UConn's Freshman 'Swiss Army Knife' Point Guard Looks Born For Big East
Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies have added some Philadelphia-forged grit to their roster for their upcoming three-peat campaign.
Freshman point guard Ahmad Nowell comes to Storrs embodying the type of toughness so commonly found in athletes raised in Philly. Watching highlights of the 6-foot, 195-pound guard out of Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia), it’s hard not to think of Kyle Lowry.
Did Hurley land the next great Big East point guard hailing from Philadelphia? UConn's Big East foe Villanova would be awfully envious if that ended up being the case.
Nowell looks about as close to a prototype Big East point guard as one can imagine, which is something that other people have told Nowell himself, the guard recently revealed in an introductory interview.
“Before I ever knew that I was going to be at UConn, everyone always told me I was a Big East guard,” Nowell said. “The grittiness from Philly, the dog (mentality), the toughness.”
Nowell’s physical profile and blue-collar playing style will fit perfectly within Dan Hurley's culture, and it would be surprising if Nowell isn’t earning a role right away with the 2024-25 Huskies.
UConn is undeniably loaded with talent, but Nowell has indicated that he’s willing to add whatever he can to the mix.
“My style of play, if I had to relate it to something … I’d probably say a Swis army knife, just because I can give a little bit of everything offensively, defensively, just energy and leadership,” Nowell said.
Nowell joins Liam McNeeley and Isaiah Abraham to form a studly freshman class for the Huskies that might force Hurley to get creative with his rotations, especially given UConn’s equally as talented batch of sophomores.
Nowell said that he was attracted to UConn because all he’s ever done is win, and he wants to keep it going. If recent history is any indication, winning shouldn’t be a problem in Storrs at any point in the near future.
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COLIN KEANE
Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org