KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island men's basketball Head Coach David Cox announced that incoming freshman Ileri Ayo-Faleye signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Rams for the 2020-21 season.

A 6-7 wing, Ayo-Faleye hails from Lebanon, Pa. and led Cedar Crest High School to a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One title. He averaged a team-high 13.8 points per game as his team reached the District Three Class 6A semifinals. 

"In Ileri, we are getting a young man who has high upside," Cox said. "He is a late-bloomer whose physical tools have the potential to be off the charts.

"At 6-foot-7 with explosive athleticism and a strong body, he doesn't just have good measurements. He plays with sheer force. He has the capability to make momentum-changing plays in the open floor. He can drive through contact in the half-court, and he has the upside to be a versatile defender."

Also strong in the classroom, Ayo-Faleye graduated from Cedar Crest with a 3.4 grade-point average and scored higher than 1200 on the SAT. 

"Getting him involved with a college level strength and conditioning coach sooner rather than later, the potential is endless," Cox said.

With Cedar Crest, Ayo-Faleye excelled in a program that stressed high-pressure, man-to-man defense. He also played for the York Ballers, which won national prep championships in 2017-18 and 2019-20. It is the same club program that produced former Ram Four McGlynn. McGlynn has enjoyed a professional career overseas, most recently signing with Real Murcia in Spain. He also played for Sideline Cancer, which reached the finals of The Basketball Tournament this summer.

Initially expected to reclassify and complete a prep year at Putnam Science (Conn.), Ayo-Faleye's recruitment picked up momentum late. In addition to Rhode Island, he had more than a dozen offers from Division I programs, including Towson, Saint Peter's, Bucknell, Rice, Yale, Brown, Air Force, Quinnipiac, UNC Wilmington, Robert Morris, Saint Francis (Pa.) and North Carolina A&T. Several other programs expressed interest in Ayo-Faleye.

Ayo-Faleye is the third incoming freshman to join Cox at Rhode Island for the 2020-21 season. He and guards Ishmael Leggett and Tres Berry are part of an eight-player recruiting class that also includes transfers Allen Betrand (Towson), Jalen Carey (Syracuse), Malik Martin (Charlotte) and twin brothers Mahkel and Makhi Mitchell (Maryland).