UConnmen'sbasketball commit Ahmad Nowell says his work ethic comes from his mom

Aug. 2—Noble knows the type of player Hurley loves. And he knows Hurley will love Ahmad Nowell.

"His style, I've seen over the years, Ahmad fits it," Noble said. "Ahmad's a tough, physical guard, Danny loves tough, physical teams. So, I think this is a great fit for him style-wise. Ahmad's competitiveness is going to translate into the culture of UConn."

Nowell, a Class of 2024 guard, committed to the UConn men's basketball team on July 23. Hurley was in the midst of the latest stop on his national-championship victory tour, throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and getting an autographed jersey from his sports hero, George Brett. He was in a suite with his father, Bob Sr., son, Andrew, associate head coach Kimani Young and others when Nowell announced his commitment via livestream.

But Hurley isn't typically a luxury-suite kind of guy. He's a hard-nosed, blue-collar Jersey guy who got to where is is through work. In between stops on this summer's "victory tour," Hurley has had the entire Husky team practicing hard and staying a step ahead of most other programs.

This is what Ahmad Nowell will be stepping into next summer. By all accounts, it will suit him just fine.

"Great kid, we're really proud of him," Noble said. "As a coach, especially as long as I've been doing this, sometimes you see kids that are just talented get opportunities. So, it's always great to see a kid like Ahmad, who's worked extremely hard ... I told him, 'You deserve this moment.' With how much work he puts into his game and his effort, the young man he is, he deserves this."

Nowell enrolled at Imhotep as a sophomore, and Noble said the kid was a leader right off the bat.

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"His leadership has just grown and grown every year that he's been here," the coach noted. "He's always had talent shooting the ball, but I think his shooting has gotten better. He's a good decision-maker."

Indeed, asked what part of his game Nowell has improved the most over the past two seasons, Noble has to think for a minute before conceding: "He's gotten better at everything. It's not really one thing that stands out to me. Really, all aspects of his game."

Nowell had been recruited by numerous high-level programs, including hometown Villanova, by the time UConn started on him. It didn't take long for Hurley and Young to establish themselves with the 6-foot guard.

"Obviously, winning national championships doesn't hurt," Noble noted. "And the thing is, Kimani and Danny are outstanding recruiters."

In fact, Nowell was the first player UConn recruited in the aftermath of its fifth national championship.

"It was pretty cool, for me to be on their minds right after winning," Nowell told Hearst Connecticut Media.

He chose the Huskies over Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia Tech. He's UConn's second 2024 commit, joining four-star forward Isaiah Abraham of Virginia.

So what makes Nowell such a hard-worker, a player who'll fit swimmingly into Hurley's hard-nosed style?

That's easy. Mom.

Teneka Greer, Nowell's mother, has raised Ahmad and his younger sister on her own. That's meant often working multiple jobs at all hours of the day, putting in tireless work to make ends meet.

"The hard work that she puts in, day and night, I really appreciate all the sacrifices she's made," Nowell said.

And it's inspired him to work just as hard. Or at least try.

"Just knowing that there's always more you can do, even when you're dead-tired, you can always do more," he said. "She really showed me that."

"They're super-close," Noble added. "She's at every game. Ahmad's family is a big motivation for him. They're a tight-knit family, too. She's done a really good job with Ahmad and deserves a lot of credit for his character. Because those things don't happen by accident. They happen when you have really good parenting. And Teneka has done a really great job with him."

Teneka was a standout track star and basketball player in high school in California. Now, she's the inspiration for her son to keep improving in "all aspects of his game." The inspiration for a hard-working son who is an ideal fit for Dan Hurley's blue-collar program, and who will be physically ready to handle Hurley's tough practices and the grind of high-level college ball right off the bat.

"He knows how to use his body well, he's really strong, he's tough," said Noble. "Those things aren't going to bother Ahmad."