Pepperdine Receives Verbal Commit from 2014 G Shawn Olden

Jan 16, 2014; Malibu, CA, USA; Pepperdine Waves fans during the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Firestone Fieldhouse. Gonzaga defeated Pepperdine 70-53. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Fielding-USA TODAY Sports

When Pepperdine lands a basketball commit, it’s pretty easy to see it coming, considering head coach Marty Wilson sends out a tweet like this:

Like always, not soon after Wilson’s proclaimation received some conformation, when Sam Duren of Okhoops.com announced that Shawn Olden from Union, Okla. committed to Pepperdine last night following an in-home visit:

Admittedly, when I was coach Wilson’s tweet, I assumed he was referring to the addition of former Oregon Duck A.J. Lapray. It turns out I was wrong.

The Waves are landing the Oklahoma State 6A tournament MVP in Olden. The Tulsa Union High School player met Santa Clara signee Stephen Edwards and Putnam City West in the championship, where the Redskins defeated Edwards and company behind Olden’s 20 points and nine rebounds. Both Olden and Edwards were named to the All-tournament team.

Olden was also named the Frontier Conference’s player of the year.

In his highlight tapes, Olden shows a fantastic jump shot with a quick trigger. He shows the ability to create his own shot over the dribble, as well as the ability to will his way to the rim and subsequently finish.

With Olden’s commitment, the team’s scholarship does not add up with the current information available. This same problem arose when Vasilije Pusica committed to San Diego (Read about it here). USD’s situation was set straight, but one wonders which player currently on the roster is either leaving or giving up their scholarship to make room for Olden.

Highlight Tape: