Amier Ali hearing from Kentucky 'daily,' targeting fall decision

2024 four-star wing Amier Ali has been a bit of a polarizing prospect since emerging as a top-50 talent in his age group. Standing 6-foot-9, he’s a quick-trigger shooter with limitless range and confidence. Physically, he’s got the tools to be a high-level player in college with pro potential. That’s why schools such as Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, and yes, even Kentucky, are going after him. He just cut his list to those eight programs back in April.

On the flip side, the No. 37 overall prospect and No. 11 small forward in the On3 Industry Ranking has had issues with shot selection and defense. Ali never saw a shot he didn’t like, and that’s not always a great thing. An average athlete with underwhelming length, he developed a reputation for being a one-trick pony of sorts. When his shot isn’t falling, what else does he bring to the table? Offensive struggles often translated to minimal effort on the other end of the floor.

That’s why recruiting analysts just haven’t been able to get there with the Columbus, OH native regarding five-star status. Tools, sure, but not the consistency you’re looking for.

And he’s heard the concerns and criticisms. He gets it. It’s why he’s focusing on showing other areas of his game this Nike EYBL season, looking to make the extra pass and tightening up shot selection. Building on his strengths and minimizing his weaknesses en route to a more well-rounded product — unlocking his status as a big guard.

“Just my guard skills, more facilitating and getting my teammates involved. Then ball handling, all that stuff. I want to become a guard and that’s what I’m being labeled as,” Ali told KSR. “That’s what I want to be at the next level, a combo guard. Maybe a one or a two, being able to facilitate and shoot.”

Through two weekends of the EYBL season, Ali is averaging 11.7 points on 44.1 percent shooting overall, 33.3 percent from three and 66.7 percent at the line. He’s also adding 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.9 minutes per contest.

Taking a closer look, though, the four-star wing has shot 50 percent or better overall in five of seven games and 40 percent or better from three in three of seven. Above all else, the high-volume, low-efficiency days are less frequent — a necessity for him long-term. All in all, he’s put together a solid start to his final grassroots campaign.

At the end of the day, he knows 180-pound forwards are few and far between in the league. That’s just not his game. Ali is a finesse player who plays out on the perimeter, and in order to make it at the next level, he’s going to have to be able to hit shots. That’s the long-term vision, why he’s all-in on embracing that style of play and overall mindset now.

“There aren’t a lot of guys who are 6-8, 6-9 that can play guard like that. And at the next level, that’s what they’re looking for, big guards. That’s why I’m pushing that,” he said. “I just work on it every day and the work helps me build confidence every day. I just come in here and that’s what I work on, getting my confidence up.”

That’s where his recruitment comes in, looking for a program that will help him develop as a bigger guard before making a jump to the pros. If you have a history of getting players that look like him ready for the NBA, he’s interested. And he feels the eight schools on his final list provide that.

“It’s all the schools that are prioritizing me, the schools that put players at my position in the NBA. Guys that kind of look like me, slimmer, bigger guards,” Ali told KSR. “It came down to their history, their development of big guards. But it’s also about the relationships with the coaches. That’s very important to me too because I want to feel comfortable at the school I choose.”

Of the schools pushing the hardest right now? The first name he rattled off is a familiar one to Big Blue Nation.

“Kentucky, Florida State, Ohio State for sure. Arizona State, Michigan and Arkansas,” he said. “They’re all prioritizing me the most right now.”

What is it about the Wildcats he likes? And what is the staff’s pitch to him?

“They like me a lot and I like them. The coaches are nice and we gel together really well. They’re just trying to get me, honestly,” Ali told KSR. “Trying really hard to get me, just checking up on me daily. Coach Chin (Coleman) and all of them, Coach Cal. They think I’m like a slimmer guard, and they have a history of those players in that system, all of those great players they’ve had.”

And then some of the other schools pushing for him the hardest, starting with the hometown OSU Buckeyes.

“(I) definitely (like them) because I’m from there,” he said. “The coaching staff is amazing, I really gel with them well, too.”

And Florida State, a program known for bringing in big, versatile guards and putting them in the NBA.

“Coaching staff is great, I love their coaching staff. They have a great history also,” he added. “That’s definitely a program with a lot of bigger guards, guys with versatility.

What about Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks? They just had a big guard in Anthony Black run the show all season long before he turned pro as a projected lottery talent.

“I like how they played Nick Smith and Anthony Black this past year, and their coaching staff is great,” Ali said. “Just the way they play their freshmen and let them play the way they need to play, that’s definitely a program I like.”

He’s not on the cusp of a commitment, but it’s not too far off, he says. Expect that to come down the pike this fall leading up to the high school season.

“I would say September or October, somewhere around there,” he told KSR. “That’s when I’ll probably make my decision.”

And what will he be looking for in a school when that time comes?

“Definitely a coaching staff that takes care of you, checks on you daily and wants to build a relationship,” Ali said. “Basketball-wise, it’ll come down to their history and coaches that put you in position to succeed.”

Will that be at Kentucky?