For basketball, Signing Day is actually right around the corner and the next two months are prime times for high school ballers to set up their final visits and make a college decision before their senior season begins.
Minnesota already has one verbal commitment to the 2027 class. Isaiah Santos committed in July and has seen his name leap up the recruiting rankings from 78 to 54 after a strong summer season. The four-star forward from the Houston area is a fantastic commitment for the Gophers.
Next,
the staff is looking for a perimeter player to pair with Santos, and their sights are set on four-star Malik Olajuwon, a 6’4” shooting guard out of Texas who has also seen his recruiting rankings jump. Olajuwon jumped from being barely inside the top 150 at 147th to 87th after a successful summer.
Yes, Malik is related to THAT Olajuwon. His father is Hakeem Olajuwon, the NBA Hall of Famer. Presumably, the elder Olajuwon will attempt to fit his 7-foot frame into a seat at Huntington Bank Stadium to watch the Gophers take down the Zips of Akron on Saturday.
But what do we know about Malik?
He had a breakout summer, playing for JL3 out of Texas. He averaged 13.2 points per game, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists during the five-game Peach Jam tournament. He won the Breakout MVP during Session IV. And he played for Canada’s U18 team that won the Americup gold medal.
After watching videos of Olajuwon, he does not jump off the screen with explosiveness or extreme athleticism. But he is smooth. He reminds me a little bit of Austin Hollins but more graceful and with a better shooting touch. Olajuwon has long arms and shoots the ball with a high release point and he shoots the ball well from deep and the mid-range. But what stands out is just how smooth he plays, like a hot knife through butter.
For his senior season, Olajuwon is transferring to IMG Academy in Florida so he can get more focused basketball and strength training.
Originally, he was scheduled to come for his Gopher official visit in October, but he moved this one up and bumped Texas Tech. Could that be a good sign that he has Minnesota at the top of his list and he may end his recruitment after this visit? He has official visits lined up at SMU next weekend, then Kansas State and Virginia Tech in October.
