ATLANTA – Two years ago when Ikenna Alozie came to the U.S. from Nigeria he figured that there would be an adjustment curve in competing against “the best competition in the world.”
“I knew it would be tougher,” Alozie said. “It’s a lot different from back home. The guys over here just have everything with their game, so I definitely had to pick things up, but I’m a worker. I love the game, and I’m always looking to get better, so that part was fun for me.”
Lucky for him, Alozie is a quick study.
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The 6-foot-4 point guard used his athleticism, diverse skill set and relentless energy to become one of the top players in the 2026 class, checking in at No. 14 overall in his class.
He certainly looked the part on Friday, leading Dream City Christian to a 65-56 win over Wasatch Academy, pumping in 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
In the process, Alozie won the matchup against Ohio State signee John Mobley.
“It’s always fun to play against talented players,” said Alozie, who followed up with 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a win over Southern California Academy on Saturday. “I try and pick up something from everyone I play against and play with. I’m always trying to learn to be better. I just want to be the best player I can be.”
A handful of schools already feel like Alozie is well on his way.
UCLA, Kansas, Seton Hall, Oregon, Villanova are all currently applying the full-court recruiting press. Alozie’s latest offer came from Kansas State.
“I’m just focused on my season for now,” Alozie said. “I haven’t taken any visits or anything. Right now, it’s all about the season. It’s still pretty crazy to me all of the attention that I’m getting over here from colleges and just how big the game is. It’s so much different, but I love it all.”
Alozie said he “may” try and slip in some unofficial visits throughout the season but maintained that his primary focus is with Dream City Christian’s season.
“I know I’ll have a lot of time to go on visits and things like that,” Alozie said. “I hope I can get some in, but either way it’s OK. The biggest thing for me is that I’m never gonna be satisfied, so it’s all about the work.”