Get to know 2026 five-star guard Ikenna Alozie
By SAM LANCE
MURRAY, KENTUCKY — Class of 2026 five-star guard Ikenna Alozie shared a court with the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Friday, but he may have been the best player in the game.
Against A.J. Dybantsa and Utah Prep, Alozie dropped 26 points for his Dream City Christian squad to pick up an 80-77 win. And the elite combo guard wasn’t just great offensively. He was a pest defensively while taking on the task of guarding Dybantsa, who has him by five or six inches.
It was an impressive performance to say the very least. Alozie chipped in six rebounds, four assists and a steal in addition to his efficient scoring.
Ikenna Alozie leads Dream City Christian (@DCCHoops )to a win against Utah Prep
— The Grind Session (@thegrindsession) December 7, 2024
Day 2 Murray Kentucky pic.twitter.com/m9H0eOhiiF
Alozie — the 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard — hails from Nigeria. He’s the youngest in his family and has two other siblings, including his older brother, Joseph Paulinus, who plays for Viola professionally in Italy.
“My brother started playing basketball first of all,” Alozie told ZAGSBLOG. “And I wanted to go — because he was the only one gone out of the house — so I wanted to go out of the house too and play basketball too. And I joined it from there and just love the game.”
In 2021, Alozie moved to New York to pursue his basketball dream. He suited up for the Patrick School his freshman season in 2022 and was an instant contributor. Most recently, Alozie played AAU ball on the Adidas 3SSB circuit for the Utah Prospects and secured the league’s championship.
This summer, though, was a huge learning curve for the young guard. Instead of playing off the ball like he used to, Alozie transitioned into being more of a point guard. And it wasn’t easy at first. But with a summer under his belt playing the point, he’s now hitting his stride with Dream City this winter.
“I was more off the ball and not really outspoken,” Alozie said. “And now I’m forced to do it. I have to. And I’m grateful for my teammates for allowing me to lead them the way I am. From AAU, I was very uncomfortable. Now I’m just enjoying it.”
Alozie is your typical all-around guard. He can drive downhill and has really worked on his jump shot to become a three-level scorer. But what sets Alozie apart from the rest of the 2026 class?
“My defense honestly,” Alozie said. “That’s where I actually create separation from. Try to get my defense going before I start offense. Because that creates energy, that gives energy around my teammates. And that’s what I just try to do every time. It’s just something I love. Just playing defense, getting stops, especially on a guy where you know, ‘Oh, he can do this.’ And just getting that mindset. It just gives me some type of energy that I love and gets me going.”
Recruitment wise, Alozie named six schools that are the “most consistent” right now: Alabama, Arizona, Houston, Kentucky, Louisville and Washington.
“That’s been the one’s coming up and talking to me most of the time,” Alozie said.
So far in the process the talented guard has taken an official visit to Washington in September 2024. Alozie doesn’t have any other visits set in stone. He’s focused on finishing out the high school season and will take more official visits in the summer of 2025.
Alozie broke down the six programs most in contact to ZAGSBLOG:
Alabama: “I just love the way they play their guards honestly. Especially the freshman. They are actually killing it right now. I love watching them honestly. It’s been good so far. I just love the program.”
On Nate Oats: “He’s phenomenal. Last year he went to the Final Four and everything. He’s great.”
Houston: “The defense part. The defense part I think I kind of correspond to, what they got going on there. Coach [Kelvin] Sampson, we chat here and there. He’s always bringing up Hakeem Olajuwon. He’s from Nigeria. So we just chat back and forth.”
Arizona: “Obviously, it’s right there. I go to the games most of the time. I just love the way coach Tommy [Lloyd] uses his guard especially to. He always fits the role for them and everything.”
On Lloyd’s success with international players: “His recruiting internationally has been phenomenal. Even the tall guy he had, the 7-foot sophomore [Motiejus Krivas] has been doing going now. This is his second year. He transitioned from behind the other guy that transferred to Indiana [Oumar Ballo]. He’s been developing and he’s been doing good so far.”
Kentucky: “Obviously I love Mark Pope man. They’ve been really consistent, especially coach Cody [Fueger]. And Mark Pope too. He’s been back to my school like twice and everything. He’s chatting with me back and forth, sending me clips of how they play and everything. Right from when AAU ended, he was just talking about how much he loved how I play and the pace I play with. He just said I really fit into the program.”
Washington: “I love the atmosphere. I love the way it was because I went there. It was pretty. The guards they have there are phenomenal and the history of coach [Danny] Sprinkle with his guards from where he was at before have been good.”
Louisville: “With the freshman recruitment and everything, Khani Rooths and everything, they are doing good right now pretty much.”
Alozie said of all the schools: “The way they use their guards, especially in all of these programs that I mentioned, they all have that same thing in common. So it’s going to be hard for me to try and settle down.”
The guard is ranked the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. Alozie will return home and suit up for the NY Rens during the 2025 AAU season. His favorite NBA player is Russell Westbrook.
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