Hakeem’s son on Jordan cast

NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon’s son Abdullah is in the Jordan lineup matched against Gilas in the fourth FIBA World Cup Asia qualifying window at the MOA Arena on Friday and may play a big role in executing new coach Luis Guil’s system.

Olajuwon, 22, wasn’t a factor in his only season at the University of Detroit Mercy in 2023-24, averaging 2.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 15.1 minutes. The 6-4 guard made his international debut with Jordan in last year’s FIBA Asia Cup and hit at a 9.0 clip in four games. He has played in Jordan’s six World Cup Asia qualifying outings and averaged 6.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 15.2 minutes. Against SGA in the recent Jones Cup, Olajuwon shot 18 points.

Guil, a former Spanish national team assistant coach, took over the Jordan reins from Canadian Roy Rana and his first assignment was the Jones Cup where the Falcons finished sixth.

Jordan’s roster shows a mix of veterans and newbies. The veterans include 6-2 Freddy Ibrahim, 29, 6-11 Mohamed Hussein Shahar, 36, 6-10 10-year Turkish league import Ahmed Al Dwairi, 33, 6-6 Ahmad Alhamarsheh, 39 and 6-4 Amin Abu Hawwas, 32. They’re all two-time World Cuppers. The newbies list Olajuwon, 6-8 Hedi Alshami, 20, 6-11 UNLV center Faris Mucharbach, 20 and 6-8 Saif Saleh, 20. Alshami fired 21 and Saleh, 12 against SGA in the Jones Cup.

In FIBA games, Gilas has beaten Jordan in five of nine meetings but lost in their last encounter, 91-90 despite Justin Brownlee’s 41 points in 2023. In the 2022 Asian Games, Jordan trounced Gilas, 87-62, in the elims but bowed, 70-60, in the gold medal match. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was Jordan’s naturalized import in the Asian Games but has been replaced by former Toronto Raptor Jalen Harris, a prolific scorer averaging 27 points in the qualifiers.

In six qualifying games, Jordan’s bench has averaged 22.2 points compared to Gilas’ 33.8, indicating a heavy dependence on a short rotation. Jordan’s size is a problem but Gilas hopes Kai Sotto, AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo will stand their ground in the interior.