Big Ben Commits To The Hurricanes
It was just announced that Putnam Science and Team New England/BABC standout big man Ben Ahmed has committed to the Miami Hurricanes of the ACC.
Ahmed’s story is one of perseverance and inspiration, coming from Kaduna State, Nigeria, in the summer of 2022 with a dream of playing Division One basketball. Not only has he achieved that dream, but he also earned several high-major scholarship offers and captured the national spotlight.
I remember vividly being struck by his talent during my time as an intern with Zero Gravity. While running the Wolves Den gym, I walked over to Court 5 and saw this towering freshman dominate his 15U game. After the game, I learned that this was Ben Ahmed, a recent arrival from Nigeria. It was clear from the beginning that his potential was immense.
In just two short years, Ahmed helped Putnam win a National Prep Championship and finished as runner-up the following year. He played a key role in both contests, anchoring the paint, cleaning the boards, and overpowering opponents with his imposing frame.
In the 2024 3SSB season with BABC, Ahmed averaged 9.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1% from the field.
By the end of the summer, Ahmed had attracted interest from top programs, including Boston College, California, Cincinnati, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Miami, Providence, Rutgers, and Xavier.
Narrowing that impressive list to Cincinnati, Miami, and Xavier must have been incredibly difficult, but ultimately, Ahmed decided on the Miami Hurricanes. He becomes the first New England commit for Miami since 2021, following in the footsteps of fellow Putnam Science product, Bensley Joseph.
On the 247Sports Youtube feed, Ahmed mentioned how the coaching staff at Miami made him feel at home throughout the process, saying how it’s felt like he’s been there for some time now. He also spoke on how he will bring positive energy to the team and continue to be a great role model.
In Big Ben, the Hurricanes are getting a very coachable, high character player full of upside. He's a tremendous rebounder that uses his big frame to overpower others on box outs and secure boards. As an interior scoring threat he has very good hands in the post, finishes around the rim at a high percentage and can make plays out of the paint as well.
Ahmed is the second Class of 2025 prospect to commit to Miami, joining four-star shooting guard Matthew Able, who committed in August. Miami is also in the running for Cameron and Cayden Boozer, and securing all four would be a huge win for the program.
For those wanting to catch Ahmed in action before he heads off to Miami, the National Prep Championship circuit will feature plenty of opportunities to see him play this winter. Keep an eye on the schedule as the season approaches!
Ben Ahmed