Ahmad Nivins was always a baseball player first and foremost, but after a growth spurt prior to his freshman year at Hudson County Prep (N.J.), he decided to give basketball a try.
Nivins had never played the sport before, so he struggled during his freshman year – putting up about two points per game.
``I had a bad freshman year,” Nivins said. “I used to get picked on. I was very inexperienced and it was very frustrating.”
Nivins came back his sophomore year and averaged 16 points per game, but he knew the competition wasn’t going to test him down the line, so he decided to transfer to St. Anthony’s (N.J.) to play for legendary coach Bob Hurley.
Due to transfer rules, Nivins was forced to sit out the first 30 days of the season – missing 10 games.
Nivins came off the bench when he became eligible and averaged modest numbers, but he’s looking forward to making a bigger impact next season – and over this summer with the New Heights team.
Nivins is a big-time athlete with loads of potential. He has terrific timing with blocking shots and can also run the floor. He still needs to work on his offensive game, especially his low-post moves.
Fairly new to the recruiting scene, Nivins received his first letter from Holy Cross. His favorite school is UConn, but he’s also hearing from Florida State, St. Joseph’s, Marquette and Columbia. North Carolina is another school he hopes will get involved.
``I want to go to the highest level,” Nivins said. “I know I’m a baby because when it comes to working hard and getting better, I always complain. But I also realize that whatever you put into something, you get out of it.”