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Next winter, he'll be expected to make an immediate impact for a Maryland basketball team that needs to turn things around. But first, incoming five-star freshman Baba Oladotun will work to add another impressive line to his basketball resume after it was announced Friday he was selected to the 2026 USA Basketball U18 National Team Training Camp.
Oladotun is one of 35 players invited to Colorado Springs for the camp, which begins May 21 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. The roster will eventually be trimmed to 12 players who will represent the United States at the 2026 FIBA U18 Men's AmeriCup from June 1-7 in Leon, Mexico.
The Silver Spring native is viewed as one of the elite young players in the country heading into his freshman season at Maryland. After spending more than two years as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2027, he reclassified to 2026 and landed at No. 11 in a class of older players. That ranking made him the second-highest rated signee of Maryland's modern recruiting era, trailing only Diamond Stone and placing ahead of former five-stars Derik Queen and Jalen Smith.
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The 6-foot-10 wing chose Maryland over programs including Arkansas, Georgetown and Kentucky, giving Buzz Williams a centerpiece recruit in his first full high school class with the Terps. Oladotun originally belonged to the 2027 class before reclassifying in August, accelerating his path to College Park.
"While Baba is relatively young for his age as a player compared to his peers, as a person he is wise beyond his years," Williams said after Oladotun signed. "That's not just a credit to how he has gone through his process, but to how his family has raised him and his siblings.
This isn't Oladotun's first involvement with USA Basketball. The 6-10 small forward has been part of the pipeline since 2023, participating in multiple Junior National Team minicamps, including the 2025 USA Men's Junior National Team minicamp in San Antonio last April. Now, he'll have a legitimate chance to make the final U18 roster.
"He will be a terrific fit for our program in how he wants to grow as a player and a person. Baba has a high potential and will make an impact from the first day. His length, athleticism, and high basketball IQ make him one of the top players in the country."
Oladotun's rise has been rapid over the last two years. Playing for Team Durant on the EYBL circuit and starring at James Hubert Blake High School, he developed into one of the most versatile long wings in the country. During his junior season at Blake, he averaged 22.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game. He missed nearly all of his senior year with an ankle injury, but returned in the playoffs to help Blake High School win the state championship
He's the headliner of the highest-ranked recruiting classes Maryland has assembled in decades. Maryland's incoming freshman group of Oladotun, Austin Brown, Kaden House and Adama Tambedou finished ranked ninth nationally and marked the program's best full recruiting haul since the Gary Williams era.
Full USA Basketball Trials Roster:
Class of 2026: Davion Adkins, Tarris Bouie, Bruce Branch III, Quentin Coleman, Sam Funches, Caleb Gaskins, Bryson Howard, Josh Irving, Jasiah Jervis, Taylen Kinney, Colben Landrew, Dhani Miller, Dylan Mingo, Bo Ogden, Baba Oladotun, Ethan Taylor, Kevin Thomas and Anthony Thompson.
Class of 2027: Scottie Adkinson, Reese Alston, Dawson Battie, Chase Branham, Jalen Davis, Jaxson Davis, Demarcus Henry, Ahmad Hudson, Jaydn Jenkins, Malachi Jordan, Moussa Kamissoko, J'Lon Lyons, Kevin Savage III, Davion Thompson, Josh Tyson and Darius Wabbington.
Class of 2028: Adan Diggs
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