2028 wing Enmanuel Valera Melo is an intriguing long-term prospect out of Phelps School (PA). The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter from the Dominican Republic has been carving out a name for himself over the past year on both the National & international levels.
I had the chance to talk with Melo about representing Dominican Republic, his recruitment and more.
Over this past summer, Valera Melo was booked and busy, playing in the infamous NYC summer league ‘NYvsNY’, and also gaining some FIBA experience with Dominican Republic in the AmeriCup.
“My FIBA experience was amazing, we got to play against high-level guys,” said Valera Melo. “We played guys that will be going to college this year, and elite guys from Team USA, like Taylen Kinney & Bruce Branch. It was solid,competition for us to get better. I also got to play with Antonio Pemberton, he’s a great teammate and a great player. He’s definitely one of my guys.”
A huge part of Valera Melo’s roots in the States originate in New York City. Last summer, he was running on the Adidas circuit with New Heights, where he was averaging around 12 ppg & 5 rebounds. This past summer, he spent time with PSA Cardinals on the EYBL circuit playing up in the E17 with guys like Creighton commit Micah Gordon, and Syracuse commit Moussa Kamissoko. When he wasn’t traveling for grassroots or international play, he was honing his game and making his own around New York City as one of the best upcoming players in the area.
“NYvsNY was pretty good,” he said. “I got to play with guys like Asa Montgomery, and Joshua Rivera, some high-level guys. It was a great experience for me to get better. This summer I really worked on my handle, my mental focus and my body too. When I first got to the states, my body was skinny and I wasn’t as strong.”