Ole Miss lands top hoops recruit in decades as Nur commits

Top-20 senior Ahmed Nur has committed to Ole Miss, he announced Saturday, giving the Rebels their highest-ranked men's basketball recruit in at least 20 years. Nur chose coach Chris Beard's program over Florida State, SMU and Syracuse. He took his official visit to Oxford in August and then visited his other finalists. "I believe it is the best fit for me and my play style. I believe I will flourish in their system," Nur told ESPN. "Coach Beard has been consistent in recruiting me and making it known I'm going to be a priority in the program." A 6-foot-8 forward from Minnesota who attends Bella Vista (Arizona), Nur is ranked No. 19 in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2027. He is Ole Miss' first top-20 recruit since the ESPN recruiting database started in 2007 and is Beard's highest-ranked recruit since he signed Dillon Mitchell at Texas in the class of 2022. "We have had deep conversations about development and preparation," Nur said of Beard. "I know he's going to push me to be my best and prepare me for the next level." Nur averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on the Adidas 3SSB circuit with the Power 5 grassroots program. Possessing a 7-foot-1 wingspan to go with skill and finesse, Nur is a high-ceiling hybrid forward. He is an underrated and active rebounder with the ability to take the ball off the glass and push it himself when the opportunity arises. He shows flashes of high-level talent, but his next steps will be to simplify his movement and be more effective on a consistent basis. "In practice, Ahmed is a competitive and self-aware player," Bella Vista coach Jamil Jones said. Nur is Ole Miss' first commitment in the 2027 class.