Normally, it’s rare to see a top high school prospect turn down the chance to play for John Calipari or a blue-blood program like Kentucky, but Babatunde Oladotun isn’t your typical recruit. The No. 8 player in the SC Next Top 100 for the Class of 2026 stunned the college basketball world by passing on offers from Arkansas and Kentucky to commit to Maryland instead.

“My relationship with Buzz Williams and the staff was great,” Oladotun said to ESPN, after announcing his decision exclusively via livestream on his YouTube channel. “Coach Buzz is a realist. Sometimes he is going to be raw. He is going to push you hard, break you down and build you up. He has developed players like Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder.”

Oladotun is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports Composite, and his commitment instantly makes history for Maryland. He becomes the second-highest-rated recruit the program has ever landed — trailing only Diamond Stone, who was ranked No. 8 in 2015 — and he jumps ahead of Derik Queen, the No. 12 recruit in the 2024 class.

It’s worth pointing out that Oladotun was actually the top player in the 2027 class before he announced in August that he would reclassify to 2026. His father, Ibrahim, told The Athletic that Baba was already on track to graduate early, and the family felt moving him up a class was the best way to “protect an asset.”

The Terrapins are in their first season under Buzz Williams, and this commitment is a massive win for the new head coach. It marks his first five-star recruit in almost a decade, going all the way back to when Nickeil Alexander-Walker chose Virginia Tech during Williams’ time in Blacksburg for the 2017 class.

Oladotun averaged 13.2 points and 5.8 rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, starting with a few games on the 16U level before jumping up to the 17U Team Durant squad. As the season went on, he really found his rhythm — dropping 28 points against Team Herro and later putting up 20 on Team Takeover in July. Performances like those are exactly why Maryland fans should be excited. He’s going to be a major piece for Buzz Williams as the Terrapins look to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2002.

As per ESPN, Maryland entered the early signing period with the No. 19 recruiting class in the country, thanks to SC Next 100 guard Kaden House (No. 47) and four-star forwards Austin Brown and Adama Tambedou, who were already committed. Now, with the addition of the 6-foot-10 forward, the Terps do have the chance to do just that.

For Babatunde Oladotun, though, there was another major reason he chose Maryland over Kentucky, Arkansas, and Georgetown.

Babatunde Oladotun’s Commitment to Maryland Rooted in Family Ties

You could definitely say that getting Oladotun to pick Maryland is a huge recruiting win for first-year coach Buzz Williams and the Terps, but they may have had an edge that others didn’t. Oladotun is a local kid, starring for Blake High in Cloverly, Maryland — just 30 minutes from College Park.

“Staying home just hits different,” Oladotun said in his interview with ESPN. “The school is only 20 minutes away. I am a big family guy. I am a local player and have a chance to represent my home school. When the new staff got the job, they reached out right away. When I reclassed, they recruited me even harder.”

Babatunde Oladotun has two sisters who already attend Maryland, and his personal trainer is none other than former Terps star and longtime NBA veteran Walt Williams. So the decision makes perfect sense when you look at it. Will Oladotun’s move to Maryland help the Terps win their first championship since 2002? What do you think? Let us know in the comments down below!