Top-50 senior Aziz Olajuwon visiting Cincinnati, talks full recruitment
Being the son of an NBA player, someone of Hakeem Olajuwon’s caliber, comes with hefty expectations.
6-foot-6 forward Aziz Olajuwon has skyrocketed and has made a name for himself this summer after a successful NBA Top-100 camp.
Aziz, currently playing for IMG Academy (Florida), was one of the top-five scorers at the camp, averaging over 20 points per game. Known for his shooting ability (40% three-point shooter), he also showcased his athletic ability, but asserted himself as a plus defender as well.
Going into the summer, he was unranked and held just two scholarship offers at the Division One level. Now, high-major programs are in heavy pursuit, and Olajuwon tells Stockrisers.com that landing any Power 4 offer is something he doesn’t take lightly.
Starting today, he will officially visit Cincinnati. He sat down with Stockrisers.com before his visit to discuss his recruitment, his game, and his father's impact.
Which schools are heavily involved?
”Stanford, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Houston, TCU, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.”
Any new schools?
”New schools would be Virginia; they just offered yesterday.”
What’s Cincinnati’s pitch and thoughts on Coach Miller?
”They want me to come in and play right away, which is important to me. Coach Miller has tons of experience with winning and has coached a lot of good players, especially at my position.”
How cool is it to be recruited by Houston, and what are your overall thoughts on them?
”It’s definitely pretty cool to be recruited by my father’s alma mater, but at the end of the day, I have to look at how I would fit into their program. I have to look at different things that fans might not even consider.”
Virginia, how did it feel to get that offer, and what is the pitch?
“It’s a blessing. I don’t take any Power 4 offers lightly, especially because they’ve been pretty good the last few years. So, I’m pretty happy about that.”
What are the visit plans looking like?
”Going to Cincinnati tomorrow. TCU and Houston are in the first two weeks of October. I might visit Virginia and Virginia Tech; we will see.”
How would you best describe your game?
”I’d describe my game as someone who has fun playing defense, rebounding, and impacting the game in all aspects. On the offensive side, I feel like I can do everything, I can shoot it really well, handle, pass, create for myself or my teammates, and finish strong at the rim.”
Which coaches have stopped by recently to see you?
”Stanford, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, and Houston’s whole staff.”
Lastly, what have you learned from your father?
