Recruiting Report 2018: Olamide Banjo
Grassroots Team: Metro Celtics
We met Olamide at the Prep Hoops 250 Expo in Owings Mill, MD last Saturday at the McDonogh School. He is an impressive athlete @ 6’2″ with a strong lean frame & long wingspan. In the Prep Hoops 250 Expo scrimmages Olamide caught our eye with a very diversified skill set & high motor. He was very smooth, yet very quick with explosiveness & quick bursts. Olamide broke down defenders off the dribble finishing at the rim or making a nice dish /kick out. He can play on or off the ball. Olamide displayed a very nice handle with both hands. His dribble is very compact, he can get low & shift directions very well. Olamide adds,”Some of my ball handling moves include the Tim Hardaway crossover, hesitation & go. When I get in the lane I can use the Allen Iverson hop step/jump stop to score or facilitate. I am very quick off the dribble & can blow by defenders with my quickness or changing gears & then accelerating. I can run the true PG position in the half court & I play with a high IQ. I have good court vision & my instincts are very good seeing plays before they develop.”
When needed, Olamide can score from the triple threat position where he has developed very good jab step moves & the ability to rip thru defenders. He has very good shot mechanics & can hit 3s off the dribble, & gets open very off the ball for spot ups. Olamide adds”I have developed a very solid mid range off the dribble & can go straight up from 15 feet off a curl or flex cut. However, scoring is not my 1st option. I read the court & scan my options for the best play for my team”
Last season Olamide came on at mid season for Largo in his junior year. He started for the remainder of 2017, averaging 7 points, 5 assists & 3 steals per game. During the season Olamide was 5’10” & this summer sprouted 4 inches to his current 6’2″ height. His game keeps expanding & improving thru dedication & hard work. Olamide played for he Metro Celtics this summer & stuffed the stat sheets, averaging 14 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals & 2 blocks per game.
Now for the shocking news, Olamide has only been playing organized basketball since his freshmen year or just 3 years He was always a gifted athlete & focused on soccer. Olamide’s bother Kunle played soccer for 4 years at UMBC where graduated 4 years ago. Oalamide says, “My brother & I are very close & I attained my work ethic from him. I love to play basketball & I work on my game 6-7 days a week. I perform strength & conditioning, overall basketball skill drills, do plyos, flexibilty, run pick up games & more.” We asked Olamide how his game has improved since the conclusion of Largos season this spring & he says” My mental toughness is much better, I have gotten stronger & my vertical has improved to the point where I can dunk easily, & get more lift on jumper. Additionally, my overall athleticism, ball speed, lateral movement & quickness keep improving. I am proud of my defense & this summer when I played for the Metro Celtics I would guard the opponents best offensive player. My concentration is very good & I can now block out distractions . Some of my goals this fall are to improve finishing at the rim using my left hand, get stronger, keep working on my defense, & continually improve my overall basketball skills.”
In down time Olamide likes to watch Allen Iverson, Tim Hardaway, John Stockton, Ray Allen, & Penny Hardaway & incorporate some of their skills into his game. Before games he watches his opponents on video to study their tendencies. When practicing & before games Olamide visualizes all the scenarios & how he wants to execute them & come out with a win for his games.
In the classroom Olamide is a excellent student with a 3.2 GPA & with a goal of majoring in Computer Engineering. He comes from a very close knit family & names his parents & brother Kunle as role models. Largo is currently playing in the Riverdale Baptist Fall League & we will stop by. We will be covering Olamide & Largo this season with live game reports & player articles. We are looking forward to watching Olamide’s on going development & asses his college recruit level, but we do know Olamide will play basketball in college
We chatted with Olamide at length on several occasions & formed this assessment thru or talks & watching him play. He is a very under, under the radar player & poised for a break out season for Largo HS. Olamide is very hungry to improve, eager to learn & win. He is developing at a very fast rate & shows a great work ethic. Olamide asks many intelligent questions absorbing basketball information & new techniques like a sponge. He has not been privileged to have the assistance of a personal trainer & he works very, very hard, much of the time on his own. We see much more of an upside for Olamide who has just scratched the surface of his potential. Olamide says,” There is much more to come in my basketball development”
Last photo by: Chris Thompkins