Future UConn men’s basketball teammates share a strong bond
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC — Jayden Ross and Solomon Ball tried to give the few hundred fans inside Court 1 at the Riverview Activities Center on Monday a taste of what might be in store for sold-out crowds at the Gampel Pavilion or XL Center in a few years .
Ross threw a long inbound lob to the targeted basket for Ball, his Melo AAU teammate who signed to UConn on July 1 — about a week after Ross signed to the Huskies. This time, despite Ball’s impressive leaps, Ross’ pass was a little too high and it sailed over Ball’s outstretched arms and out of bounds.
“They were looking for the home run,” Melo team coach Jerard Rucker said. “I just wanted a single.”
It didn’t work out on Monday, but the two have combined many such combinations over the past two years at St. James School in Maryland and this summer with Team Melo.
“We did this all the time in high school,” Ball reported. “Even though it wasn’t out of bounds, I was throwing lobs at him, he was throwing lobs at me. That chemistry, we knew where we were at, where on the floor we could score.
Despite Ball and Ross’ best efforts, Team Melo’s comeback from a late double-digit deficit fell short in a loss on day two of the Peach Jam. Ross bumped his knees with an opponent late in the game, winced in pain and limped to the bench, where he had to watch the last minute or so of play.
He reported that the injury was “nothing crazy”.
“I would just rather someone else in the game than me wasn’t 100 per cent,” he said. “It sucks not being able to be there for my team, but I just wanted us to be at our full potential.”
Ross, a 6-foot-7 winger, and Ball, a 6-3 guard, showed their potential during the game. At the buzzer at the end of the third quarter, Ball, a left-handed shooter, calmly swept a 3-pointer to bring Team Melo within eight points. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the fourth, Ross came on with a huge block from a transition layup attempt.
With 1:12 to go, Ross stole the ball and scored on a lay-up to bring Team Melo within six. About 12 seconds later he was on the bench next to his brother, Jacob, a 2025 rookie, after hitting his knee.
It’s not very common for two AAU teammates to commit to the same school in the span of a week. Rucker said that had never happened before in his seven years as coach of Team Melo. Ball, who is best known as “Solo,” and Ross weren’t necessarily a forfeit. But their familiarity and friendship certainly didn’t hurt.
“It’s just added to all the great stuff (UConn has),” Ross said. “It’s exciting to go with someone I know and feel comfortable there.”
Of course, neither will arrive until next summer. Ball transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire to play for coach Jason Smith in his final year of ball prep.
“I think that’s going to set me up the most,” Ball said. “Not even the program, the program is also good, but overall the intensity of the practice will really prepare me for university. Because I know what (Dan) Hurley is like, and how good it is. is a fit in college since high school. So I think it’s really going to prepare me for training against the best guys in the country.
Ball will arrive in Brewster in early September.
“I want to go to college now,” he said, unprompted.
What is that? A possible reclassification?
“But I’m not going to college now,” he continued. “It would be very nice. I have a good connection with everyone there. I already know it’s going to be fun. I spoke to Stephon (Castle, the 6-6 guard and third member of the 2023 class of UConn so far).
Ross, meanwhile, is still deciding which school he will attend for his final prep year. It’s either Long Island Lutheran or Oak Hill Academy.
“It’s a process,” said Ross, who added that his younger brother would accompany him to either school.
Neither player is a finished product at this time, according to Rucker.
“I would say they both need to develop their bodies a bit more for the next level, get stronger, keep working on ball handling,” the coach said. “Just the mental aspect of the game, things like that.”
Ross and Ball would team up the rest of the summer with Team Melo, then go their separate ways for a year before reuniting at UConn. Until then, the two will do their best to recruit more talent to Storrs.
In their Peach Jam opener on Monday, Team Melo lost to Brad Beal Elite, who is managed by Scotty Middleton, a highly touted wing who will make his decision in college on August 5. It looks like Middleton is deciding between UConn, Seton Hall and Ohio State. A week ago in Kansas City, Ball did his best to encourage him to join him at Storrs in a few years.
“I was like, ‘UConn is the move,'” Ball reported.
He didn’t try the same tactic on Monday.
“I was trying to win,” Ball explained. “I was only doing this before because we were winning by, like, 15. So I was trying to put it in his head about it.”