During the USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp held in early October in Colorado Springs, several NBA general managers, executives, and scouts had the chance to observe Baba Oladotun, a sophomore at Maryland’s Blake High and currently ranked as the top player in his class by ESPN. His existing skills and impressive performance earned him accolades from those who were present.
Oladotun’s skill set is exceptional for a player of his age, showcasing a talent and passion that have drawn comparisons to another Maryland standout from nearly two decades ago, Kevin Durant.
“Baba was about seven or eight years old when I first saw him play and even at that young age, he was the closest thing I ever saw to Kevin,” shared Wayne Pratt, Durant’s father. “As he continued to grow I saw it more and more. He can get his shot off against anybody and he can really shoot the ball. He has an advanced understanding of the game, he’s humble, he loves basketball and has remarkable length at 6-foot-9 right now. And he’s still growing. He’s a great young man who has a chance to develop into something truly special.”
However, Oladotun’s journey toward becoming one of the most desirable recruits and exciting talents in high school basketball didn’t begin with his arrival in Maryland 15 years ago.
It actually commenced a generation earlier in Lagos, Nigeria, a vibrant city bustling with a population of 21 million. It was here that his father Ibrahim was raised, showcasing potential as a lightweight boxer.
“Boxing was very big in Nigeria and I spent a lot of time at the local rec center working on my skills,” Ibrahim reminisced. “I was skinny, but had good footwork and a nice jab.”
Ibrahim’s journey to the United States was marked by unexpected paths, sprinkled with hard work, a commitment to his education, and an unwavering dedication that has now culminated in his son’s emergence onto the national basketball scene.
Despite the mountain of recruiting letters from elite college programs looking to secure Baba’s commitment—including offers from Maryland, Georgetown, Kentucky, Arkansas, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona State, Rutgers, UCLA, and USC—it’s difficult to believe this was the outcome that was initially envisioned.
“With Baba, it was never about, ‘Let me create this prodigy, let me create this baller who might have a chance to be an exceptional NBA player one day,’” expressed Ibrahim. “I would just bring him to the basketball court with me with his older sisters when he was very little so we could spend some time together as a family. But once he made that first shot, all he wanted to talk about was, ‘Ball! Ball! Ball!’”
Ibrahim ultimately had to set aside his boxing aspirations after sustaining various injuries around his eyes and orbital bones by age 17.
His athletic role model was none other than Hakeem Olajuwon, a legendary center who attended the University of Houston during the illustrious Phi Slamma Jamma era in the early ‘80s.
Olajuwon later clinched back-to-back NBA championships with the Houston Rockets in the ‘90s and is renowned as one of the greatest centers, players, and international athletes in NBA history.
“Hakeem is from Nigeria and was raised in a Muslim household like I was,” Ibrahim noted. “We had similar upbringings and when I stopped boxing, that’s when my basketball dreams came alive. I would often run into one of his younger brothers at my local rec center and Hakeem, as an athlete and a person, was what I aspired to emulate.”
Yet, there were few basketball facilities in his vicinity, forcing the 6-foot-8 teenager—who spoke French, Arabic, and English—to independently learn the game on nearby playgrounds.
Thanks to his size, speed, and agility, he soon caught the eye of a local scout, despite still developing his skills.
After several phone calls, he found himself boarding a plane with a full scholarship to Wagner College, a small Division I liberal arts college on Staten Island, New York, competing in the Northeast Conference.
However, the chilly weather wasn’t to his liking, and he felt that the focus on player development was lacking, prompting him to move to Pensacola Junior College in Florida, where he could further hone his basketball skills.
Following a successful junior college season, Ibrahim played his last two years at Virginia Tech, excelling in defense, rebounding, and shot-blocking. Among his teammates was future NBA guard Bimbo Coles, and he grew fond of the small-town feel that Blacksburg offered.
Despite limited playing time, he became a fan favorite, with supporters at Cassell Coliseum cheering his nickname “Toon!” every time he took the court. He embraced the sense of security, warmth, and community from the campus atmosphere and thrived academically as a Financial Management major.
“Spending those years at Virginia Tech was one of the best experiences of my life,” Ibrahim said.
Having spent two years playing professionally in England and Greece, he was forced to retire due to severe back problems, requiring medication and injections that allowed him to run, shattering his basketball aspirations.
Upon returning to the United States, he enrolled in graduate school at Howard University, focusing on accounting. By his late twenties, he was securing a position at Ernst and Young and starting his own residential and commercial real estate venture.
It was during this time that a charming 5-foot-3 woman named Dessire, who was pursuing a Pre-Law degree at American University, caught his attention during a church service one Sunday.
He was instantly captivated. And the attraction was mutual.
“Ibrahim and I met when I was 22 years old and finishing up my undergraduate degree,” Dessire said. “I was drawn to him. He was driven, very smart, very competent and he had a plan for where he wanted to go and what he wanted to accomplish in life.”
After dating for several years, the pair married and welcomed three daughters before the arrival of Baba and his younger brother, Wale.
Both Ibrahim and Dessire highlighted the importance of academic success for all their children; however, Dessire was initially uncertain about Ibrahim’s strong emphasis on athletics.
“I was a military child that moved around a lot and didn’t play any sports when I was young,” Dessire shared. “My dad played baseball and my mom ran track, but they never pressured me into athletics. Transitioning from that to being a mother overseeing a house full of athletes was quite an adjustment.”
Their three oldest daughters participated in competitive dance and swimming, in addition to playing basketball and volleyball.
“Ibrahim would often say, ‘They have to be well-rounded.’ He insisted they needed activities outside of academics and encouraged me to trust him. All of our kids began engaging in sports at a young age, and it significantly enhanced their overall development as individuals.”
“One of the main benefits I observed, aside from the commitment to a healthy lifestyle and improved social skills, was how crucial it was for boosting their confidence,” she reflected. “That was huge. I hadn’t realized sports could have such an impact. I’m incredibly thankful for that. Their schedules were always packed, but eventually, we adapted to the routine.”
Ibrahim was never the type of former athlete living through his children. With his achievements as a businessman, he and Dessire had already set up college funds for their kids even before they were born. Therefore, securing an athletic scholarship to an elite university was never a priority.
“It’s essential to prepare your children for life, not just for basketball or any sport,” emphasized Ibrahim, who ensured all of his daughters took advanced placement courses in high school, earning college credits before beginning their undergraduate studies. “As parents, our responsibility was to ensure their minds were right, that they possessed maturity and intellect, and that they were motivated to become better individuals every day.”
When Baba discovered his passion for basketball at a young age, the hours spent in the gym were more about family bonding than creating a basketball prodigy.
“I used to go to the gym with my sisters; they put a lot of effort into my growth just like my parents did,” Baba recalled. “I would be dribbling around and attempting to get some shots up, and I still remember the first basket I made; the sound of the ball going through the net is vivid in my memory. Being with my father, my sisters, and my little brother made it incredibly enjoyable. I just loved it and couldn’t get enough, it brought me happiness.”
“My older sisters, Shola, Yemi, and Adeola, are remarkable individuals,” Baba continued. “I’ve lost count of how many times Shola triumphed over me in one-on-one games. My sisters contributed as much to my basketball development as they did to my academic progress.”
As Ibrahim observed Baba’s dedication to improving his basketball skills, he took a more active role in teaching him the nuances of the game. He introduced him to ball handling drills and techniques, and they trained together in the basement with calisthenics, alongside one-on-one and two-on-two matchups with his sisters.
“We worked extensively on dribbling, footwork, and shooting form; we also included swimming, tennis, and soccer into the mix,” Ibrahim explained. “He would spend hours practicing his shooting from his preferred spots, running around cones to perfect his catch-and-shoot, and I would reward him with his favorite treats, Skittles and M&M’s.”
“I would run him through the drills I observed Dell Curry perform when he would return to Virginia Tech to practice,” he added. “And he relished every second of it. We truly enjoyed spending that quality time together as a family.”
Balancing the role of a father to four children alongside managing his business interests, Ibrahim took steps to surround himself with trusted allies from the basketball community in Washington DC and Maryland. These individuals assist in training Baba and help transport him to various commitments when he, his wife, and daughters are unavailable.
“There is a village that works with him and they’ve all been very helpful,” Ibrahim shared.
One such ally is Pratt, who serves as the General Manager and Director of the Team Durant AAU program.
“I’ve tried to be a confidant because I already knew the pitfalls and the type of people to avoid based on my own experiences from when Kevin [Durant] was Baba’s age,” Pratt explained. “When we were going through it we made some mistakes and had to learn on our own. I try to share the knowledge that I gained over the years to help parents and kids like Baba from going down the rabbit hole of the high school and AAU basketball scene.”
“And Ibrahim was really smart because as I started being around them more when Baba came to play for us starting in the sixth grade, the focus was never on how much Baba could score and how many games and tournaments he could win, the only thing he cared about was his son’s development,” Pratt added.
Another key figure in this supportive network is Musa Kamara, the Team Durant’s 16U coach, who started training Baba when he was in the seventh grade, facing off against older competitors.
“The first thing I noticed right away about Baba was his basketball instincts,” Kamara remarked. “Because he was the tallest player on the court, most coaches would be tempted to simply put him under the basket. He could handle the ball, had an advanced IQ and he was really good at reading the defense and passing the ball to his teammates. He was a step ahead of everyone else because of his mental development and intelligence, which his father had long stressed. You could tell early on that he had pro instincts because of the decisions he’d make.”
Those who observe closely can spot it instantly. Baba isn’t just chasing points to fill up his stats. A knowledgeable onlooker may simply comment, “He plays the right way.”
“There’s no wasted dribbles, no wasted steps,” asserted Kamara. “His shooting range is obvious, but the beauty of his game is in the details. He’s a student of the game and he’s got the right answers to all of the difficult questions. He’s very unselfish and quiet and he’s morally grounded with a high character.”
This became particularly clear during Kamara’s sessions with Baba. After games or practice, while other players typically disperse, Baba would approach and ask, “Hey coach, you need some help?” while already carrying bags filled with basketballs, uniforms, and other gear toward the team van.
“By the time he hit the seventh and eighth grades, he became this sensation,” Ibrahim noted. “He loves working out, practicing, and playing the game so much that sometimes I have to protect him from himself. If I didn’t tell him to get some rest he’d just keep going. Even when we weren’t in the gym, he’d often be at home, laying on his back with a ball in his hands, working on his hand placement, release, shooting form, and follow-through.”
As an eighth grader, Baba received an invitation to participate in the prestigious Kevin Durant Nike Skills Academy, a significant achievement for some of the nation’s top high school basketball talents.
During one of the lunch breaks, while most players were grabbing a bite, Baba stayed behind to shoot some hoops on an unoccupied court at Bowie State University.
On the opposite end of the court, he noticed someone else shooting around. When he looked over, he realized it was Durant.
The future NBA Hall of Famer approached and began rebounding for Baba. It wasn’t long before they started working out together.
“That happened so organically and I’m beyond thankful that God blessed me with that humbling experience,” Baba expressed. “That 45-minute workout with KD really elevated my mid-post game through the techniques he was demonstrating. He broke it down to a science regarding pump fakes and how to create space for my shots. I realized that every shot he takes in games is a result of the countless repetitions he puts in during practice.”
“The truly great ones really love the game,” Pratt remarked. “For them, ball is life. I watched their workouts, and you could see Baba picking up on the subtle nuances of the game, like proper foot placement and balance that Kevin was teaching him right away. That’s when I truly recognized Baba’s potential because Kevin doesn’t invest his time with just anyone during workouts. He doesn’t provide that level of attention to just anybody, but he did for Baba. And the young man was incredibly respectful. He may not say much, but it was all ‘Yes sir, No sir,’ and you could tell he was fully engaged and absorbing all that knowledge.”
Baba is also currently being mentored by another Maryland basketball icon, Walt Williams, known as “The Wizard.” Williams, a 6-foot-8 sharp-shooting swingman, had a stellar career at the University of Maryland before his 11-year stint in the NBA.
Williams had been tracking Baba’s progress for some time and decided to attend one of his games during his freshman year last year for a closer look.
He took in another game, and another.
“I saw this long, 6-foot-7 kid at the time who looked really young but he had a skill set that didn’t match his age,” said Williams. “I saw the tools, saw what he was capable of blossoming into. Because of my length and ability to handle, pass and shoot the ball as a player that could play in the post and on the perimeter, there were some similarities in our game. He can set up the offense, execute at a controlled pace, he has point guard handles, can pass, put the ball in the hole and get absolutely busy while taking a game over if that’s what it calls for.”
During their training sessions, Williams is guiding Baba on how to manage physical confrontations with stronger opponents as his physique matures.
“As he continues to move up, bigger players are going to try to knock him around to get him off balance,” said Williams. “We’re working to combat that by being more aggressive, by getting those guys on his hip and initiating that contact. We’re not just in the gym doing drills, I’m guarding and physically fouling him like crazy so he can be comfortable and deal with stronger people that want to invade his space.”
“We’re also focusing on his post moves around the rim because when a 6-foot-4 guy is guarding him, like when I had a smaller player on me, I was taking him into the paint to punish him,” Williams elaborated. “We’re doing a lot of that in drill work, one-on-one and five-on-five full court situations. The amusing part is that I was taller than him when we began working out last year and now he’s grown taller than me. He’s added two inches in the past year and he’s still growing!”
The development work extends beyond just the gym as well.
Baba and Ibrahim are currently studying the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each reading session is followed by an in-depth discussion on how to apply those principles to both basketball and life.
“Right now, we’re discussing being proactive rather than reactive,” Baba stated. “It’s about staying a step ahead. From a basketball point of view, it’s about not underestimating an opponent, analyzing their tendencies, understanding their preferred moves, what their counters are, and figuring out how I can best neutralize that.”
Next on their reading agenda is Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist, a timeless novel that emphasizes the importance of pursuing one’s life journey and overcoming obstacles in the quest for goals and dreams.
“Baba has been very bright from a very young age with a rare attentiveness,” remarked Dessire. “People see this tall child who’s truly skilled at basketball, but that’s just one aspect of who he is. He possesses a thoughtful, creative side and has a real intellectual curiosity. I’m not surprised by his success because I witness the effort he puts in and his personal commitment. I’m incredibly proud of him as a mother and the remarkable young man he’s becoming—someone who, despite his stature and the accolades he’s receiving, remains kind and thoughtful towards others.”
The Oladotun family has already shown they are supportive of Baba pursuing a unique path in his basketball journey.
Initially, he enrolled at the prestigious DeMatha Catholic High School to kick off his freshman year. However, after the first semester, the family decided that transferring to Blake, their community school where their daughters had excelled in volleyball and had established strong relationships with coaches, faculty, and other parents, would be a better fit for him.
“DeMatha has a great history and we loved what the school provided,” noted Ibrahim. “But considering the routine we had already developed, with his training sessions before and after school, plus getting him to various training sessions alongside everyone else’s schedule, it made more sense for him to be closer to home at Blake.”
“DeMatha is a wonderful institution and was an excellent opportunity, but for our family, we recognized that he would still be competing against the top players in the nation by playing travel ball on the AAU circuit,” he added. “In the long run, it worked out better for us as things currently stand.”
“Ibrahim and his wife have done an incredible job raising their children, encouraging them to stay humble and focused,” praised Pratt. “Every decision they make is as a family, with everything planned meticulously. They know what’s best for them.”
As Baba’s prominence in the prep basketball landscape continues to grow, many speculate that this season may be his last with Blake, his local high school team. They believe that the most notable prep programs, which participate in national schedules, may offer a larger forum and greater opportunities.
“We plan to take it one year at a time, but we’re very happy with his high school experience to this point,” Ibrahim stated. “Institutions like Oak Hill, Prolific Prep, IMG, Montverde, and others have expressed interest, and while it’s wonderful that they are, I want to prioritize raising my son. Right now, we’re focused on the three G’s—God, Grades, and Game. But we’ll stay open to possibilities.”
“We’ll assess the situation annually,” he continued. “The prep route might be ideal for some kids, but for now, we appreciate our current position. Sometimes going the organic route is the most effective. We are grateful for the position we currently hold. We will assess the situation at the conclusion of his sophomore year and after this spring and summer. At this moment, the work we’re undertaking here is too valuable to abandon.”
His son also prefers to live in the present.
“God blessed me with mental strength and an amazing support system,” said Baba. “The principle I’m following right now is called M.O.B. – Making Others Better. I study a lot of footage of players who share that mindset and possess size, such as Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, LeBron James, and naturally Kevin Durant – athletes celebrated for their unselfishness.”
“His approach to the game is exceptionally mature, yet he remains a cheerful kid with a wonderful attitude; despite his calm demeanor, he’s intensely competitive internally,” remarked Williams. “His parents have instilled strong values in him, ensuring he is a good person, which is why I am most enthusiastic about coaching him. He possesses a fantastic mindset for learning and gives his all in the gym. He doesn’t settle or get swayed by compliments about his skills. Even if his abilities plateau at this point—though they definitely will improve—just gaining strength will still make him a remarkable player.”
“I enjoy being in the gym daily, reading during my quiet moments, working out in the weight room, practicing with my teammates, and then hitting the gym again at night after some recovery,” he noted. “I also love to train alone and with my 13-year-old brother, Wale. He’s my buddy, my support. Currently in seventh grade, he’s going to become an outstanding player as well.”
“Right now, my goal is to increase my strength, enhance my basketball IQ, boost my athleticism, work on rebounding and defense, refine my shot mechanics, and uplift others on the court. Basketball brings me immense joy; it’s a way for me to express myself, and I am thrilled about the potential paths it could lead me to in the future.”
