Oyekan is a prospect that got on our radar early this season due to his productivity in a handful of statistical categories. Sometimes with these sort of prospects, you arrive at the game and end up being a little underwhelmed. That certainly wasn’t the case with Oyekan. We actually were exposed to more athletic pop than film offered, which was hard to believe. His ability to make plays above the rim as a freshman jump out to you, but it was his willingness to impact both ends with confidence that drew us in even further. Some of his offensive game is still a work in progress, but the foundation is extremely intriguing and as the season progressed, he showed instincts as an off-ball threat, a hustle guy generating second chance opportunities and serving as a major piece of Laurel’s success puzzle. He finished the year averaging 17.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.0 stocks (steals + blocks) and 1.3 assists per game.

14p 10r 1a 2b 3s vs Blair

-Even in a rollercoaster shooting game by his standards, Oyekan turned in a double-double performance off of willpower by rebounding most of his misses to score in the paint or draw FTs. Oyekan started things off with a post feed over the top to feed his big, had an exposive off-ball cut down the middle of the floor for a double-clutch bucket through the contact, face cut to the rim off the BLOB for the bucket, and was super impactful defensively throughout the game. Although he has a slight frame, the motor and aggressive play at the defensive end of the floor really stand out as a defender that made several “not on my watch” plays. He high-pointed a block off his back heels in transition, recovered to punch a layup attempt from behind after he got hit by a screen, swiped a shot attempt on the way up to ignite a fastbreak headed the other way, and forced several turnovers by forcing his matchup to tightline the sideline or baseline without committing a block foul. The blend of speed, quickness, and an aggressive style of play bode well for the long term outcomes for a player that has grinded his way into our top 15 and should continue to climb in our next rankings update.

Oyekan has left a huge impression on me this season while admittedly being a name I was unfamiliar with coming into his freshman season. He played hero last night in Laurel’s crucial overtime win over Wise as he knocked down a pull-up three from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded to lift his team to victory. The 6-foot-4 dynamic guard checks nearly every box that you’d like to see in a freshman guard with positional size, athleticism and competitive motor. Oyekan posted a packed stat line of 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

Previous ranking: 27

-Oyekan is creating a name for himself as one of the leaders for a good PG County team in Laurel. A rangy athlete that can closeout to the wings quickly from the paint or rush to protect the rim from the weakside, his value as a 2-way leader for this team really sets the tone in games. Like the balance and consistency on the perimeter jumper but the handle will need to smoothen out to take advantage of his burst to hit jumpers off the bounce. Love the urgency of how quickly he reacts when there is a loose ball or long rebound coming off the rim to beat his man to the spot. That competitive fire and impact on the glass will continue to translate into well-rounded performances as he develops his game.

18p 12r 3a 4b 4s vs Bowie

-Came away very impressed with Oyekan as he put up a double-double with 8 stocks in a narrow home loss to Bowie. The perimeter jumper wasn’t falling often after a big face-up wing 3 to start the game, so he began relentlessly attacking the rim. Oyekan’s leaping ability–even on a second jump– really stood out as he cleaned up his misses around the rim and blocked 3 shots on the perimeter. Oyekan played with a great change of pace in transition and uses his shoulder well to clear space on his way to the rim or get to his spots in the halfcourt. His instincts playing the passing lanes defensively and finding his teammates off the bounce on the offensive side of the ball bode well for his long term outcomes as a 2-way guard.

Expect Oyekan to receive a healthy boost in our 2029 rankings update next week as he’s off to one of the more impressive starts for this local freshman class. He’s shown signs of a high-upside name here in the 2029 class as a 6-foot-3 guard with plus length, bouncy athleticism and a wiry frame with a plus wingspan that should fill out nicely over time. He’s a rim-protecting presence despite being a guard and can get out in the open floor offensively and present as a handful for most defenders at the basket. The jumper remains a work in progress, but his ability to expose driving lanes with a quick and long first step makes trips to the charity stripe inevitable as his matchup or those rotating weakside cannot meet his quickness. Through Laurel’s first 10 games, Oyekan was posting over 17.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.2 stocks (steals + blocks) per game.