Rhode Island Basketball: Impact of Rams landing 2024 three-star guard Ben Hammond
Coach Archie Miller received one of his most significant commitments at the high school level since taking over at the helm as head coach of the Rhode Island Rams, landing three-star point guard Ben Hammond.
Ben Hammond, a 5-foot-11 point guard from Fairfax, Virginia, who recently played for St. Paul VI Catholic High School and Team Takeover in AAU, has committed to the University of Rhode Island. He becomes the first Rhode Island Rams commit of the Class of 2024.
The three-star recruit chose the Rams over the College of Charleston, George Mason, Towson, and Fordham. He’ll arrive on campus in Fall 2024 after playing his senior season this year at Paul VI in Chantilly, VA.
This past season, he led the Paul VI Panthers to a 31-4 overall record and 15-0 within the region. Despite losing Deshawn Harris-Smith to graduation this spring, the varsity program is expected to return every other key contributor, making them serious contenders in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I next season.
The lead recruiter for Hammond was assistant coach Kenny Johnson, who offered the three-star guard in February. Coach Johnson has ties to the DMV area and served as an associate head coach at Paul VI Catholic High School from 2007 to 2011. He has been a critical contributor to Coach Archie Miller’s staff this offseason, actively recruiting from various areas.
The Rams filled all of their scholarships for the 2023-24 season. They added four players from the NCAA transfer portal, two Junior College players, an international player, and three players from the high school level to their roster. The Atlantic 10 program also retained five players from last season’s team.
While Rhody continues to add depth for the future, they have also been busy building a non-conference schedule for this upcoming Fall. The Rams will open their season at home against Central Connecticut State, Fairfield, and Wagner before taking a short drive down I-95 to compete in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena on November 18-19.
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With a different roster and a fresh schedule this Fall, there is a lot to be excited about in Kingston. We can expect a competitive season from the Rams, who look to become contenders in the Atlantic 10 Conference in the near future.