Were Razorbacks able to land top 10 prospect from East Coast?

John Calipari can't find way to close deal on special talent in 2026 class and not in final pair

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari on the sidelines against the Winthrop Eagles at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas Communications

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For much of the past few weeks it seemed clear that Arkansas and second-year coach John Calipari were in the driver's seat for 5-star Baba Olabotun.

There was some sort of shift in recent days which swayed his decision with just two ball caps on the table, Georgetown and Maryland, choosing the latter.

The five-star small forward committed to the Terrapins over the likes of Georgetown, Arkansas and Kentucky. He had offers from several more programs such as other offers from Louisville, Virginia Tech, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Villanova, Virginia and many others. 

Oladotun, 6-foot-10, 190 pounds, is the No. 10 overall prospect nationally, No. 3 among small forwards and the No. 1 player from Maryland, according to 247sports. Before his reclassifications, he was considered the No. 1 player in the country for 2027 by multiple outlets.

One of the biggest recruits ever in @MCPSAthletics history is staying home!

Congrats to Baba Oladotun on his commitment to @TerrapinHoops. It will be great to see him play down the road in College Park.

Good luck to @BlakeBoysBball this year! @MoCo_BoysHoops @BlakeAthletics pic.twitter.com/qylWbjDGTm

— MoCo WBCA (@moco_wbca) November 20, 2025

The versatile wing gives Maryland a high-upside weapon who’s already drawing comparisons to NBA superstar Kevin Durant having played on his Nike EYBL sponsored squad.

During his sophomore season, Oladotun averaged nearly 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game while leading his James Hubert Blake team to a 23–2 record. He earned first-team MaxPreps Sophomore All-America honors for his effort.

Oladotun is a jumbo wing with terrific positional size who is a fluid mover and shows some real playmaking upside. After his reclassification, he is notably young for a rising senior and has barely begun to fill-out his frame.

He is going to need to get significantly stronger given a high center of gravity that makes it difficult to play through contact. Long-term though he has the potential to play and defend multiple positions, initiate offense, and even shoot with a naturally soft touch but an elbow that flies out from under his release.

Adam Finkelstein, 247sports evaluation

He's a wildcard of an athlete on the hardwood, capable of being a three level scorer with unlimited range as he drained 63% of his attempts from the field and 42% from three-point range.

His ability to knock down jumpers off the catch or dribble, attack inside and finish with touch at his size is a combination that seems to be popularized with bigger ball handlers such as Durant, Lebron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

While he is known for shot making, his court vision makes him a very capable passer and plays unselfishly without looking for his shots or padding points.

Obviously, his length is going to cause issues at all levels of the court, allowing him to switch with ease in the front and backcourt. During EYBL play, he forced nearly two steals per game which allowed him to make plays in the open floor.

Oladotun's decision to choose Maryland keeps the Razorbacks signing class to just two members while ranked No. 22 nationally by 247sports. Had Arkansas found a way to land him, it would have shot the Hogs into the top five.

2026 Arkansas Commits

5-star SG JJ Andrews, 6-foot-6, 220 pounds
4-star SF Abdou Toure, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds