Why four-star guard/forward Sir Mohammed committed to Notre Dame
Sir Mohammed was supposed to commit to Notre Dame at 7:55 p.m. ET on Aug. 12 on ESPNU at the Under Armour Next Elite game in Atlanta. He wound up committing at around 10:12.
The Next Elite game is played on an outdoor court, and the game got rain-delayed. But Mohammed, a four-star guard/forward entering his senior year at Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park, wasn’t sweating it.
“I wouldn’t say [I had] nerves, because I knew at the end of the day, I would be committed either way,” Mohammed told Blue & Gold earlier this week. “On ESPN or not on ESPN, it’s still a special moment either way.”
Mohammed committed near the end of the first half, on ESPN after all. He made his announcement, put on a Notre Dame hat and posted for a photo-op with his dad, Nazr, to his left and his mom, Mandi, to his right.
Both of Sir Mohammed’s parents have basketball backgrounds. Nazr Mohammed is a former 18-year NBA player and current general manager of the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G-League affiliate. Mandi Mohammed is a volleyball and basketball coach at Charlotte Preparatory School.
“It was definitely a really cool experience,” Sir Mohammed said. “For sure.”
Mohammed told Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry and his staff that he would be joining the Irish during the week before he committed. But he had a feeling South Bend was where he wanted to be since he visited June 18.
In the end, two things put Notre Dame over the top.
“My relationship with the staff,” Mohammed said. “And then just how great of a school it was.”
While he does not yet know what major he wants to pursue, academics are important to Mohammed. And he’s had a strong relationship with Shrewsberry and company since they began recruiting him at Penn State.
“It’s always been really solid over time,” Mohammed said. “I’ve been recruited by that staff, by Coach Shrewsberry, for over a year now. So I’ve always had a great relationship.”
Mohammed, who played for AAU Team Curry, played with one of his future Notre Dame teammates, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy guard Cole Certa, in the Next Elite game before and after his commitment. Certa played for the AAU Illinois Wolves.
The newest class of 2024 Notre Dame commitment said he has a great relationship with Certa, too, and enjoys playing side-by-side with him.
“We’re cool, yeah, we talked a lot at Elite 24,” Mohammed said. “That’s my guy.”
Certa and Mohammed join Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI Catholic forward Garrett Sundra in what is now the No. 26 recruiting class in the country, according to On3.
In that group, Mohammed is known as less of a shooter than Certa and Sundra. But there’s a reason he’s the No. 68 player in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking, and the second-highest ranked commitment for Shrewsberry at Notre Dame. Only freshman forward Carey Booth, No. 59, ranked higher.
“I’m just a guy that does a lot of little things to win,” Mohammed said. “Just a really good playmaker.”
The post Why four-star guard/forward Sir Mohammed committed to Notre Dame appeared first on On3.
