On Friday, Cal men’s basketball landed their second commitment of the 2021 class in small forward Sam Alajiki out of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey. Alajiki joins Bishop O’Dowd shooting guard Marsalis Roberson in the 2021 class for the Bears. Relatively unknown a few months ago, Alajiki started gaining more traction among high major programs due to his 6’7”, 225 pound build, raw athleticism, and ability to shoot from the perimeter. After having a tough time finding recruits to commit, Mark Fox and his staff have done a solid job of adding two players who can help them build a competitive program.
For Alajiki, what stood out to him about head coach Mark Fox was how direct he was in terms of communicating his vision for the program. This played a major role in helping Alajiki decide Cal was the right fit for him.
“I think he’s a great guy,” Alajiki said of Fox. “I think he’s great. I like how realistic he is. He made a good decision offering me a scholarship. He was very direct and straightforward and transparent. That’s what I like. A lot of people beat around the bush and he’s not that guy.”
As for what Alajiki should bring to the program, he should give the Bears more athleticism out on the wing and energy. While he doesn’t project to start right away, Alajiki should be able to provide important minutes off the bench and the type of hustle that Fox wants from his players. He should also provide some solid shooting from the perimeter and help Cal play at a faster pace.
“I’m 6’7”, 225 pounds and I have a 41 inch vertical leap,” Alajiki said. “I can really get to the rim and finish it. I’m extremely confident shooting beyond the perimeter. Beyond the college three. I’m a good athlete and a good shooter, which you don’t get often.
“They want to play faster. I can run an 8 second offense. I can defend and rebound. I’m a utility player. I can do whatever Coach Fox wants me to do. I’m a jack-of-all-trades; master of many.”
Cal’s academic reputation also played a role in Alajiki’s decision. He takes his studies really seriously and knows that Cal’s academics are rivaled by few. When you combine elite academics with a chance to play in a high major conference like the Pac-12, it was easy for Alajiki to choose Cal.
“I’m a high education guy,” Alajiki said. “I have a 4.16 GPA. Cal is a top three school in the world. That’s what my parents like about it. They want me to use the game [to get a good education]. Obviously, the Pac-12 is a great league to play in. I’m confident I’ll be a professional. Definitely Coach Harriman and Coach Fox have been great.”
For Cal, they really needed to add someone else in this recruiting class to go along with Marsalis Roberson and have found an intriguing talent in Sam Alajiki that could yield some nice fruit. The key will be for Mark Fox to develop Alajiki and get him to maximize his potential. Assuming Fox’s player development works wonders for Alajiki as well as Roberson, this Cal recruiting class could end up being much better than the rankings indicate.
Note: For more on Alajiki, read our most recent interview with him here.
