Why On3 is higher than the industry with 4-star C Tommy Ahneman

Tommy Ahneman is an interesting prospect. And it is not just his game that makes him so intriguing. Here at On3, we are higher than the industry with the 6-foot-11, 235-pound center from West Fargo (N.D.) Sheyenne High ranking him as the No. 49 overall player in the 2025 On3 150.

Ahneman earned North Dakota Gatorade State Player of the Year honors this season. He is also top three on Nike’s EYCL Circuit in scoring and rebounding. While neither his home state nor travel circuit is known for producing many high-level prospects, Ahneman has interestingly enough been hidden in plane sight until this point.

On3 leaves nothing to question when we talk about the objective of our rankings. The goal of our rankings is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifested by the NBA Draft. Our ranking does not assess who had the best high school career or who will be the best college player. This is why we will shoot to end each cycle with 14 five-star prospects following the lead of the NBA Draft Lottery. This can be different from others, but our vision with ratings is draft night.

On3 has Ahneman ranked No. 49 in the most recent 2025 On3 150 update. He is unranked by 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN at this point. Criteria can be different across the industry when it comes to players and the order in which they are ranked. So let’s break down why On3 is higher on Tommy Ahneman than the industry.

Ahneman’s Consistent Production

Tommy Ahneman earned North Dakota’s State Gatorade Player of the Year honors this season after averaging 20.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per contest. The 6-foot-11 center finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks in West Fargo (N.D.) Sheyenne’s state championship win earning him MaxPreps State Player of the Year honors and Most Valuable Player of the North Dakota State Tournament.

While the talent level he is facing is what it is in his local area, Ahneman has done exactly what he is supposed to do in dominating where he is at.

Playing with the Howard Pulley program on Nike’s EYCL Circuit, this is the secondary circuit to Nike’s EYBL. The Howard Pulley program is the same one that produced Creighton freshman Jackson McAndrew, a top-25 player in On3’s 2023 class. Ahneman is third on the circuit in scoring at 20.7 points and he is leading in rebounds with 8.1.

According to Nike’s summer league website, Ahneman’s 20.7 points per game, in 12 games, are being scored at a 75.6 (102-135) percent clip. He has scored in double figures in 11 of his 12 games played and grabbed at least seven rebounds in the same number.

No matter if it is against high school or club competition, Ahneman’s production has remained high.

The Size and Skill Set

Already standing 6-foot-11 and weighing 235 pounds, Tommy Ahneman looks the part. He has good length with wide-set shoulders that allow one to think that he should be able to continue adding good weight without losing much mobility or athleticism.

While going through some of his highlights recently with one high major coach, they mentioned his game evoked shades of Tyler Hansbrough. While, in my eyes, this is not a one-to-one comparison, I feel like when talking about a player, it is helpful to put a familiar name out there to give a starting point in describing a player’s skill set. With that said, like Hansbrough, Ahneman does a lot of his damage from within 15 feet of the basket.

Where Ahneman excels is with his post work on the block. He is equipped with excellent footwork and an innate feel for angles. He sets up a wide target on his spot on the block and then feels the defender to counter which direction he goes. Ahneman has a couple of go-to moves on the block and he also has a counter for each.

He has more straight-line pop than Hansbrough as well as more athletic fluidity. A lot of Hansbrough’s buckets were through defenders whereas Ahneman gets a lot of his production around them. With that, Hansbrough carried a more tenacious ferocity, he was unique in that way, simply bringing the physicality with him every play for four years at Chapel Hill.

Ahneman has soft, passer-friendly hands, and he has touch over both shoulders. He can absorb contact and finish the play. While his footwork, size, and body control allow for a lot of clean looks on the block, he is an adept passer, able to make the simple reads out of the post.

While Ahneman is as good of a low-block scorer as I have evaluated over the past five or so recruiting cycles, he does not do much outside of 15 feet. He has touch, so extending his range will be something to key in as he continues to develop and progress his game. Also, continuing to work on his lateral quickness and stamina. The 6-foot-11 post has a good straight-line burst. When he loads his feet he can finish through contact and over would-be defenders. Continuing to work on his hip flexibility and defensive footwork will go a long way with him.

With that said, there are simply not a lot of players over the last few recruiting cycles, that you can set up on the block, feed an entry pass, and be confident they can get a bucket. Tommy Ahneman is that guy.

Projecting Tommy Ahneman Looking Ahead

Tommy Ahneman’s skill on the low block is unique in today’s game. As we look over the last couple of college basketball seasons, we see UConn winning back-to-back with Donovan Clingan and Adama Sonogo, Purdue making a run to the finals with Zach Edey, and Kansas, with David McCormick, overcoming UNC and Armando Bacot for the title.

More and more, we are seeing big men be essential in winning in college basketball. Looking at Ahneman’s game, he is a player that his teams play through. Rarely do his high school or travel teams play consecutive possessions where he does not get a touch. And with that, his high school and travel teams are a combined 31-8 – with a state championship – over the past year.

Projecting that to the highest level, we will need to continue monitoring the defensive end. NBA teams are not afraid of posting up, however, as tradition would say, guys who are good at posting up are not able to play in the fluid defensive systems they mostly use. Along with that thought, Ahneman will need to continue extending his shooting range.

He has a good frame, projectable toward adding good weight as he continues to progress in level. He carries plays length and nice straight-line athleticism. Ahenman is not soft by any stretch, never afraid to mix things up around the basket. However, what got him his debut inside of the top 50 in On3’s 2025 ranking update is his smooth polish when scoring on the block.

That trait will translate and that trait is useful, if not coveted, in today’s college basketball landscape.

Coming into Monday’s ranking update, Ahneman carried offers from Penn State, Iowa, and a handful of mid-major programs. In a couple of days since Monday’s update, he has added offers from Northwestern, Minnesota, DePaul, and Nebraska.