Scouting Tennessee's Top 2024 Targets: Ahmad Nowell

Guard Ahmad Nowell is becoming an important target for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Tennessee is not prioritizing many 2024 recruits, but Rick Barnes does want to keep the theme of adding freshman guards. Of late, Tennessee has had a ton of guard depth, and adding Ahmad Nowell would keep that consistent. So the question is, what would Tennessee be getting by bringing Nowell back home?

My initial read on Nowell is that he could end up being one of the more underrated players in the 2024 class. Watching him, I had the same thought about Nowell that I had about Layden Blocker, which is, 'Why is he ranked this low?' Nowell played this past season with 5-star 2023 Kentucky commit Justin Edwards at Imhotep Institute in Philadelphia. Imhotep finished as the #11 ranked high school team in the country, according to USAToday. What impresses me the most about Nowell is how college ready he looked as a junior in high school. Standing at around 6-2, according to On3, Nowell has a very good frame for a guy his size. He weighs around 180 pounds and knows how to use his weight to his advantage. Nowell will do this by sealing defenders on ball screens to get into the lane.

In addition, Nowell is a confident shooter who does well both on the move and spotting up. He displayed his ability this past season to make defenders that go under screens pay. Unfortunately, Imhotep presses and traps a ton, so it was hard to watch him play straight-up man-to-man defense, but his frame and quickness give me the impression that he can be a good on-ball defender. While it was difficult to find weaknesses with Nowell, one part of his game that could improve is his finishing around the rim. His ability to make reads off of screens and strength, in general, makes it pretty effortless for him to get into the lane, but when he tries to finish over taller defenders, he's not able to change angles and finish around guys.

This spring, Nowell has been playing with one of the best AAU teams in the country: Team Final. Team Final is 11-1 on the EYBL circuit this spring and will have a shot in the summer to take home a Peach Jam title. Nowell is averaging around 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game and is also leading the team in steals.

You Might Also Like:

• Should Santiago Vescovi Be SEC Preseason POTY?
• Tennessee Constructing New Entertainment District
• What SEC Teams Are The Worst Matchups For Tennessee?

Join the community:

Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.