Malik Olajuwon, the four-star shooting guard son of Naismith Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, committed to SMU on Thursday, picking the Mustangs over Minnesota to become the program's first commitment in its 2027 recruiting class. The 6-foot-4 guard, a Sugar Land, Texas native now playing at IMG Academy in Florida, chose SMU after a breakout summer that raised his recruiting profile nationally.
According to CBS Sports, Olajuwon visited SMU the weekend before committing and made his decision shortly after returning home. He explained what sealed the deal in his own words: “What was most attractive about SMU for me was the people that were involved in their program and the future plans they had for it,” he said, per the outlet's report. The commitment ends a recruitment that had drawn interest from well beyond the two finalists.
Per USA Today, Olajuwon held offers from Auburn, Kansas State, Mississippi State, TCU, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech and West Virginia before narrowing his choice to SMU and Minnesota. The same report confirms he becomes the Mustangs' first commitment in the 2027 class, giving coach Andy Enfield's staff a marquee building block with a famous basketball bloodline attached. Olajuwon is, of course, the son of Hakeem Olajuwon, the Hall of Fame center and former University of Houston star whose name carries weight across Texas basketball circles, as the Houston Chronicle notes in its coverage of the commitment.
A Breakout Summer on the EYBL Circuit
Olajuwon's commitment follows a standout summer that helped elevate his recruiting stock. He averaged 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game for JL3 on the Nike EYBL circuit, according to On3. USA Today's account of the same EYBL stretch cited those identical scoring, rebounding and assist numbers while also noting he turned the ball over just 1.3 times per game, a sign of the ball security that scouts have flagged as a strength.
The production wasn't limited to EYBL play. Olajuwon also suited up for Canada's U18 National Team during what 247Sports described as a breakout summer, helping the program win its first-ever gold medal at the U18 AmeriCup. TSN's coverage of that tournament reported Olajuwon averaged 9.2 points and 3.0 rebounds across five games as Canada took the title.
Scouting Take and a Cross-Country Transfer
Rivals analyst Jamie Shaw offered a scouting assessment of Olajuwon's game in comments carried by On3, describing him as a versatile scorer who projects well at the next level. “He is comfortable with the ball in his hands and can score the ball at multiple levels,” Shaw said, while also pointing to areas like strength and ball-handling as spots for continued development.
Olajuwon's path to IMG Academy involved a notable move. He transferred from Fort Bend Clements in Sugar Land to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, according to 247Sports, a relocation that placed him on one of the country's most visible prep basketball stages during the stretch when his recruitment accelerated.
Conflicting Rankings Reflect a Rising Recruit
Recruiting services don't fully agree on where Olajuwon stands nationally. CBS Sports lists him as the No. 87-ranked player in the 2027 class according to 247Sports' rankings, while On3's Rivals rankings place him at No. 69 overall and No. 16 among shooting guards nationally. The discrepancy between services is common for rising prospects and underscores how quickly Olajuwon's stock has moved since his summer performances with JL3 and Canada's U18 squad.
Whatever the exact number, SMU now has its first piece of the 2027 puzzle in hand, and it comes with a surname that Houston-area basketball fans will instantly recognize.
