Fresh off Kentucky offer, Ahmad Nowell looks to prove he's the best PG in '24

2024 four-star point guard Ahmad Nowell had barely wrapped up his final game of Nike EYBL Session I last weekend in Atlanta when a new offer came down the pike — a big one.

John Calipari and the Kentucky basketball staff had been courtside throughout the three-day event, watching the 6-foot-2 prospect out of Philadelphia in action. And then before packing up and heading out early Sunday afternoon, the scholarship was extended. It came after scoring at least 15 points in three of four games, headlined by a 25-point outing to open grassroots season. That came with at least four assists and three rebounds in every game, along with an average of one steal and just three turnovers overall.

Pretty impressive stuff.

And he wasn’t just a one-weekend wonder, either. He followed it up with an average of 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest in Session II this past weekend. That’s good for a two-session run of 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists with just 1.8 turnovers per contest, shooting 59.1% from the field overall, 44.4% from three and 72.2% at the line.

He has played like a man on a mission, someone with something to prove. What is that, exactly?

“I’m looking to prove I’m the No. 1 point guard in my class,” Nowell told KSR. “That’s really the goal and really what I work toward every time I get on the court.”

Listed at No. 50 overall in the latest On3 Player Rankings, he doesn’t jump off the page physically. At 6-2, 185 pounds, he’s not going to overwhelm you with his size and he’s not the most explosive. What he does, though, is defend his tail off all 94 feet while setting the table for his teammates offensively. And he’s growing as a shot-maker — tough in essentially every facet of the game.

“My shooting ability, my passing ability — but obviously, everybody has that,” he said. “Honestly, it’s my heart, my toughness and my motor that really pushes me over the edge. And my defense stands out against other talented guards.”

That mindset is what caught Kentucky’s attention, among other schools in hot pursuit. A former teammate of future Wildcat Justin Edwards, he’s a winner at heart, leading Imhotep Charter to its second consecutive PIAA Class 5A state title this past season. He finished the year averaging 13.3 points on 42.2% shooting, 39.1% from three and 80.7% at the line while adding 4.9 rebounds per contest as a junior.

Edwards was the star, but Nowell was the two-way dog, the straw that stirred the drink.

“Coming from Philadelphia, I mean, it’s kill or be killed for me,” he told KSR. “Just not letting anybody have the upper edge or got over you that day, that’s just something I take pride in.”

That’s where his recruitment comes in, Kentucky being the newest school in the picture. He knows the connection with Edwards, the blue-blood appeal. John Calipari flew out to see him personally a week before the EYBL season started, then offered immediately after the opening weekend.

“(The early conversations) went pretty good. They just told me they were interested and wanted to start a relationship. It was great, an honor to be recognized by a school of that caliber,” Nowell told KSR. “They produce NBA players and they get a lot of players to the NBA. That’s the main thing I know. It for sure appeals to me, schools that produce good players and focus on player development. They get players to the NBA, and that’s definitely one of the main things I look forward to in college.”

That’s just the latest program. The four-star guard has interest from Michigan, St. John’s, Villanova, Memphis, Auburn and Kansas, but he tells KSR that Tennessee and UConn are the other schools pushing for him the hardest.

What does he like about the Volunteers, who he visited back in February?

“I like the brotherhood there. That’s my only official visit so far, I took a visit there,” he said. “The brotherhood they’ve got over there, the connection and relationships they’ve got, that’s what overtook everything else.”

And UConn, who extended an offer back on April 6.

“Obviously, they just won March Madness [laughs]. They’re winning and they’re winners,” Nowell said of the Huskies. “They play hard, so that’s definitely something I like about that school.”

Will the school’s most recent title impact his decision? And what about other programs’ recent track records?

“Not really. I feel like it’s not about what the school did,” he told KSR. “It’s about what the school is going to be able to do and what they’re going to be able to do for me. But that’s definitely a great accomplishment to have, a great thing to have on your resume, winning March Madness. That’s a tough tournament.”

As far as a timeline for a decision is concerned, the standout guard has “no idea right now” when he’d like to sit down and pick a school. And he’s in no rush to come up with that answer, especially not with new offers and interest popping up by the day.

“No, no idea right now. Just embracing the recognition I’ve been receiving and taking all of this in,” Nowell said. “I’m going to be taking it slow.”

When it does come time for a decision, what will be the biggest factor in where he lands?

“Really, what school is going to put me in the best position to succeed,” he told KSR. “Everything I want to take in from a college, knowing everything they’ve got to offer, that’s really what’s going to determine my final decision.”

The process has to start somewhere, and that’s certainly the case with Kentucky. Evaluation and in-person communication have already begun. Where will things go from here?