PC’s Ledo heads for NBA Draft
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
It's a question that has been asked since the day he arrived at Providence College.
Will Ricky Ledo actually play college basketball at PC, or will he take his talents to the professional ranks? Tuesday, after meeting with head coach Ed Cooley, the question was answered.
“I want to thank Providence College for the opportunity to be a Friar,” Ledo said. “As much as I wanted to play for the Friars and help the team win a Big East championship, I felt I could not pass up this opportunity to enter the NBA Draft now.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"I had a great experience this season and will always remember the great atmosphere for our games at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center," Ledo added. "I appreciate all the support from the College, the fans, my teammates and the coaching staff, especially Coach Cooley. I love my teammates and I will always be a Friar.”
NBA scouts have no game action to judge the 6-6 Ledo's skills, but they were frequent visitors to Providence practices throughout the past season at Alumni Hall on campus. While Ledo was not eligible to play, he did participate regularly in practices, and sat on the bench for home games with his teammates, in street clothes.
The Providence native and former Bishop Hendricken star was once rated as one of the Top 25 players in the country, as recently as 2012. Ledo spent time at four different schools over five years, which directly led to his eligibility issues with the NCAA this past season. However, he was highly recruited even with his "baggage," yet chose to attend PC after expressing his desire to play for the hometown team.
Ledo, by all accounts, had a normal first year as a college student - save for the fact he was ineligible to play by NCAA standards. Reportedly, he earned solid grades during his first semester last fall, and continued to attend classes into the current semester.
“We want to wish Ricky all the best and thank him for his efforts this season,” Cooley said. “Ricky is one of the most talented players that I have had the opportunity to coach. I am sure he will enjoy a very productive professional career. He will always be a member of the Friar family.”
Ledo has been called an "elite" shooter by several NBA scouts, but very little is presently known about their interest in him as a player, since NBA coaches and team representatives are not allowed to comment on underclassmen until they declare for the draft. At the present time, Ledo is not listed on many major NBA Draft lists as a potential selection within two rounds...but that certainly could change with Tuesday's declaration.
Until then, questions will undoubtedly remain as to whether or not his choice is the right one to make. The deadline for declaring for this June's draft is April 28...and a player must be selected in the first round in order to receive a guaranteed contract.
The main question, however, has just been answered.
