Ahmed Nur’s summer has turned him into one of the fastest-rising names in the 2027 class, and Kentucky is now in the mix after a breakthrough run that put his game in front of the Wildcats’ entire coaching staff.
The 6-foot-9, 190-pound power forward made the loudest statement of his summer in June at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in South Carolina, where he won MVP honors against more than 100 elite prospects from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes. Nur averaged 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds and hit 58% of his 3-point tries, turning heads in a gym full of NBA talent. Among the camp coaches was former Cat Rajon Rondo, and Kentucky’s Mark Pope, Cody Fueger, Mikhail McLean, Mo Williams and Nick Robinson were all there to watch.
That performance led to a Kentucky scholarship offer in late July, giving the Wildcats a new name to chase as Nur’s profile keeps climbing. He turns 18 on Friday and is of Somali heritage.
Nur’s rise has been matched by a major move for his senior year. Days after the Top 100 Camp wrapped up, he announced that he is transferring from Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, to Bella Vista Prep in Arizona. The switch sends him to the reigning boys basketball national champions, a program that beat Montverde Academy in April to win the Chipotle Nationals title.
Bella Vista’s roster last season included Miles Sadler, Vaughn Karvala, Amadou Seini and UK recruit Liam Mitakaro, and coach Adeel Sahibzada said Nur’s game fits the program’s approach.
“Guys with his positional size and skill set, and with his developing motor, I think the sky’s the limit,” Sahibzada said. “I think he can play at all levels, regardless of what role he has. He can fit into so many different roles, so that versatility and positional piece is just unparalleled.”
Sahibzada also pointed to Nur’s ability to move around the floor and affect the game in different ways.
“Obviously he plays with a level of confidence and maturity that a lot of youngsters at his age just don’t have. But what really is special about Ahmed is that he has positional size, both for the 4 position, but I feel like he could play the 3 at some point, too,” Sahibzada said, adding that Bella Vista had interest in Nur last year.
“He’s 6-9, 6-10. Crazy versatility, length.
You can put him in so many different places. He can play off the ball, on the ball, with the ball.
He’s becoming a little bit like a Swiss Army knife at this point.”
The added challenge at Bella Vista will be a step up in competition. The school plays in the Nike EYBL Scholastic League, and Nur arrives after averaging 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as a junior at Hopkins.
His summer didn’t stop with the camp MVP. Because of that honor, Nur was invited to Spain for a late-July offseason performance retreat for NBA players that included Jeremiah Fears, Shaedon Sharpe and Jarred Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt, who spent the 2017-18 season at Kentucky and is preparing for his ninth NBA season, came away impressed with Nur’s skill.
On the Adidas travel circuit this spring and summer, Nur averaged 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Wisconsin-based Power 5 program. 247Sports lists him as a four-star prospect and the No. 26 overall recruit in the 2027 class.
Kentucky is a relatively new entrant in his recruitment, but the offer gives the Wildcats a foothold as his schedule starts to fill up. Nur is set to visit Ole Miss this weekend, with Syracuse and Washington also on the calendar. He already took a trip to Purdue in June, and the Boilermakers have two class of 2027 commitments in Isaiah Hill and Kevin Savage.
Earlier this summer, Nur told 247Sports that “fit, environment and relationships” will be the top factors in his college decision.
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