Initial Reactions to Mekhi Long's Commitment to URI
On June 29, 2018, it was announced that Mekhi Long committed to URI while he was on an unofficial visit on the school's campus in Kingston, RI. Long is a 6'5" (6'7" on some databases) small forward from Woodstock, Virginia and he is listed as a 3-star recruit.
From review of his high school footage, his greatest asset is the hustle and energy that he brings, particularly in transition. For example, he was recognized for the Capital Hoops play of the day on January 17, 2017 for his huge follow-up dunk against DeMatha High School (included below).
Similar to Dana Tate, he can carve out a spot in the rotation in his first year of college basketball as a wing player.
As always, it is a good sign for Rhode Island MBB that they beat out power five conference teams for this recruit, including Virginia Tech and Kansas State. Additionally, the Rams beat out conference enemies VCU, George Mason, and Saint Joseph's for Long's services. David Cox continues to exhibit his recruiting prowess in the DMV area.
I would not look past the chemistry that Tyrese Martin and Mekhi Long will have, as they were teammates at Massanutten Military Academy. Going forward, I would not be mad at them at all if they talked another former teammate, Mahamadou Diawara (offered by URI), into joining forces with them in Kingston, RI.
The trend of recruiting solid two-way wings, who play in a tough and gritty way continues for David Cox and his staff. Mekhi Long is no exception to that direction.
