URI lands New York City recruit Cam Estevez for '23 basketball season
The latest commitment for the University of Rhode Island comes from an area Archie Miller wanted to target upon his March hiring.
Cam Estevez is from New York, and he’s expected to bring the accompanying skill set to Kingston upon his enrollment next fall. A certain level of competitiveness, an advanced hunger to match up against his opponents — that's generally what it takes to flourish on the court at the city’s open gyms and playgrounds.
“You’re automatically getting a guy with some grit, toughness and a little bit of a dog,” said Karriem Memminger, Estevez’s grassroots coach with the Riverside Hawks. “That’s what you want.
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“You want to go into the Atlantic 10 knowing you don’t have to worry about Cam Estevez. He’s going to bring it every night.”
Cam Estevez a Harlem native, with lots of offers
Estevez is a Harlem native who selected the Rams ahead of a list that included conference rivals VCU and St. Bonaventure, Central Florida, Mississippi State and Miami (Ohio). He also claimed offers from other Atlantic 10 schools like George Washington, Duquesne, Fordham and La Salle. Wider interest came from perennial postseason contenders like Wichita State and Vermont.
“He just fell in love with the place,” Memminger said. “They showed him how they would use him. He really thought it was a great fit with Archie being a new coach there and being part of Archie’s first recruiting class.”
Estevez announced his decision on his personal social media accounts Monday evening — he’s a top-250 player nationally in his class according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-3 guard finished a combined 11-for-26 from 3-point range over his last three games at the Under Armour Association Finals in July. Estevez averaged 15.3 points during that stretch in Chicago with Miller and assistant coach Duane Woodward looking on.
“Both of them thought he was good enough,” Memminger said. “They offered him a scholarship, kind of sat on him and recruited him really, really hard.”
Estevez wanted to get recruitment over with
Estevez took an official visit to Kingston late last month and opted to end his recruitment before his final prep year at The Canterbury School in Connecticut. He’ll share a state with a fellow URI backcourt prospect — Virginia native Connor Dubsky will spend his last season before college at Putnam Science.
“He’s just one of those guys who wanted to get the recruitment process over with,” Memminger said. “Nowadays with the transfer portal things get tricky. They get a little complicated.
“He was one of those kids who understood the portal, understood the situation and thought this was where he wanted to be. Once he really fell in love with the place, that’s where he wanted to spend his college career.”
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Estevez is the latest talent from a program sponsored by Riverside Church. The community staple in Morningside Heights dates to 1961 and counts dozens of famous alumni — Tiny Archibald, Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson, Chris Mullin, Rod Strickland and Elton Brand are just a few who ultimately reached the NBA. Woodward is a Queens native and former Seton Hall assistant who was expected to give the Rams some needed local ties in the city.
“The list just goes on and on of guys who have come through the church,” Memminger said. “We’ve got this thing back going at a high level the way the church once used to be.”
Estevez, Dubsky, Virginia forward Adrian Myers and New Zealand forward KC Nwafor make it a four-man class for URI prior to fall semester beginning in a couple short weeks. Rams players are home after finishing their summer work and will be returning shortly. Several on the current roster — Anthony Harris (North Carolina), Brayon Freeman (George Washington), Brandon Weston (Seton Hall) and Alex Tchikou (Alabama) – arrived from other four-year programs.
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“We always keep them aware of the transfer portal,” Memminger said. “He’s also probably not the only guard they’re recruiting, right? He’s probably one of the main guys they’re recruiting. If it’s something you really want, what are you waiting on?
“Take it. That way you can concentrate. No stress, senior year, finish up academically strong, work out – you know where you’re going. There’s no added stress. There’s no added pressure. He can just concentrate on being a student-athlete.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: URI basketball's newest recruit is NYC's Cam Estevez
