Natick's Ryan Mela makes it official with Providence basketball on National Signing Day

Former Natick High School forward Ryan Mela will play Division 1 basketball at Providence College, the program announced Wednesday.

The 6-foot-6 senior currently plays at The Newman School in Boston. He averaged 19.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.3 steals last winter.

"We are excited to have Ryan joining our program next season," Providence coach Kim English said in a release.  "We believe that he has the potential to be an impact player for us and will be a great addition to our roster next season, and for years to come. Ryan's humility, toughness, work ethic and talent make him a perfect fit for what we are doing here at PC."

Mela, a three-star prospect, helped lead the Middlesex Magic to the Under Armour Circuit championship over the summer. His 15.1 points per game led the summer squad to go with 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. He was named the circuit's breakout MVP.

At Natick, Mela was a Daily News MVP as a sophomore and averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds per game. He was a Bay State Conference Carey Division Co-MVP before transferring to The Newman School and reclassifying.

He originally committed in August and made the pledge official during the early signing period.

The Newman School was voted the No. 7 prep team in New England Preps Rankings in October. The team opens against South Kent at home at 3:45 p.m. at Emmanuel College.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Providence basketball adds Natick's Ryan Mela from The Newman School