Throughout the summer, GoRhody.com will run a weekly feature series introducing the members of the 2025-26 Men's Basketball team. The series will focus on their respective basketball journeys.

KINGSTON, R.I. - Four years ago, Jimmy Ball arrived at Rhode Island just before the start of the school year, a last-minute addition to the program. Now he's the longest tenured member of the Rams.

Coming out of Arlington Catholic High School, Ball had opportunities to play college basketball at the Division III level, but it had been a goal of his from a young age to be a Division I player.

"Realistically, I knew for me to be a Division I player, it was going to be as a walk-on," said Ball, who dealt with knee, ankle and back injuries during his high school career. "I reached out to a bunch of Division I schools and expressed interest in being a walk-on, but without a connection, it was really hard for coaches to see how I play and what kind of person I am off the floor."

His father Charlie had known Rhody assistant coach Austin Carroll for years, playing together in adult leagues in Boston. When Carroll found out Ball was looking for an opportunity, he reached out.

"It was a random 6 a.m. on a Wednesday when he told me there was one more roster spot," Ball said. "I applied way after the deadline, visited the school and met with Austin. Within a week, I was committed, but it was kind of an out-of-nowhere situation right before the start of the school year."

His journey to Rhode Island began as a late-summer whirlwind, and Ball has lived the ups and downs that come with a rebuilding program. From his perspective, the collective character and work ethic he has seen with this year's squad is different.

"Every person you meet makes a first impression on you. Now, as a senior, the first impression someone makes on me is about what they are like off the court," Ball said. "My freshman year, that first impression would have been entirely about what somebody was like on the court. Now I understand the importance of the off-the-court. When you pay attention to how someone is off the court, you see how everything they do can translate to being a good basketball player, a good teammate.

"This team, more than any other team I've been a part of, has really, really solid guys off the court, across the board. You can see how that all translates to on-the-court stuff. We have a lot of guys who want to get better. They are willing to take criticism from coaches to get better. That's the biggest thing. It's a group that is together and willing to work to get better."

For Ball's part, he has seen his understanding of all aspects of the game grow exponentially during his time in Kingston.

"My knowledge of the game of basketball has grown a lot. Not only have I become faster, stronger and smarter as a basketball player just by being surrounded by guys who have always been better than me, but I have learned how to adapt and survive," Ball said. "Not only am I learning so much about the game of basketball, but I am learning about what makes a good teammate and what makes a good coach. What makes a good practice plan? What makes a good workout plan? I am learning about all these things as they relate to basketball but also in life outside of the game."

Away from the court, Ball is a Psychology major who also picked up a minor in Neuroscience. In the future, he plans to explore a master's degree in Neuroscience.

"The initial intent in picking up those fields of study was to focus on myself. As I have grown and become a better version of myself, I realized I find joy in helping other people," Ball said. "Using what I have learned in Psychology and Neuroscience in my every day routine has helped me become a better teammate. I've become a better leader, even when I can't really lead on the court. In my own way, I want to contribute in however many ways I can."

Since he did not appear in any games last season, Ball could explore playing a fifth season elsewhere, but he has not made any decisions yet.

"It's always in the back of my mind that I do have one more year left, and within these next 12 months I'll know for sure what exactly I want to do," Ball said. "Eventually I want to pursue my master's degree, but I don't necessarily know if I want to continue playing or pursue a graduate assistant position somewhere. Ultimately I want to be involved in basketball one way or another."

Basketball has always been a part of Ball's life. His older sisters also played at Arlington Catholic, both winning district titles. His father was a basketball player, as was his grandfather Jim, who played Division I at New Hampshire.

" When I was about 3 or 4 years old, my dad gave me a basketball," Ball said. "When my sisters were playing, we always went to their games, and I'd be running around and playing over on the side. Basketball was always ingrained as a part of our lives."

While basketball has always been there, so too have been lessons about being a good teammate. A sense of commitment kept Ball at Rhode Island, even after he briefly entered the transfer portal last year,

"Even in high school, I was on a lot of teams where I wasn't always one of the main guys," Ball said. "No matter what sport I played, whether it was baseball, basketball or cross country, no matter how many bad days I had, my dad would tell me to never give up on my teammates.

"In team sports, it's always about something bigger than yourself. Having been a walk-on for four years, I want to see it through. There have been times when it may have been easy to quit for someone who wasn't taught growing up the importance of being a good teammate. There have been rough times here, but having good parents who taught me those lessons has helped a lot."

As for the brief foray into the transfer portal, there was value in exploring options, but Ball felt Rhode Island was the best place for him.

"Any opportunity that I would have taken at a different school, nothing was guaranteed," Ball said. "Here, I had a really good relationship with the coaches, and I have a lot of friends that I have made here. The school is not far from home at all.

"One of the biggest things I kept coming back to was how great our fanbase is and how much they love basketball. With all of those things combined, it wouldn't have made any sense for me to leave. My intention was to explore my options, but ultimately I made the right choice in staying."

Check back on Thursday, Aug. 21 for a feature on guard Jaymien Aponte. To order tickets for the 2025-26 Men's Basketball Season, click here.


Summer Series
6/12 - Hinton Brings Strategic Mind to Rhody
6/19 - Johnson Leads With the Spirit of the Wolf
6/26 - Itejere Offers Explosive Presence in the Paint
7/1 - Cochran's Versatile Production An Asset
7/3 - Tripp Ready To Work For Rams
7/10 - Early Patience Allowed Sow's Game To Grow
7/15 - Corey Brings Electric Ability to Backcourt
7/17 - Crawford's Reset Made The Game Fun Again
7/24 - Traore is the Glue for Rhody
7/31 - Redshirt Season Has King Prepped for Impact
8/5 - After Whirlwind First Season, Icke Settling In
8/7 - Loer Has Tools To Contribute Right Away
8/12 - Position Change Helps Harper See Whole Game
8/14 - Relationships Have Keyed Perry's Journey