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Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) and teammates walk off the court after losing to the Florida Gators in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Legacy Lost: Houston Basketball Recruit Chooses Stanford Over the Cougars

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Ashton Grissom | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 6:06 PM ET

Houston basketball missed out on top-60 recruit in the 2026 class, Aziz Olajuwon, the son of UH legend Hakeem Olajuwon, when he announced his commitment to Stanford on Saturday.

After signing the No. 3 overall 2025 recruiting class, the Cougars are still searching for their first recruit this season and have plenty of talented players interested in the program.

Aziz Olajuwon Commits to Stanford

Olajuwon narrowed his top-four schools to Stanford, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt and Houston, but he eventually chose Stanford on Saturday.

He was set to officially visit Houston on Oct. 9, but it doesn’t look like the top recruit will make it on campus due to his recent commitment.

”I chose Stanford because it’s a perfect balance of elite academics and high-level basketball,” Olajuwon told The Athletic. “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.”

Last season, Stanford finished 21-14 overall and went 11-9 in conference play.

While the Cardinals are a solid basketball school, they are known for their academics.

Stanford University ranked No. 6 in the World University Rankings in 2025 and No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Both academics and Stanford’s basketball program played a huge role in his commitment and is ultimately why he chose the Cardinals in the end.

With his commitment, Stanford ranks No. 12 in the 2026 recruiting class rankings and the Cardinals have a real shot to land a top-10 class.

Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Houston 2026 Recruits

While Olajuwon’s commitment was a blow to the program, the Cougars still have several top recruits interested in Houston.

The Cougars have offered 17 players in the 2026 class, and many of them are interested in becoming part of the program.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson has always been elite with any players that will step on the court and play his style of basketball.

Now, mix that same coachability with the four and five-star talent interested in Houston. That is a scary combination for other Big 12 programs having to face the Cougars for years to come.

Houston so far has offered 5 five-star recruits in the 2026 class who include: power forward Christian Collins, shooting forward Bryson Howard, shooting forward Tyran Stokes, shooting guard Jordan Smith and shooting forward Caleb Holt, and they are all ranked top-12 nationally.

While there is still a lot of time to build their 2026 class, three recruits have already shown more interest in the university than others.

Four-star center Davion Adkins, four-star combo guard Ikenna Alozie and the No. 1 center in the 2026 class, Arafan Diane all have shown interest in Houston and have them amongst their top schools.

Sampson and staff always build a team that consistently competes no matter what conference they are in, or who they get from high school or the portal.

Houston has plenty of talent on the court this season, and because of their recent success, the Cougars will have no problem finding players that fit their culture and will better the program in the future.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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