By CHARLIE PARENT
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Ahmad Nowell, a top 30 senior and UConn commit, is ready for a big role with the defending national champions next season with some roster turnover expected in Storrs.
Star freshman guard Stephon Castle has been a focal point for UConn this season, and Nowell knows that Castle will head to the NBA when the time is right, though the prospect of playing together is also in his mind.
“I talked with Steph; we want him to go to the NBA if it’s his time,” Nowell said in a postgame interview. “For us to be in the same backcourt, that would be a scary sight. Time will tell.”
Nowell, a 6-foot point guard out of Imhotep HS (PA.), dropped 20 points and 9 assists on 7-of-20 shooting at Sunday’s HoopHall Classic win over DMV powerhouse DeMatha Catholic (MD.).
He possesses a unique body type that allows him to get downhill while using his burst to step-off defenders and score on the perimeter. On a younger Imhotep team this season, Nowell has stepped up as a leader and has eclipsed 30 points several times this year.
“I shoot the ball way better than I did today,” Nowell said. “I got my teammates involved, knowing that it’s going to be a big game, and in most big games, they rely on me. So this time, I put the ball in their hands and put them in a position to score.”
Nowell’s volume scoring and next-level playmaking make it apparent that he’ll be able to carve out a role on Dan Hurley’s squad next season.
The young guard said Hurley and the staff want him to come in with a similar playstyle and mentality that he plays with every day.
“Come in and be a point guard, be the player I am today,” he said. “They recruited me and put their trust in me, so just being the player I am, staying confident and getting better every day.”
Finally, Nowell was one of the first players Hurley called after his team won the National Championship last season, asserting the bond between the player and coach.
“It meant a lot,” he said. “Them coming off a championship win and me watching in a room with all my friends. It was crazy just to get that call.”
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