UNT Men's Basketball Transfer Ahmed Showing His Commitment

[Harry]

DENTON - The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic term for scorching heat or dryness, which is ironic considering what North Texas basketball newcomer Muhammed Ahmed has recently been introduced to.

A native of the Bronx, New York, who spent the last two years traipsing through the snow at Gillette Community College in Wyoming, Ahmed has joined his teammates in the near triple-digit temperatures of Denton as they prepare for the upcoming basketball season.

From medicine ball work to full-field sprints on the Apogee Stadium turf, Ahmed has been put through the ringer by the North Texas strength and conditioning staff and hes done it all on an empty stomach.

Ahmed is a devout Muslim, and during the holy month of Ramadan he joins millions worldwide in fasting and prayer. That means no food or drink from dawn until sunset, despite the fact that Ahmed and his teammates undergo strenuous workouts both in the morning and afternoon.

"I dont know too many kids that could do this and remain as focused as hes been during training," said E.J. Hairston, the associate athletic trainer at North Texas. "Hes a pretty special kid, and he seems to be handling it really well. Obviously, we monitor him more closely than the other players, but he hasnt taken more than one or two reps off since we started a few weeks ago."

Hairston and Co. have kept their eyes on Ahmed during workouts, looking for the tale-tell symptom of dehydration and heat exhaustion: cramping, slurred speech, dizziness and nausea. Preventative maintenance, Hairston says, will be Ahmeds best weapon for staying healthy and hydrated.

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