By David Cassilo, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on February 10, 2014 2 p.m.
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SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio – It was around the fifth grade when Esa Ahmad began making a name for himself on the basketball court. He caught the attention of most people, including Shaker Heights coach Danny Young.
What Young saw was a kid with great hands and footwork, who could score in the paint and had great touch at the foul line. When he put it all together, Young knew there was a special player coming up through Shaker Heights' system.
“I was amazed at how quickly you knew a kid was going to be a varsity player,” Young said.
Now in his junior year, Ahmad has lived up to his potential. He’s averaging 27.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. In January, ESPN ranked Ahmad the 51st best player in the country for the Class of 2015. He was unranked beforehand.
As his stock rises, Ahmad just keeps his head down and focuses on winning games.
“I just try to go out there and play my game and let the game talk for me,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad does it all for Shaker Heights. In addition to points and rebounds, his 3.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game lead the team (all stats through Feb.6).
The Raiders (15-4) are No. 2 in the cleveland.com Top 25, and on Tuesday, they play host to No. 1 St. Edward (16-1).
Ahmad, who is 6-foot-7, was born into a basketball family. His mother, Sherray, and his father, Ibrahim, both played the game in high school. They were the ones who first helped him along his basketball career.
“The first thing I told him when he was younger was to work on his footwork and the interior,” said Ibrahim Ahmad. “The outside will come but if you work on the interior, you can always go to it.”
While Ahmad spent most of his younger days in the post, he can now play around the perimeter. It’s caught the attention of college coaches.
“West Virginia is recruiting him the hardest,” Young said. “[Coach] Bob Huggins said if he commits, he’ll start him at shooting guard.”
Among the schools joining West Virginia in pursuit of Ahmad are Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Xavier, Miami (Fla.), Clemson and Rutgers.
Ahmad’s maturation continued as a freshman for Shaker Heights, when he played alongside Terry Rozier. The current Louisville guard was a senior at the time for the Raiders and took Ahmad under his wing.
“Terry was like a big brother to him,” said Ibrahim Ahmad. “He taught him how to deal with being the top guy on the team.”
Rozier has also helped Ahmad through the recruiting process, and that’s paying off now.
“I saw what he would go through,” Ahmad said. “I just learned from him and took in what I can.”
But it isn’t just Ahmad’s versatility that makes him an attractive recruit. His body has transformed since his freshman year, when he realized he needed to make a change.
“It was my first year going against older, tougher guys so I saw what it took to be at their level,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad has a workout routine that includes weightlifting, jumping rope, yoga and conditioning. He came into this season with more strength than he has ever had before.
“Last year when all the colleges would get to the gym, they would leave saying that you need to work on your body,” Young said. “I don’t hear that comment anymore.”
But there’s one aspect of Ahmad’s body no work in the weight room can help. If Ahmad is to continue shooting up national recruiting lists, he’ll have to get a little taller.
“With him, it’s all about size,” said ESPN recruiting coordinator John Stovall. “For every inch he grows, he goes a higher level.”
Ahmad plans on making a college decision in the summer. Now, though, all of the focus is on guiding the Raiders to a state title.
After losing to eventual state champion Mentor in last season’s regional final, Ahmad is hungrier than ever for a trip to Columbus.
"The day after last season ended, Esa and his father sent me a picture of him in the weight room," Young said.
http://highschoolsports.cleveland.c...rising-up-recruiting-rankings-video/#comments
