PUTNAM, Conn. — When the moment came for Ben Ahmed to announce his college decision, the big man took his time. Seated on stage inside Putnam Science’s auditorium, he slowly leaned forward from his chair to pick something up from under the table, then made sure it looked just right before raising it to show the room.
The momentous reveal was a black T-shirt, with Miami and the classic orange and green emblazoned on it. The room – full of dozens of his coaches, teammates, classmates and others – erupted in cheers and applause. Ahmed, officially committed to Miami, turned to the man sitting to his left on stage, Team New England co-founder Isaiah Davis – instrumental in Ahmed getting to this day – to shake his hand.
It was only two years ago that Ahmed left home in Nigeria – where he hasn’t seen his parents since – to pursue basketball, attending national prep powerhouse Putnam Science and joining Team New England and BABC on the grassroots circuit. Now, the 6-foot-9 star and nationally-ranked prospect is heading to Miami to play for legendary coach Jim Larranaga.
“It’s a dream,” Ahmed said. “Coming from where I come, there are so many people waiting for this opportunity. Just me being privileged to experience this, I’m really grateful for the whole experience.”
It was a special day for Ahmed, who soaked in the celebration as much as he could before heading to class and then practice on Thursday afternoon. Oswin Erhunmwunse, his former Putnam and BABC teammate and fellow Nigerian who has become his best friend, even made the trip from Providence for Ahmed’s moment.
It was special for those around him, including Putnam head coach Tom Espinosa. Typically, Espinosa said kids are coming to the school for one year before going to college. But Ahmed, who’s entering his third season at Putnam, is a unique case. Ahmed, who discussed his basketball upbringing with New England Basketball Journal in August, started taking basketball seriously during COVID before moving to the United States in 2022.
Espinosa was almost taken aback when he met Ahmed for the first time.
“I couldn’t believe he was 15 years old or 15-and-a-half or whatever it was,” Espinosa said. “I was just blown away. I was like, this guy looks like he’s 20. Just because of his size physically. And then when we got him on the court, how ready he was, I was just blown away.”
It was clear quickly that Ahmed was mature beyond his years. On a squad that included other talented bigs like Erhunmwunse, Mouhamed Dioubate, Muazibini Adamu and Bol Kuir, Ahmed stepped in right away and contributed significant minutes to help Putnam win a national prep championship.
It was rare, but recruits like Ahmed are rare. Last season, he broke Putnam’s all-time rebounding record, setting it in 14 games fewer than Dioubate. He’ll likely break the scoring record this season.
“We threw him in the fire right away, “ Espinosa said. “It doesn’t happen often. He was ready to play. I always say this: Ben’s a very serious guy. He doesn’t smile or laugh much. He’s a great kid, but he’s serious. He makes his bed every morning, like a military type guy. I always say he’s like a professional. He treats everything like a professional. He does everything the right way. In three years, he’s never missed a class, been late to class. He’s years way beyond his age. He’s very unique because he helped us right away.”
It was no surprise then that Ahmed chose to reclassify up this summer from 2026 to 2025 after a successful grassroots season with BABC. He was ready. His recruitment proceeded to dramatically pick up, which included a late offer from Miami following his appearance at the Adidas All-American camp in July.
There was immediate connection with Larranaga and his staff, specifically with associate head coach Bill Courtney. Ahmed valued the relationship; they were specific about giving him feedback and the things they thought he needed to work on. Last weekend, Ahmed took an official visit, and he was impressed by the student-coach relationship he saw at a practice. He left his visit certain about committing to Miami.
“When I left, I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t have to take another visit,’” Ahmed said.
After making his commitment to Miami on Thursday, Ahmed shifted focus to the season ahead with Putnam. The Mustangs will be in the hunt again for a national prep championship. After losing in last season’s title game, Ahmed doesn’t want that feeling again; he’s motivated to leave Putnam as a two-time champion. But in the meantime, he’s also working on things individually that will help him get ready to make a Day 1 impact at Miami next year.
Ahmed’s strengths as a post scorer and monster rebounder are obvious, and he and Espinosa both believe that will translate well to the next level. Espinosa wants to see him continue to grow on the defensive end, specifically in ball-screen coverages, but they both agreed that Ahmed’s success at Miami will start with his diet.
“Being in shape is the first thing,” Ahmed said. “I have to eat right, just be in the best shape of my life before I get there so I don’t have to do it during the preseason, I can just focus on skill, my basketball game.”
Espinosa has no doubt Ahmed will get that right, and he’s already started developing those habits.
“He loves the gymnasium, not a huge, huge fan of the weight room,” Espinosa said. “So he’s gotta make some changes to play in the ACC, but there’s no question that he will and be successful.”
