’s tenure. English and his staff went somewhat out of the box and all in on a three-star forward that was flying below the radar for their second commitment in the class of 2024. Mela wouldn’t be the first Middlesex Magic player to go overlooked and then see his stock take off in college (in fact, the reigning Big East Player of the Year is one of the latest examples). In Mela, the staff will sign a forward from 45 minutes up the road who they believe has the toughness, finishing ability, and passing instincts to make an impact at Providence.