When Hakeem Olajuwon roamed the court, the Houston Cougars were a powerhouse making it to three straight Final Fours and three national championship game appearances. So it would make sense that Houston would recruit Hakeem Olajuwon’s son, Aziz. But Aziz Olajuwon turned down the Cougars in favor of Stanford this weekend, as per Joe Tipton of On3 Sports.
Aziz Olajuwon is the second recruit from the class of 2026 to commit to Stanford alongside Isaiah ‘Slim’ Rogers. Both Olajuwon and Rogers are considered four-star recruits. Landing two talented players such as these is part of Kyle Smith’s efforts to rebuild the Cardinal program into powerhouse again. Stanford has missed the NCAA Tournament for 11 consecutive years now.
Olajuwon will be finishing up his senior year of high school at IMG Academy, and will join Stanford for the 2026-27 season. He is not a center like his dad was, but more of a versatile forward with some guard skills. He explained his decision to On3 Sports as having to with a mixture of academics and athletics.
“I chose Stanford because it’s a perfect balance of elite academics and high-level basketball. It’s a place that will challenge me on the court and in the classroom, while also preparing me for life beyond basketball. The culture and tradition at Stanford really stood out to me.”
While the Cardinal await the arrival of Olajuwon and Rogers, they will be focused on this upcoming season, their second in the ACC, and the second with Smith at the helm as head coach. This past season, Smith’s first, Stanford finished with an overall record of 21-14, and 11-9 in ACC play. It was the first time the Cardinal finished with a winning record since 2020-21 when they went 14-13.
Smith took over the program after spending five seasons at Washington State. There he compiled an overall record of 94-71, and led the Cougars to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24.
