LaMelo Ball, the younger brother of Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, is returning to the United States for his senior year of high school. According to a report from SLAM Magazine, the 17-year-old is planning on enrolling at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio — one of the highest-rated prep schools in the nation.
Melo is fresh off a stint of overseas play. He spent last season with BC Vytautas Prienai in Lithuania, but now he's excited to return home to the states.
“I’m excited to return to school and rejoin my class on the court for my senior year,” LaMelo Ball tells Franklyn Calle of SLAM Magazine. “Playing in international competition was a great experience. I learned and matured so much. I appreciated the JBA experience my dad provided for me. I think it helped my development. I can’t wait to play with my peers.”
Melo is already being scouted by NBA teams — for good reason. When he left Chino Hills High School last year to play in Europe, he was already ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the Class of 2019.
According to SLAM's report, LaMelo Ball is expected to make his debut with SPIRE on November 13th against La Lumiere in Indiana.
The thinking behind this decision is to show scouts just how good LaMelo is when placed among his own age group—especially with him being eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft. In his last JBA International Tour game against the London Lions, the now 6-7 point guard posted a 41-point triple-double (17 assists and 13 rebounds). He averaged 40.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 3.6 steals per game during the inaugural domestic JBA season last summer. During the first seven games of the JBA International Tour he averaged 29.9 points, 12. 4 assists, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.1 steals.
What this next chapter holds for LaMelo Ball remains to be seen, but it's clear that he's happy to be back on U.S. soil.
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