Nivins' invitation seems remarkable considering he wasn't even a starter his senior year at St. Anthony of Jersey City, a longtime national powerhouse under demanding coach Bob Hurley. When St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli informed Nivins he was invited to the tryouts, which are being conducted by Villanova's Jay Wright, the U.S. head coach, Nivins said he was surprised and somewhat in awe.
"I didn't see it coming, but I think it's a blessing," he said. "Then I realized I had work to do."
No one ever questioned Nivins' work ethic. How could they? Two years after leaving St. Anthony for St. Joe's, Atlantic Ten coaches voted him to the league's first team after he averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Hawks, while shooting 63.1 percent, a single-season school record.
When you consider Nivins didn't begin to take the game seriously until his junior year of high school - up to then he was more devoted to baseball as a pitcher - it is fair to assume there is plenty of upside to his game.
"You have to love Ahmad," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy, who is on the U.S. collegiate committee, led by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. "He's bright, alert, and very aware of what's going on."
The players, including Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds, were scrutinized during morning and evening trial sessions yesterday. Two more trials will be held today, and the team will be cut down to no more than 16 players after tonight's session.
Wright, who is coaching on the international level for the fourth time, said yesterday this group would be the most difficult to pare down.
"Coach Boeheim and I have done this together three times and we were just saying this is the toughest group because it's a very equal group," Wright said. "There aren't a lot of guys who stand out distinctly, but there are a lot of very good players."
