SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The URI basketball team rarely gets players such as Ben Eaves.

World-class athletes who are recruited by some of the biggest and strongest college basketball programs in the country do not usually end up in Kingston.

There have been a couple of detours involved, but it has happened with Ben Eaves. The 6-foot-7 225-pounder from Lancashire, England, will be one of the interesting stories to follow this season with the Rams.

Eaves is going to have to fight for playing time in a deep frontcourt that will be one of URI’s strengths. Kahiem Seawright, Jason Francis, Lamonte Ulmer, Delroy James and Will Martell return. Eaves and Orion Outerbridge, a highly regarded 6-9 freshman from Boston, will scramble for playing time.

“It’s a good problem for us to have, because we know we have a lot of guys who can help,” coach Jim Baron said. “With the way we play, we’re going to need all of them. We’re happy to have them.”

Eaves is the wildcard in the group because his background is so different.

He not only played, but excelled for three years on England’s national youth teams. He was recruited at the top level, by schools such as Purdue and West Virginia, while still in England. But he decided to attend prep school.

Two years ago, he came to the United States and spent a post-grad year at Worcester Academy, the team directed by former Bryant College coach Eddie Reilly. Reilly immediately recognized what college coaches saw. That is, Eaves is a superb athlete who needed to learn how to play American-style basketball.

“Ben’s a runner,” Reilly said. “He can run forever. He can shoot. He can do so many things.” Taking the athleticism and turning it into basketball skills is the challenge.

“Our own kids from the United States struggle with a postseason year, with the rules and regulations we require and with making the transition,” Reilly said. “Ben came from a totally different style. As gifted as he was athletically, it still was a big learning process on how to play, how to compete, how to match up physically. Most kids struggle. Ben did, too. But eventually he was able to adjust and succeed.”

Eaves averaged 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists at Worcester — nice numbers, but not good enough to attract the power schools. But scouts saw the athleticism and the potential. URI recruited him. So did Connecticut, Boston College and Georgia Tech, among many others.

Eaves chose Connecticut. UConn “recruited” him, by its success, while he was still in England.

“When I was 14 years old, I’d talk with my friends and tell them I wanted to go to Connecticut,” Eaves related. “When I had the chance to actually do it, I took it.”

It did not work out. He was part of an eight-man recruiting class as Huskies were coming off a 30-4 season.

“I was recruited as a wing,” he said. It changed when he arrived on campus.

“They said, ‘With your size and strength, maybe you can play a little four. Sometimes they were going to three-guard sets,” he related.

Eaves got into only 11 games and barely played. When he did, it often was with his back to the basket, not his strength.

After one year, he decided Connecticut was not for him. He left without rancor.

“The coaches helped me out immensely there. I feel like I was fortunate to be in that situation,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I was in a bad situation. I was there learning a lot of things I can take with me.”

When he decided to leave, he went back to Reilly for guidance. Reilly makes no secret of the fact that he thought URI would be a good fit.

“Jim [Baron] had just gone to his new style where he was running so much,” Reilly said. “That’s the style where Ben can be at his best.”

Eaves sat out last year, as is required by NCAA rules. He has three years of eligibility remaining. He showed his old coach, Reilly, two weeks ago that he was ready to blossom.

Reilly organizes a day early in each school year in which he invites his former players to return and compete against his new team.

Both Eaves and Jimmy Baron, who also played for Reilly, took part.

“Ben wowed my kids with a couple tomahawk dunks,” Reilly said. “The thing I marveled at is his conditioning. He looks great. He’s always taken good care of his body. He’s always been a worker. He’s always had good bounce. He can run forever. Now he’s stronger. He can compete as just about any level athletically. And I mean any level.”

“Last year was different for me,” Eaves said. “While the guys were on the floor, all I could do was worry if my tie was straight since I couldn’t play. I was able to work more in the weight room since I wasn’t playing.

“I feel this is a better fit for me,” he said. “I feel at home, real comfortable here. Everyone on the team really gets along well. It’s a tight unit. The guys are keen to do well. We’ve got a lot of guys who can play interchangeable positions.”

Baron says he enjoys that he has so many players competing for work. He is not sure exactly where Eaves will fit in. But he expects him to get a chance to show what he can do.

“He’s a terrific kid, one of those kids you root for to do well,” Reilly said. “I think he’s picked a really suitable system for him as a player.”

pkenyon@projo.com