URI Mourns Passing of Former Ram Ryan Preston
KINGSTON, R.I. – The University of Rhode Island Department of Athletics mourns the passing of former men’s basketball player Ryan Preston.
Preston, 24, who graduated from URI in 2019 and played for the Rams from 2017-19, died due to injuries suffered in a car accident in Bahrain. He was a member of Issa Town in the Bahrain-Premier League.
“The loss of Ryan Preston is hard to process, and the thoughts of the entire Rhode Island basketball program are with his mother Melanie and his brother Robert,” Rhode Island head coach David Cox said. “Ryan brought passion and a relentless effort to everything he did, on the court or off.“Watching him grow as a man, complete his degree, and embark on a professional career that took him around the world was special. Ryan was a success in life, and it hurts to know that life has been cut short.”
Preston, who transferred to URI from Trinity Valley Community College, played in 42 games over the course of his two seasons with the Rams. He was a member of Rhode Island’s 2017-18 team that won the Atlantic 10 regular season title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship. A Dean’s List student, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communications.Following his time in Kingston, Preston went on to play professionally in Portugal and Bahrain.
