Miami basketball lands big-time center Ben Ahmed

Miami basketball commit Ben Ahmed, pictured in a photoshoot during his official visit to UM. Photo Credit: Ben Ahmed's Instagram (@_ben.gram)

With just weeks before basketball season tips off for the Miami Hurricanes, they are continuing to bolster the future of their roster. Ben Ahmed, rated as a four-star center and ranked in the top 80 nationally of the 247 Composite Rankings and second in the state of Connecticut, has committed to Miami’s class of 2025.

Ahmed had offers from several other high-major program, including two ACC teams – Georgia Tech and California. Miami beat out finalists Xavier and Cincinnati for his commitment. He was originally in the 2026 class but recently reclassified to the 2025 class.

At Putnam Science Academy (Conn.), Ahmed has been a force in the paint. Last year, he became the team’s all-time leading rebounder at 677 and did so in 14 less games than the previous record holder – Alabama’s Mouhamed Dioubate. Ahmed did it averaging 15 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game last season.

Ahmed’s huge frame has helped him put up those gaudy numbers. Standing at 6-foot-9 and 300 pounds with a nearly 7-foot-3 wingspan, he is a massive player, and according to 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein, there are both benefits and drawbacks to that. This was his evaluation of Ahmed back in July 2024.

“Ahmed’s limitations are with his mobility away from the basket and his lack of lift at the rim. He’s strictly a drop coverage pick-and-roll defender at this point and essentially anchored to the paint at all times. That’s rarely exposed in a grassroots or prep game, but will become more of a liability at the next level. He’s not much of a rim protector, unless directly challenged, albeit an obvious physical deterrent in the lane. He also requires a slower pace at this point in order to keep up with the tempo of the game.

“Where Ahmed thrives is on the glass. He takes up so much space, has such an extended reach, and magnetic hands. He’s a high-volume rebounder and consistently puts up double-doubles. He’s also a true scoring threat with his back to the basket. He maximizes his size and physicality to get to point-blank range whenever possible.”

Though he has some flaws in his game he seems driven to improve and his decision appears to be motivated by a belief in Jim Larrañaga’s coaching staff to develop him.

In an interview with CaneSport, Ahmed said, “They let me know what I had to work on and showed me players just like me that they’ve put in a better situation from when they got there and throughout their stay there, which stood out to me.”

Though he has room to grow with time he could prove to be an impactful presence for Miami.

Just last year, the ACC saw North Carolina State’s DJ Burns, a big with a very similar build to Ahmed, not only dominate the conference but also March Madness, leading the Wolfpack to the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Miami rosters one listed center in Lynn Kidd but, going into his fifth year, he will be departing, and UM will need to again fill the void of a true five that it sorely lacked last year. Projecting Ahmed’s impact to go that far might be a stretch for now, but at the very least, he will likely provide intriguing depth and potential at a position of need for the ’Canes.

Ahmed joins 247Sports top 40 prospect and shooting guard Matthew Able to make Miami’s class ranked 18th nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. With the decision of the Boozer twins reportedly coming soon and Miami in the mix, this class could shoot into the top 10 very quickly.