AAU Profiles-Basketball Club Rhode Island

* Parker Mason, Mike Levesque, and Mike Marshall are committed to Babson, Endicott, and Bryant, respectively. I am going to focus on the uncommitted players from Basketball Club Rhode Island in this article.

Brian Taylor 6’4 Small Forward (East Providence HS): Taylor brings toughness and physicality on both ends of the floor. Scores efficiently at the rim with both hands while also showing the ability to finish well through contact with his strong body. Also gets to the free throw line at a good rate with his ability to draw fouls. While Taylor is most effective slashing to the basket, he can also make spot up three-pointers when the ball is swung his way to keep opponents honest. Defensively, he rebounds the ball very well for his size, getting advantageous position on opponents and he has an intense desire for the ball coming off the glass. Also has positional versatility on this end with his length and brawny frame, being able to guard power forwards as well. Embraces the challenge of guarding players bigger than him. D3 schools in leagues like the GNAC and LEC should be tracking Taylor.

Joey Ragosta 6’3 Shooting Guard (Cranston High School West): Bringing floor spacing beyond the arc for this program is Ragosta. Makes three-pointers at a good rate both spotting up and coming off screens. Complements his shooting ability nicely with a smooth mid-range pull-up. Also moves well without the ball, cutting to the basket hard for easy layups when defenders are hugged up on him. Defensively, he does a good job of jumping into passing lanes at the right times to create steals. Also is not afraid to put his body on the line to take a charge when an opponent is driving to the basket. D3 schools in leagues like the CCC and LEC should be keeping an eye on Ragosta.

Francisco Lopez 6’0 Point Guard (Toll Gate HS): Lopez adds stability at the lead guard position for this team. Forces opponents to respect him from deep with his ability to hit treys off the catch and the bounce. Finishes around the rim at a good percentage with a crafty layup package. Lopez is also able to get into the paint at a solid rate to create for others. When opponents collapse on him, he finds teammates effectively on drive and kicks for open three-pointers and drop-offs in the paint to big men. Defensively, he loves to play tight on ball defense against opposing point guards to make it difficult for them to get into their offense. Also has quick hands to take the ball away from opponents if they are loose with their handle. D3 schools in leagues like the GNAC and LEC should be following Lopez.

Ethan Augusto 6’3 Wing (St. George’s School): Augusto is another player on this team with the ability to stretch the floor from long range. Has very good form on his shot with a quick release which helps him to make treys at a good rate when spotting up. When opponents are playing tight defense to take away his shot, he can also get to the rim and finish well using finger rolls. Rarely takes bad shots as he understands he will get opportunities in the flow of the offense. Defensively, he is consistently in the right spots on his rotations when being one pass away or in help position if a teammate gets beat off the dribble. Also does a nice job of moving his feet instead of reaching to avoid picking up cheap fouls. D3 schools in leagues like the GNAC and LEC should be keeping tabs on Augusto.

Jack McMullen 5’11 Combo Guard (East Greenwich HS): McMullen is a player who can heat up in a hurry with his multifaceted scoring abilities. He has deep range on his shot, making three-pointers effectively both when spotting up and off the bounce. Also has a quick first step which he uses to get into the paint and finish at the rim efficiently with creative finishes. While scoring is his forte, McMullen also has solid vision and can be counted on as a secondary playmaker in an offense. Finds teammates particularly well cutting to the basket for high percentage layups. Despite his lack of size, he is still able to make an impact on the defensive end. McMullen does a good job of running hard to the other end when opponents are in transition to contest their ability to get an easy bucket. Will also make opponents pay when they throw lazy passes in his area by picking them off for steals. D3 schools in leagues like the CCC and LEC should be checking out McMullen.

Levi King 6’5 Combo Forward (Woodstock Academy): King is an athletic forward with a versatile game. Has a smooth stroke from beyond the arc on catch and shoot attempts. He can be a zone buster as well, flashing to the mid-post for jumpers. Also has the ability to play small forward in certain situations, taking opponents off the dribble from the wings to finish productively at the rim with his soft touch and leaping ability. Defensively, King makes a significant impact on the glass with his toughness and nose for the ball. Averaged close to 12 rebounds per game this past high school season. Also makes a concerted effort to challenge opponents’ shots with his size and length to force lower percentage attempts. D3 schools in a league like the NEWMAC should be looking at King closely. Could get D2 schools to show stronger interest if he can show at an elevated level of competition at Woodstock that he can make threes at a higher volume, in addition to creating more off the dribble to prove he can be a full time wing.

Jack Bennett 6’3 Shooting Guard (Mount Saint Charles Academy): Another shooter with deep range from this program is Bennett. He has compact form on his shot keeping his elbow in, while also using his legs well to get a good arc on the ball. Makes three-pointers at a solid rate both spotting up and on the move. Bennett uses very good body control to finish at the rim with reverse layups and finger rolls off the glass. Also is an unselfish passer in transition, doing a nice job of rewarding teammates for running the floor hard. Defensively, while not the most athletic, he understands where to be on his rotations and also limits taking unnecessary risks which would put his team in harm's way. D3 schools in leagues like the NAC and NECC should be tracking Bennett.

Roshawn Fleming 6’5 Wing (Rogers HS): An intriguing wing for this program is Fleming. He is at his best in transition, using his quickness and leaping ability to finish strong with one hand dunks or crafty layups. In the halfcourt, Fleming has a soft touch on his floater when the bigs collapse on him in the paint. He also does a nice job of finding the open spots in a defense where his teammates can find him for easy buckets. While Fleming does not make three-pointers at a very high volume, he has good form on his shot and should get better with more repetition. Defensively, he has solid lateral quickness to limit opposing wings from getting dribble penetration on him. Also has good instincts for when to jump into passing lanes for steals which creates more transition opportunities for him. D3 schools in leagues like the GNAC and LEC should be keeping an eye on Fleming.

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