On Sept. 20, Aziz Olajuwon \u201926, son of NBA legend and Naismith Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, announced his commitment to play basketball at Stanford.<\/p>\n
Olajuwon, the No. 40 ranked player in the class of 2026, chose Stanford over the likes of Cincinnati, Vanderbilt and Houston \u2014 his father\u2019s alma mater. In an interview with ESPN, the six-foot-seven wing justified his choice, saying, \u201cI chose Stanford because the coaching staff made it clear they care about me not just as an athlete, but as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n
A native of Texas who recently transferred to International Management Group (IMG) Academy in Florida, Olajuwon averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 19 games during the summer in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit. He became Stanford\u2019s first top-100 recruit since Kyle Smith became head coach last year.<\/p>\n
Olajuwon became the Cardinal\u2019s second commitment in the 2026 class, joining four-star guard Isaiah Rogers \u201926. Just 48 hours later, however, Stanford landed its third commit. Elias Obenyah \u201926, a six-foot-five guard, committed to Stanford over Berkeley, San Diego State, The University of California, San Diego and St. Mary\u2019s College. The California native told 247 Sports, \u201cDuring the visit, I found that Stanford has a steady culture, and I think that is very similar to the situation I\u2019m in now with Salesian.\u201d<\/p>\n
The four-star recruit averaged 15 points on Team Lillard during the latest 3Stripes Select Basketball (3SSB) season. With the addition of Obenyah, Stanford now holds three nationally ranked prospects in its 2026 class.<\/p>\n