Prospect Watch: Ben Hammond

The 2024 four-star guard out of Fairfax, Virginia has several Atlantic 10 teams on his final list

A10 fans should be on the lookout for Ben Hammond, who has three member institutions listed in his final 5 schools. | Photo Courtesy of Paul VI Athletics

Ben Hammond, a 4-star recruit in the 2024 men’s college basketball class, is down to five schools (three of which are within the Atlantic 10 Conference): Towson, George Mason, Charleston, Fordham, and Rhode Island.

The 5’11”, 165-pound guard is a rising senior at Paul VI Catholic High School, a private institution in his native Fairfax, Virginia. The Panthers went 31-4 this past season- 9th overall in the MaxPreps National High School Basketball Rankings- and feature a roster consisting of high-level talent. In addition to Hammond, Paul VI features four more four-star juniors- two big men in the form of 6’11” Garrett Sundra and 6’10” Patrick Ngongba alongside 6’7” forward Isaiah Abraham and 6’6” winger Darren Harris. A core of Sundra, Ngongba, Harris, Abraham, and Hammond certainly makes the Panthers graduating class of 2024 one of the best in the country.

Hammond’s list of suitors is quite prominent. Towson has gone 46-21 under longtime coach Pat Skerry over the past two seasons and has emerged as one of the more competitive programs in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). They’ve also formed a budding rivalry with the College of Charleston- another team vying for Hammond’s services- during this time, as Cougars lead man Pat Kelsey has gone 48-19 overall since leaving Winthrop to take over the team following the 2020-21 season. This past year, Kelsey’s Cougars garnered an outstanding 31-4 record, won both the regular and postseason CAA titles, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament as a 12-seed, losing in the first round to San Diego State, 63-57.

The trio of A10 teams featured on Hammond’s list is all in similar boats, at least from a roster reconstruction perspective. Keith Urgo led Fordham to one of the best marks in program history during his first year with the team following Kyle Neptune’s abrupt departure to Villanova, with a 25-8 record and semifinals appearance in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament for the Rams in 2022-23. Hammond would be his first recruit in the class of 2024 and could pair nicely with the current youth movement in the form of rising sophomore former 4-star recruit Will Richardson, another soon-to-be sophomore in Lafayette transfer Josh Rivera, and incoming 3-star freshman Jahmere Tripp.

For George Mason, the Patriots have turned to former star player and longtime assistant coach Tony Skinn to right the ship after Kim English bolted for Providence. Skinn’s done an excellent job of filling out the program’s roster for the upcoming 2023-24 season, bringing in a mix of veteran transfers (Darius Maddox, Woody Newton, Jared Billups, Amari Kelly) and retaining key pieces (Devin Dinkins, Ronald Polite III, Malik Henry). He’s also fortified the roster with youngsters, such as transfer forward Keyshawn Hall from UNLV and Central Michigan’s Nick Pavrette- two players who just finished their freshman campaigns- and brought in a pair of three-star recruits in guard Desmond White and forward Austin Ball. Much like Urgo at Fordham, Skinn has brought in several young players, and Hammond would perfectly accompany the Patriot’s roster in the future.

Rhode Island, despite being somewhat rudderless following a 9-22 season (and a mass exodus of the roster) during Archie Miller’s first year with the team in 2022-23, is in a prime position to compete shortly. Incoming guards Connor Dubsky and Cam Estevez are a pair of three-star playmakers and rising sophomore Brandon Weston has all the makings of a versatile guard/forward hybrid capable of wreaking havoc on both ends of the floor. Other pieces, such as young forward Jeremy Foumena and three-level scorer Josaphat Bilau- should also be in the fold long-term. Once again, as was the case with Fordham and George Mason, Hammond’s fit is easy to see with the Rams, should he indeed join the A10 conference.

At this point, Hammond has not yet announced when his decision will be. But, with a narrowed-down list featuring three A10 teams still in contention for his services, it might be time for fans to get familiar with his game.