‘He can do it all.’ Meet the first high school sophomore to get a Kentucky basketball offer.

Only two high school sophomores currently hold a Kentucky men’s basketball scholarship offer.

The first one to earn an offer was Baba Oladotun , a 6-foot-7 small forward from Silver Spring, Maryland.

The 15-year-old Oladotun is already highly regarded among recruiting experts. Rivals has Oladotun ranked as the No. 3 player in the 2027 recruiting class, while On3 has Baba slotted as the No. 2 prospect. 247Sports has not yet ranked players in the 2027 class.

Oladotun’s participation at last week’s USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp in Colorado was evidence of his national standing among high school underclassmen. And his performance at the event — which took place in front of several NBA general managers, as well as executives and scouts from the league’s 30 teams — further cemented him as a prospect to watch in the coming years.

The self-confident Oladotun has a diverse array of offensive moves and the ability to make off-balance shots from different spots in the halfcourt. This includes a viable 3-point shot. Combine this with his existing length and projected growth, and it’s easy to see why Baba is about as coveted a recruit as there is in the sophomore class.

“I’m a versatile player. That’s one thing, I’ve always been a guard, and been able to play 1 through 5 since I was a kid, both offensively and defensively,” Oladotun told the Herald-Leader at the minicamp. “Shooting is my number one strength. Obviously, I work on that every day. I make 500 shots a day, seven days a week. I work out a lot, work on my skills. I have a really great work ethic.”

That work ethic has recently put a premium on shooting (Oladotun said he makes about 250 off-the-dribble, pull up shots a day), as well as ball handling, getting to and finishing at the rim and continuing to refine his inside-out game.

There’s also something to be said for the plan that’s in place for Oladotun’s long-term development.

Oladotun and his father, Ibrahim, have a vision for that, with the obvious end goal of Baba playing in the NBA.

“He can do it all,” Ibrahim, who is from Nigeria, told the Herald-Leader about his son. “Some people (see Baba) as a 3, a 2, a power forward. But you also see him bring the ball down. He just has a good feel for the game.”

Part of this plan will involve, at least, one year in college basketball. And Kentucky has thrown its hat into the ring at an early stage. There’s already an elite feel to Oladotun’s recruitment, given the programs that have extended a scholarship offer his way.

Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, home-state school Maryland, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas and UCLA are just a handful of the programs who have offered a scholarship to Oladotun, who last year notably switched from the private DeMatha Catholic High School — a regional DMV basketball power that claims alumni such as ex-Cat Keith Bogans — to his local public high school in Maryland.

Ibrahim met with new UK coach Mark Pope when Pope visited Baba’s school (James Hubert Blake High School) and Ibrahim was thoroughly impressed.

“He’s just like the guy next door,” Ibrahim said of Pope. “The fact that he has the energy as a coach. … Just what he has done in such a short period of time. … He came to a good situation, but you have to be good as well. He’s just a very enthusiastic individual.”

While it’s far too early to begin handicapping Oladotun’s recruitment, there were plenty of positive words from both the prospect and his father about Pope.

“First of all, they’re a great institution, and that’s what I’m looking for in a school,” Baba said of Kentucky. “Great playing style. Great coaching style. Obviously, Coach Pope has a great resume (from) BYU.”

“He has been around people like Baba,” Ibrahim added about Pope. “That’s what makes me feel very comfortable when I hear (Pope) talk.”

Ibrahim Oladotun is ready to analyze potential college fits for his son

Ibrahim — who handles most of Baba’s recruitment — knows a thing or two about college basketball. He played at Virginia Tech from 1989 to 1991, appearing in 46 games for the Hokies across two seasons. Before Virginia Tech, Ibrahim spent one year each at Wagner and at a Florida junior college.

While Ibrahim, who was first a boxer before playing basketball, never made it to the NCAA Tournament at Virginia Tech, he shared the court with two players, guard Bimbo Coles and center Jimmy Carruth, who would go on to play in the NBA.

This gave Ibrahim an up-close look at what professional basketball talent looked like, although that’s also plainly obvious to see when Baba (who stands 6-foot-10 in shoes) is on the floor.

A prodigious talent like Baba — who said he’s traveled to California to work out with some of the nation’s best trainers — would probably shine through in any basketball environment, but the Oladotuns are focused on several key factors when it comes to assessing Baba’s college options.

Ibrahim rattled off several of these: Offensive and defensive philosophy, how teams guard pick and rolls, the roles of a team’s big men, the types of guards a program has and how teams are using their “positionless” players, to name a few.

What does this mean for the Wildcats?

There’s still no hard evidence , yet, about what the Kentucky basketball product will look like under Pope’s direction, although we are now less than a week out from seeing the Wildcats on the floor against another squad.

But there’s plenty of tape highlighting what Pope’s teams did at BYU and Utah Valley. All of this has, and will continue, to inform Baba and Ibrahim of the potential benefits of playing for Pope at UK.

“I would say the fluidity of the offense, the ball movement,” Baba said when asked what sticks out to him about Pope-led teams. “I’ve seen a practice with Pope at Kentucky, they were moving the ball quickly. I like that type of offense. Equal opportunity offense, where the ball doesn’t stick in one guy’s hand. … It’s an offense for shooters, too.”

“I’m going to study intensely,” Ibrahim said of watching the upcoming college basketball season, with a focus on the schools that are recruiting his son. “Before I’ve watched for entertainment purposes, this time I’m going to study, not just Kentucky, but all the schools that offer Baba.”

Ibrahim is serious about this, too. We’re talking about sitting down with a pen and paper, locked in on how different schools are using their “unicorn” players. He estimates this coming season will be the most NCAA basketball he’s ever watched.

“It’s real now,” Ibrahim said.

While Baba’s recruitment still has years to go (he took two unofficial visits this summer to UCLA and Southern California), he already has an idea of what will set college programs apart for him, including finding the right playing style.

“Just being in the right place as well. Obviously, I’m a man of God as well. God first. So looking at the campus ministries. Seeing what they have there as well,” Baba said. “… Making sure I’m playing for a coach that has a pro resume, that’s sent players to the league. … That’s my goal, to get to the league.”

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