Notre Dame basketball fans were riding the wave of excitement last week after Coach Micah Shrewsberry was able to get three Top 100 players to commit to the Irish in five short days. Notre Dame was not only able to land 4-star PF Brady Koehler, and 5-star SF Jalen Haralson who is the highest ranked commitment in school history, but they ended the week by securing a commitment from 4-star SF Ryder Frost. Many fans wondered if Coach Shrewsberry was done, or if he would land another star for the class of 2025. That answer came just a few days later, when it was announced that 4-star C Tommy Ahneman had committed to Notre Dame.
Photo via Tommy Ahneman, Instagram (@tommy.ahneman)
Ahneman is a ℅ 2025 4-star Center from St. Paul Minnesota. The 6’11" 252lbs Center out of Cretin Derham Hall in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is currently ranked by 247Sports as the No. 16 Center in the country, and the No. 1 player overall in the state of Minnesota. He’s the 2024 ND Gatorade Player of The Year, and has a 7’2” wingspan. He holds 13 offers from many big name schools, but ultimately chose the Irish over Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Ahneman played his junior year at Sheyenne High School in West Fargo, North Dakota, and averaged 20.3pts, 13.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while winning a state championship. He transferred to Cretin Durham-Hall High School, where he will finish his Senior year.
I was fortunate enough to catch up with Tommy Ahneman after he committed to Notre Dame to find out how his recruitment went, what his relationship is like with the coaches, and why he chose Notre Dame over all the rest. Tommy was gracious enough to answer those questions and more.
For a big time recruit such as Ahneman, you would expect that teams were beating down the door to give out offers, but that wasn’t necessarily the case with Tommy. He wasn’t really getting a lot of attention, but that changed his junior year thanks to the help of his AAU coach.
“I called my assistant AAU coach because I wasn’t getting any looks from any schools even though I was averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds a game. I spoke to my coach to see what I could do to get the exposure I needed to get the attention of college coaches. He told me to send him my game footage and he’d see what he could do. He called up the University of Portland, and shortly after they came to one of my practices and they immediately offered me. That was my very first offer. Notre Dame actually didn’t come into play until after Penn State offered me. They were actually the last school to offer. I was very excited when they did, and now I get to call it home.”
Although Ahneman only got the chance to visit Notre Dame once when he went for his official visit on September 28th, that was more than enough to know that Notre Dame was where he was supposed to be.
“Because my family was in the process of moving to St. Paul, I never had the chance to visit Notre Dame until my official visit. That was the first time I had ever been on campus. But I knew I was committing to Notre Dame halfway through the third quarter of the football game. Right after they snapped the ball over the punter’s head and we got the touchdown, I was like alright here we go! Let’s do it”
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Student athletes pick where they want to play at the collegiate level for a multitude of reasons. Whether it be for academics, being close to home, or development just to name a few. For Tommy, Notre Dame reminded him of home, and from the first time he stepped on campus, he just felt how great the fit would be.
“South Bend reminded me a lot of my hometown, Fargo. Because it reminded me of home, I felt comfortable as soon as I walked off the plane. Even our airports are similar. To have that type of home-like familiarity made me feel like this is where I should be.”
Wanting to commit so fast after just one visit like Tommy did, you would have to imagine that the coaches and the team made quite an impression on him - and to no surprise, they did just that.
“The players were ultimately what did it for me. They went out of their way to show me a good time. They took me around campus and introduced me to everyone. It was the first visit I had been on where the whole team was together. Usually I’m just with the freshmen when I visit, but I got to be with the whole team. It was just a really good time and I felt like I meshed really well with all of them. I really felt like I fit in with what the program wants and needs in a player.”
The players obviously went out of their way to make Tommy feel at home, but what about the relationships he has with the coaches?
“The first time I met Coach Shrewsberry was the week before my official visit. I talked on the phone with him and we had a really good conversation. I could tell that we were going to have a great relationship, and that relationship grew even more on my official visit. He’s a genius when it comes to the sport of basketball. He’s a great coach that wants to develop you as a basketball player and to get you to the next level. I can’t wait to get on campus and learn from him. Coach Kyle Getter was also a very important part of my recruitment to Notre Dame. He was my main contact through all of my recruitment, and I talked to him at least once a week. Even before they offered me, he was in constant contact with me and I’ve developed such a great relationship with him.”
So what can Irish fans expect to get from a player like Tommy Ahneman?
“I’m the type of player who’s going to put his head down and make plays. I’m always looking to make the smart play and do what’s best for the team. I’m a hard worker that’s always looking to get better each and every day, and I’ll do whatever it takes to help my teammates succeed.”
There’s so much to look forward to when it comes to the future of Notre Dame basketball. Coach Micah Shrewsberry is truly building something special, and it all starts with players like Tommy Ahneman. Tommy is a very talented and humble young man who knows exactly what he wants when it comes to his future. We at The Irish Tribune wish Tommy luck on his journey to the next level.
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