Stanford received a commitment from the four-star son of an NBA Hall of Famer. Can Stanford’s rise in the ACC continue?
Four-Star Son of NBA Hall of Famer Chooses Stanford
This weekend, Aziz Olajuwon, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, announced his decision to commit to Stanford. Olajuwon has continued to rise up the 2026 class rankings following impressive performances in the past year. Olajuwon chose Stanford over schools such as Cincinnati and Vanderbilt. Most notably, Aziz Olajuwon chose Stanford over Houston, his father’s alma mater.
Stanford is coming off of a 21-win season in their first year of ACC competition. While Stanford fell just short of the NCAA tournament, head coach Kyle Smith led Stanford to a seven-win improvement in his first season with the Cardinal. However, Stanford still competed in postseason play. The Cardinal played in the NIT tournament but ended up losing 77-75 in the second round to Kent State. With newfound momentum in the program, Stanford aims to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Four-Star Olajuwon’s Stock Continues to Rise
The EYBL circuit and the NBPA Top 100 camp both proved to be pivotal in allowing Olajuwon’s stock to rise. On the EYBL circuit, Olajuwon averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Most importantly, he showed an impressive shooting touch and shot over 40% from 3. Ultimately, his performances at the prestigious NBPA Top 100 camp proved how special he is as an offensive talent. Despite shooting slightly worse from three, Olajuwon averaged 20 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 56% from the field. Promptly, Olajuwon received a huge ratings boost, according to 247Sports, and he is now 61st in the class.
Recently, Aziz Olajuwon made the decision to transfer to IMG Academy for his last year of high school basketball. Olajuwon previously played at Clement High School in Sugar Land, Texas, where he averaged an impressive 20.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Following an impressive junior season and impressive performance on the circuit, it made perfect sense for Olajuwon to transfer to IMG Academy and continue further leveling up his game before college.
Stanford Now Has Two Promising Four-Stars
Earlier in the cycle, Stanford also secured the commitment of four-star combo guard Isaiah Rogers out of Centennial High School in Corona, California. While Rogers is currently outside of the top 100, he is another four-star that should help inch Stanford closer to reaching the NCAA tournament. Stanford still has more work to do before the 2026 cycle ends, but Rogers and Olajuwon are expected to be significant ceiling raisers for the program.
Aziz Olajuwon is the highest-ranked recruit that Kyle Smith has landed so far at Stanford. With Olajuwon’s recent rise and his senior season at IMG Academy coming up, there is a high likelihood that Olajuwon’s ranking in the 2026 class will only get higher. Based on his most recent performances, Olajuwon has the potential to be a program-transforming recruit for Coach Smith. If Olajuwon’s high-level offensive game can translate at the collegiate level, Stanford’s odds at making the NCAA tournament should increase significantly.
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