Clear the paint, and get familiar with Ben Ahmed.
Ahmed, the 6-foot-10 star for Putnam Science Academy, moved to the United States from Nigeria just two summers ago but has firmly established himself as one of the best big man prospects not only in New England, but the country.
After a standout year, he recently made the decision to reclassify from the Class of 2026 to 2025. It didn’t affect his status nationally. Ahmed is rated as a four-star prospect, and he’s ranked No. 74 in 247 Sports’ updated 2025 national rankings. He has several high-major college programs calling him.
Ahmed is getting ready for one final hurrah this winter at Putnam Science, where he already became the school’s all-time leading rebounder last season. We caught up with the big man for a wide-ranging interview, which includes his relationship with fellow Nigerian and Putnam Science/BABC teammate Oswin Erhunmwunse, his decision to reclassify, how his recruiting is going, his inspirations and goals, and much more.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
What was your upbringing like and how did you get into basketball?
“I’m from Nigeria. I have six siblings, four brothers and my older brother’s always playing basketball, so I was always around basketball, I just never really took it serious, but I was always around basketball. When COVID hit, I didn’t really have anything to do so I just started playing basketball and I went to this — it’s like a little tournament, like a game, and there was a scout there, I played there and he saw me play basketball. He was (asking), do I want to take basketball serious, and I was like, yeah. I think he had connections in the U.S.; that’s how I came to the USA to play basketball for Putnam.
“I think back home in Nigeria, basketball is now getting to be a big deal. So I just take pride, I just like to represent. When people ask me, I like to take pride and tell them I’m from Nigeria. It’s kind of different over there, but I’m still proud of where I’m from.”
What do you like about it here in the U.S.?
“I like the way they take basketball serious over here. There’s different facilities, good facilities. Back home, you worry about how to get basketball shoes. Here, you just have to be worried about putting in the work — everything else is kind of taken care of.”
What’s your favorite warmup song before you play a game?
“I’ll say right now, BossMan Dlow, ‘Get In With Me,’ I like that one.”
"Big Ben" is your nickname. How did that come about?
“I have the same name as my dad, same exact name. Benjamin. So, my dad is tall, like 6-5, 6-6, and he’s big, so they always used to call him Big Ben. And then it kind of just came from my siblings and then my friends around me, they just started calling me Big Ben because I’m always bigger than them.”
How would you describe your game? What do you feel like your strengths are? Where have you feel like you’ve grown?
“I’ve always been known for rebounding the ball. I’m just good at rebounding, being at the right spots when someone shoots the ball, so I’m a rebounder and I’m a post player, too. I just know how to score the ball on the post, so those are my strengths. My left hand is super strong, so I’m a left-handed post player who knows how to rebound, run the floor and overall, I feel like I’m a great teammate, too, because when players like to play with you, you’re a great teammate.”
I talked to Isaiah Davis (co-founder of Team New England) and he compared your game to Zach Randolph. Do you have a favorite player who you model your game after or any inspirations in the NBA?
“Right now, I like the way Alperen Şengün plays for the Houston Rockets because he’s 6-11, a post player, (but) knows how to shoot the ball. If I could work on my shot, I feel like I could do the same things that he does on the floor.”
How much pride do you have in being a big? The game has changed a lot and is geared more towards wings and guards, and there’s not as many skilled bigs like you. Do you feel like you’re a throwback in some ways?
“Yeah, I have pride, because I feel like you can have good guards, but without a big, I just feel like you’ll never be a great team. Look at Jokic, he’s changing the perspective of always having fours or athletic bigs. He’s a true five, he’s a true big. He literally does everything. He leads in assists, leads in rebounds, he scores the ball without having to shoot that well, just being a post player. So, I feel like right now, the NBA is kind of changing to where I feel like there’s space (but) there’s still room for actual bigs to be in the NBA.”
What are some of your favorite moments playing in high school, at Putnam or with BABC?
“I’ll say winning the championship at Putnam. My first year there, that was kind of big. And I’d say last season when I broke all the records, like points, rebounds because I had that conversation with (Mouhamed Dioubate). He was the leading rebounder the year before me, and I remember when we had that conversation, I was (saying) to him, congrats. You had the rebounds, 1,000 points, and he was like, ‘Nah, you’re going to break it the next year,’ and then I did that the next year. I’d say those moments are the ones I enjoy at Putnam.
“And in AAU, just playing with Oswin because that’s my best friend. So, I feel like every game we play together on the floor, I just cherished those moments because I don’t know if we’re ever going to have that time to play together again.”
Yeah, you played with Oswin Erhunmwunse at Putnam, too. How much does he mean to you, and how has playing alongside made you better?
“It’s great, because when I’m on the floor with him in AAU … I don’t really have to worry about like trying to block shots, trying to do that. I just worry about getting rebounds. He’s a terrific shot blocker, like we’ll play teams and in the first two possessions they’ll drive, and when he blocks the ball, no one’s trying to come to the rim again, they’re just settling for shots. It’s fun playing with Oswin and how athletic he is; when you see it in person it’s different. It’s crazy.”
You recently made the decision to reclassify from the Class of 2026 to 2025. What went into that decision, how difficult was that and what made you feel like you were ready to do that?
“I feel like just always playing up because since I came here, I’ve always been playing up with the older guys, so throughout the years my confidence just kept building, and I just feel like if I can play with these guys and they’re going to college, I just feel like I’m ready to … I can play in college after this season. So, just playing up was one of the reasons why I decided to reclassify.”
How has your recruiting been going? Do you have any visits scheduled for the fall yet?
“The recruiting is going well because I feel like most days, a new school's trying to get into the picture. I have a scheduled visit for October 25th to Georgia Tech. Then, I think after that, we’re trying to plan a visit for Xavier and Boston College. I have new schools recruiting me — Cincinnati, Miami.”
What are some of your priorities and what are you looking for in your college decision?
“I would say style of play because I’m a traditional big, so I have to go to a team where they play through the five. And just the minutes. I know that I’m a freshman, I’m not saying the whole game, but I’m here to play basketball, I just want to play basketball, so I just want the chance to be on the floor and just play basketball. So, the style of the play and the minutes are key to me.”
What are some of your interests outside of basketball?
“I just watch a lot of shows. Outside of basketball, I watch a lot of shows.”
What are your favorite shows right now?
“Right now, I’m watching Vampire Diaries. I’m waiting for the last half of Power. And Games of Thrones, I watched it but I’m just rewatching it because when I have nothing to watch, I just start rewatching shows that I watched before.”
What’s your pregame routine like?
“If it’s a home game, I just try to sleep. If the game’s at six, I just take a quick nap, take a shower, get to the locker room, eat something light just so you don’t feel too light on the floor, then I just listen to music and always pray before the game.”
What are some of your goals for the upcoming season and beyond?
“I just want to win a championship this year. Last year, I lost in the finals, so just that feeling, I don’t want to go through that again. So, coming into the season I just want to win a championship. And then I pray after that, I make the right decision, go to the right school and just be able to get the chance to play basketball in college, get a full scholarship, try to get a degree and just try to find a way to take care of my family back home.”
