AP
With just two front court contributors from last season’s 23-win team due to return in 2015-16, Rhode Island needed to address its interior depth in the 2015 class. Head coach Dan Hurley and his staff have done that, with Earl Watson available after arriving in Kingston mid-year from junior college and three front court newcomers due to join the program.
URI landed the third newcomer on Saturday, as 6-foot-8 forward Nicola Akele announced via Twitter that he’s committed to the Atlantic 10 school. Akele hails from Italy, and he joined the IMG Academy program in November.
Akele has plenty of experience, as he played for Reyer Valencia in Italy’s Serie A (as an amateur, of course) and for Italy’s U-20 national team.