4-star Ahmad Nowell breaks down Tennessee; talks UConn, Miami, Georgia Tech, and Kentucky

Ahmad Nowell is the No. 40 player in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. The 6-foot-1 guard is averaging 13.7 points and 4.8 assists and shooting 40.7 percent from three for the No. 1 ranked Team Final team on Nike’s EYBL Circuit.

“I’d say I’m an all-around player,” Nowell told On3. “I can rebound, pass, score it; I’m an overall leader, whatever the team needs me to do in order to win. I watch a lot of different guys, the handle like Kyrie (Irving), the shooting like Damien Lillard, and the dog like Jimmy Butler. I’m a natural winner.”

On3 caught up with Ahmad Nowell after a recent live viewing to get caught up on his recruitment.

Nowell talks Tennessee

“I’ve only been on one official visit so far,” Nowell said. “That was to Tennessee.”

“They were one of the first schools to start recruiting me, so I felt like I owed them back the loyalty to go see them first. The game I went to was their senior night game, so the talk they had before with all their seniors showed me their culture there. They showed me their team had a great brotherhood. They all liked each other.

“Watching them play, they play with a lot of good ball movement and actions that will make it easier for players to score, which I like a lot. I feel like they recruit good bigs too. Me being able to get into a ball screen with a big and being able to work in a two-man game is good.”

Nowell talks recruitment

“I’m taking a visit to Georgia Tech next week,” Nowell said. “I’m also looking at taking visits to Kentucky and maybe Miami and UConn.”

Georgia Tech: “I’ve talked with Coach (Damon) Staudamire a couple of times. Him being an ex-NBA player and being able to learn from him is a big thing for me. He likes that I play really hard. He says I play like I’m from New York, so he likes my mentality on the court. That I’m a winner and I will do what my team needs to win.”

UConn: “Honestly, the fact that they’re national champions stands out. Over the last couple of years, they have had a couple of lottery picks who were guards, so them being able to get their players to the NBA is a big thing for me.”

Kentucky: “Of course, getting a Kentucky offer is a big deal. Coming up, watching basketball, all the big NBA players who came from Kentucky, and hearing about them, and seeing that. Them just recognizing me to get an offer is a big honor. Justin (Edwards) and I have a great relationship, and he stays on me, saying to ‘go ahead and come over.'”

Miami: “They play really hard. They don’t always have a big in the lineup, and them still being able to get it done with how hard they play is really good. I have a good relationship with the staff, growing up watching DJ Irving when he was at Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic and talking with him. We have a good relationship.”

In his words

“I don’t really have an exact time frame for anything,” Ahmad Nowell said. “But, I do think I’ll be dropping a top seven in the net month.

“The play style of the team will play a big factor for me. I want to go to a school that runs a lot of ball screens and a lot of good actions. Play for a coach that gives his guards the freedom to make plays within structure.

“I’ll look at the coaching style of the coach and the brotherhood, the bond the team has as well. Player development will be big because I definitely want to get better throughout my college career. The history of guys at my position, if they get their players to the NBA. That is my ultimate goal for me, be an NBA point guard one day.”