About Us

Meet the Team! 

Irving Eggleston Jr: Founder/ Program Director BNL Elite Boys AAU

As a Coach, Irving enters his second season as an assistant at Brandeis University apart of the high academic UAA conference. Previously Irving spent two seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach at Rhode Island College. Before this Irving spent one season as an assistant coach at Lasell College helping lead the Lasers to the playoffs. Additionally, he started his coaching career at Nichols College helping lead the bison to a program tying record of 25-4, their first Top 25 ranking in school history, and their 2nd Conference Championship. As an assistant coach Irving specialized in player development and recruiting, successfully recruiting an all conference player at each program he was a part of. 

As a Player, Eggleston is a 2016 graduate of Nichols College who was twice named Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Year. He guided the Bison to three CCC Regular Season Championships and two conference championship contests, and graduated tied for the program’s all-time leader in steals (193) and is No. 12 in points (1,298). Eggleston also ranks in the top 10 in career free throws attempts and makes. During his career at Nichols, he was a two-time CCC First Team selection as well as the 2015-16 CCC Defensive Player of the Year. Following his senior season, Eggleston was also named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Second Team and the D3hoops.com Northeast Region Second Team. Irving was inducted into the Nichols College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.

As a Professional, during the 2016-17 Eggleston averaged 16 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.5 steals for Newcastle University of the National Basketball League (NBL). He helped the Knights advance to the British Universities and Colleges Sport Premier Final Four for the first time in school history, as well as the NBL Division II Patrons Cup Championship.

Eggleston is a native of Manhattan, New York.

Dino Porcic: Founder/ Program Director BNL Elite Girls AAU

Dino Porcic took over the coaching reins of the Johnson & Wales (RI) University women’s basketball program in May, 2023.

Porcic came to JWU after spending the 2022-23 campaign as an assistant coach at Merrimack College, a Division I institution in Andover, Massachusetts. Playing a non-conference schedule which featured two NCAA Tournament teams (Notre Dame & USC) and two more which qualified for the NIT Tournament (Boston University & Harvard), the Warriors won 15 games (10-6 Northeast Conference), which was four more than the previous season. Three MC student-athletes earned NEC All-Conference honors as the Warriors went from seventh-place in 2021-22 to third this past season.

Porcic handled all operations duties for the Warriors, including team meals and travel, scheduling, budgeting, scouting, and academic supervision. He was also a key recruiter for head coach Kelly Morrone, using both the transfer portal as well as relationships fostered with high school, club, and junior coaches.

A 2016 graduate of Nichols College, Porcic cut his teeth in the coaching ranks as an assistant coach with the Lady Rivals AAU program. From there, he moved on to Rhode Island College, where he spent three seasons as an assistant coach (2019-22). Porcic helped the Anchorwomen to back-to-back Little East championship game appearances (2021-22) and the 2022 LEC Championship, which resulted in a berth into the NCAA Tournament. RIC posted a three-year combined record of 56-11 (.836 winning pct.) with Porcic on staff, and he played a key role in recruiting student-athletes from across New England. Working primarily with the guards, he was also responsible for practice planning and created recruiting videos for the program.

Porcic is a native of Putnam, Connecticut, Porcic was a member of the 2012-13 men’s basketball program at Nichols, which advanced to the CCC Tournament. He graduated NC with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.

Kaylin Reen: Program Director BNL Elite Girls AAU

Reen was a four-year member of the Roger Williams University women’s basketball team and now has found her new home at Johnson and Wales University. In addition to her duties as an assistant coach for the JWU Womens Basketball squad, Reen also serves as the Manager of intramurals and club porgramming at JWU. 

Reen served as team captain her senior year at Roger Williams and lead her team to a program's first, CCC Championship title. A member of the student athlete advisory committee at RWU, she received her Bachelor of Science in math and secondary education in May, 2022. Reen was named to the Dean’s List in five out of her eight semesters in Bristol.

As a senior at RWU, Reen began her tenure as an eighth-grade math teacher at Highlander Charter School, where she worked until this past summer. She was also the founder and head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team at Highlander in 2022-23.

With regards to her basketball coaching position at JWU, Reen has previous experience as a camp assistant coach at Celtics Camp (2017-19), as a camp counselor at Norwood Basketball (2016-19), as a coach and scorekeeper at Mass Premier Courts (2014-17), and as an Administrative Assistant with the Mass Mavericks (2020).

Reen is a native of Norwood, Massachusetts.

 
Randolf Thurman: BNL Elite Boys AAU Coach

Randolf Thurman completed his 2nd season as an assistant coach with the Johnson & Wales (RI) University men's basketball team.

The former Dean College standout is no stranger to competing at a high level. Coming from Wilbraham & Monson Prep the prep star competed against some of the best players to ever pick up a basketball in New England.

Jontai Williams: BNL Elite Boys AAU Coach

Jontai Williams is from the Bronx, New York. Having grown up in New York City, basketball is a very prominent sport. Jontai's first introduction to basketball was in sixth grade when his older brother taught him about the game of basketball. He played on an AAU Adidas-affiliated basketball team called WizKids where he began to travel and play competitively in many states across America.

In high school, he attended Cardinal Hayes High School where he played on the freshman and junior varsity, and 2 years on the varsity team as a starting guard.  In his varsity season, he was a Captain and was able to help his team achieve the schools first CHSAA AA Catholic High School City/State basketball championship in 2016-17 and was named to the all-tournament team. He was also a top 15 player in NY State at the end of his high school career.

From there Jontai received a full basketball scholarship to play basketball at Division 2 level at Saint Michael's College in Vermont for 4 years. Throughout his career, he was a Captain of the 2021-22 team, achieved 6 NE-10 Academic Honor Rolls, and was a top 5 point guard in the conference in assists per game.

From there Jontai was able to play an extra year of basketball due to COVID-19 and transferred to Johnson & Wales University Wildcats for the 2022-23 season as the starting point guard where he made the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Academic Team. Throughout his career, he was able to help run basketball camps where he was able to help young athletes work on skill development and understanding the game of basketball. Now he is currently the Head Coach of the Moses Brown Boys Middle School A team.

Charles Adebayo: BNL Elite Boys AAU Coach

Charles Adebayo, grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. Picked up a basketball at the age of 4. Due to schooling and family issues, he was not able to play until sophomore year in high school where I became the starting forward on JV at Hope High School in Providence. Progressively got better and Finished off high school career averaging a double double of 9.5 pts and 9.5 rebounds a game senior year. Also played for AAU for Team Providence, Pawtucket Hoops, and RI Renegades now known as RI Elite where I was able to draw the attention of many Division 3 programs and a few Division 2 .

After bouncing around from a few colleges, ended up playing at Gordon State College in Georgia for 3 years. Started every game my last year, Did not average much but had multiple double doubles with highest rebounding output being 17. Played against tough competition all year top D1 commits and D1 transfers.

After collegiate experience, was able to sign Semi Pro where I am now a member of the Providence Pirates. With collegiate and pro experience I am able to run camps train groups and individuals at developing not only skills but the right attitude and mindset that will enable them to be successful in all future endeavors.

Chris Botolino: BNL Elite Boys AAU Coach

Chris Botolino, current member of the Mens basketball team at Johnson & Wales University. Went to high school at Barnstable High School in Massachusetts, varsity point guard, team captain, Cape & Islands League All Star, Boston Herald All scholastic team as a senior. Played at JWU for the past three seasons, Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-conference academic team selection in 2022-23.

Samantha Crough: BNL Elite Girls AAU Coach

Samantha Crough enters her fourth year as the head coach of the Regis College women's basketball team in 2024-25.

During the 2023-24 campaign, led by Second Team All-GNAC selection Madi Zancan, who accumulated the second-most points in a single season with 513, the Pride finished with a winning record in conference play for the 16th straight season and qualified for the 2024 GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament. 

Crough paced the 2022-23 squad to a 12-6 league record, finishing in a tie for second place in the GNAC South Division and earning a home game in the GNAC Tournament quarterfinals. Pam Gonzalez became the 18th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career on her way to a second straight First Team All-GNAC selection, while Madi Zancan earned GNAC Rookie of the Year honors after a stellar first-year campaign.

In her first season, Crough led the Pride to a 13-9 overall record, including an 11-3 mark within the GNAC. The team received a bye into the quarterfinals of the GNAC Tournament and won a home game to advance to the semifinals. 

During the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Crough was the Region I voter for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll. 

Crough spent four years as an assistant coach under Jacquie Hullah at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. She played a significant role in recruiting prospective student-athletes, preparing for practices and games, scouting opponents, creating social media content, and coordinating team travel.

Before Carnegie Mellon, Crough served as an assistant coach under Pat Manning at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. She helped the development of both guards and forwards, coordinated film breakdown and analysis, and led the junior varsity team as its head coach. Crough was also an assistant coach at Emerson College in 2014-15.

An accomplished player at Endicott College, Crough helped lead the Gulls to three straight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournaments and scored 1,284 career points. She graduated as the all-time career leader in field goals made and was fifth in points scored and blocked shots. Crough was also named the Endicott Female Athlete of the Year as a senior and was honored on the All-Commonwealth Coast Conference team three times.

Originally from Cohasset, Mass., Crough graduated from Endicott College in 2014 with a degree in psychology, a minor in sociology, and a certificate in coaching. She received her master's degree in sports management with a concentration in leadership from Lasell University in December 2020.

Jalen Dupre: BNL Elite Girls AAU Coach

Jalen Dupre is entering his third season as head coach of the girls varsity Lady Wave of Hope High School in Providence, RI. Under his first season as head coach the team went 2-15 and hadn’t won a game before arriving for multiple seasons. This past season the Lady Wave went 15-3 earning the third seed in their division and upsetting Johnston high school the first seed in the division championship where the game was played at The AMP (Providence Friars men’s home). Coach Dupre was the second coach in school history to win a championship and with the win it qualified the waves to play in the open state tournament where they played Moses Brown in the first round. With the turn around and the program growing, the Providence Journal and the All State High School Sports Awards named the girls varsity basketball team atHope High School the 2024 Team of the Year.

Before arriving to Hope, Jalen spent his free time working on player and skill development that started as a student at Rhode Island College, working out multiple of the student athletes on the men’s basketball team. Skills development and training grew further while arriving at Hope where he now have a client base that features college and professional athletes such as Division 3 All American second team Octavio Brito of Keene State, Raymond Guzman a guard who currently plays for Sacred Heart, Janai Crooms, a former Providence college standout and currently plays for Santurce in Puerto Rico and Jonathan Batista an ABA professional player for the Providence Pirates. Along with them Dupre is truly focused on working with up and coming Rhode Island talent from elementary- high school level where most of my time is spent.

Originally from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, graduate of Rhode Island College in 2018 with a degree in Youth Development and a minor/concentration in coaching.

Sam Mancinelli: BNL Elite Girls AAU Coach

Sam Mancinelli, a three-year captain of the Roger Williams University women's basketball team, has joined the Tufts University team's staff as an assistant coach.

Mancinelli was the point guard for a Hawks team which finished last season 25-3 overall and won the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship. She averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 assists per game and was ranked third in the nation for assist/turnover ratio. Her 124 total assists were second in the league and 28th nationally. Mancinelli was an All-Conference selection and was named the CCC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

A 2021 graduate with summa cum laude honors from Roger Williams, Mancinelli earned her degree in criminal justice. She then earned a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice in 2022. Her time at Roger Williams also included serving as the intramurals coordinator and as an administrative assistant.

Mancinelli has been working as an assistant coach with the Rhode Island Basketball Club since March of this year. 

From nearby Peabody, Massachusetts, Mancinelli attended Bishop Fenwick High School where she helped the team win a state championship in 2016.

Derek Shanks: BNL Elite Girls AAU Coach

Derek Shanks begins his second season as an assistant women's basketball coach at Rhode Island College.

Shanks joins the RIC staff after recently graduating with a bachelor’s degree in finance and sports management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While at UMass, Shanks served as the head coach of the women’s club basketball team and was also a practice player with the varsity team.
 
The North Attleboro, Mass. native served as an assistant coach with the Red Rocketeers boys’ varsity basketball program for three seasons.