Baba Oladotun, the No. 11 player in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2026, recently signed with Maryland men’s basketball. Oladotun is the second-highest ranked commit in Maryland history, according to 247Sports, behind Diamond Stone (No. 8 in 2015) and surpassing Derik Queen (No. 12 in 2024).
Oladotun averaged 22.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game at James Hubert Blake High School in 2024-25. The Silver Spring native’s relationship with head coach Buzz Williams proved pivotal to his decision to sign with Maryland.
“He’s had many prayer walks with my dad. He’s really spiritual. When I told him I was coming, we just sat down, we prayed together,” Oldaotun said on Glenn Clark Radio Nov. 25. “He does a lot of scripture. He has a lot of chaplain and Bible study on the road with his team. So that really gave me the confidence and security that I’ll be in good hands. The players that he’s coached in the past, like Jimmy Butler and Wesley Matthews, Jai Crowder, a lot of underdog guys that just came from nowhere and sprouted into these like really good, high-level NBA players. He just really encouraged all those guys.”
Oladotun grew up around College Park and was inspired by watching former Terps like Melo Trimble, Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith. More recently, he was moved by the impact Baltimore native Derik Queen made at Maryland in 2024-25. He recalled attending Maryland’s home game against Rutgers last season.
“Watching Derik Queen versus Rutgers and just watching the Crab Five and the energy that they brought to the fan base and the support system that everyone had there, the excitement from the crowd, watching how Derik Queen stayed home and dominated as a freshman and went to the league. It just really gives you kind of hope, that’s when I was like, ‘Man, this could be me soon.’ When I reclassified up, it just became clearer and clearer.”
Oladotan was asked where his confidence that the Terps can win a national championship comes from.
“My faith in God and another thing is not just my work ethic, the work that I put in,” Oladotan said. “I have a feeling. I have a really good feeling that it’s going to pay off. My confidence comes from my repetitions and the way that I put in, and like I said earlier, my support system. The recruiting that Buzz did and just the coaching staff that they have there and the personnel they have everywhere, I think in the long run it’s going to pay off for national championships.”
Oladotun often draws comparisons to Kevin Durant. He was asked how he handles the attention that has come with his rise as a basketball prospect.
“The people that I have around me just keeping me in tune with the grind and keeping me motivated and just keep me humble and knowing that I haven’t done anything yet,” Oladotun said. “All these accolades and stuff, it can all go away in an instant. The No. 1 thing for me is making it to the NBA and being a great player in the NBA for years to come.”
Oladotan says his older sisters, both of whom are Maryland students, have had a significant impact on keeping him humble as he has grown up.
“My big sisters are definitely important in my life. They kind of bring something different to the table because they’re bringing a different dimension. They’ll tell me stuff that I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, and they’ll just keep me motivated and humble. When I was younger, they helped me a lot of my schoolwork, they helped me a lot with my faith. Sometimes they would rebound for me. They’d drive me to places. They bring so much to the table. Talking about my support system, I couldn’t really do anything without them. I wouldn’t be where I was today without them.”
For more from Oladotan, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ibrahim Oladotun