Buffs Sign Ryan Kelley

Colorado landed its fifth player for the 2008 men’s basketball recruiting class. Ryan Kelley, a 6-4 guard from Pomona, Calif., has signed a letter of intent to play for the Buffs. Kelley has ties to the Colorado basketball program.

“We are proud to welcome Ryan Kelley to the Buff family,” CU head coach Jeff Bzdelik announced on Tuesday.

Kelley will be joining a program where his uncle, Vince Kelley, starred in the early 1980s. Vince Kelley was a highly touted prepster from Inglewood, Calif., who came to CU with his high school teammate, Jay Humphries. Humphries went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA, and Vince Kelley played professional basketball overseas. He now lives in Australia.

Ryan Kelley, meanwhile, averaged 16.8 points and 4 boards a game last season as a senior at Diamond Ranch High in Pomona, Calif. He helped Diamond Ranch to an 18-11 record.

“Ryan is an excellent student, possesses high character and is a young man who has a terrific basketball upside,” Bzdelik said.

Kelley joins Austin Dufault, Trey Eckloff, Nate Tomlinson and Toby Veal in Bzdelik’s first recruiting class. According to a press release from the CU basketball program, CU now has two available scholarships for the spring signing period, which runs through May 21.

That number could rise to three if Jeremy Williams’ is granted a release from his scholarship. The sophomore, who redshirted last season due to academic issues in the fall semester, asked for his release in late April, but is reportedly still mulling over his future options.

As far as the newest Buffalo, Scout.com West Coast Recruiting Analyst Greg Hicks saw Kelley during a tournament in 2007, when Kelley was a junior. He had this to say about Kelley: “Kelley has a very good frame and the potential to fill out quite nicely. He’s a decent athlete, with just fair quickness, but his size is an asset. He’s got big feet, so he may grow a little bit more.

“Kelley has a nice feel for the game and generally makes solid decisions. He’s not great at any one aspect of the game, but he’s pretty good at several things. He’s a good defender and rebounds well for a guard. His shot is not pretty – he slings it a bit – but he’s fairly accurate. His handle will need to get stronger if he’s to spend any time at the one (and he might not – he may just play the two). Overall, Kelley is a prospect with intriguing upside.”