Putnam Science’s Ben Ahmed requests release from Miami, reopens recruitment

Ben Ahmed, one of the top Class of 2025 prospects playing in New England, has decommitted from Miami and reopened his recruitment, a source confirmed to New England Basketball Journal.

The 6-foot-10 star center for Putnam Science, Ahmed – ranked No. 104 in 24/7 Sports’ latest 2025 national rankings – committed to Miami in October and signed his national letter of intent. But Ahmed has now asked for his release in the wake of Miami coach Jim Larranaga stepping down in late December.

Cincinnati and Xavier were Ahmed’s other two finalists when he committed in October. There was also interest from Georgia Tech and Boston College last summer.

Ahmed – who left his home in Nigeria a little more than two years ago to pursue his basketball dreams in the United States – blossomed into one of the nation’s top recruits over the last year. The center reclassified from the 2026 class to 2025 last summer after a strong grassroots season with BABC in which his recruitment dramatically picked up.

Ahmed is the all-time leading rebounder at Putnam Science and has continued to be a force for the Mustangs in his third season with the program, which has only suffered two losses this winter and remains a favorite to win the national prep championship next month. He shed some light last summer on what he’s looking for in his college destination.

Q&A: Ben Ahmed discusses basketball upbringing, future goals

“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,” Ahmed told New England Basketball Journal. “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.”