As good as the off-season performances were for many other prospects in the state of Arizona, no other prospect went from complete obscurity in the spring to an elite high-major rating by the end of the summer. In fact, Westview High School's 6-foot-8 junior post Andre Adams' performance this off-season was almost epic, as he went from a quiet and unaggressive talent during the high school season, to an athletic, high-motor, skilled and shot-blocking animal during the club circuit.
Adams' play this off-season raised the eyebrows of many college coaches, scouts and media across the country, as he was featured on such top-rated national recruiting sites as Scouthoops.com and Rivalshoops.com. This week, Scout Hoops' West Coast scout Josh Gershon rated Adams as the top overall power forward prospect on the West Coast for the 2014 class - a tremendous honor for the talented young prospect.
Adams also received his first scholarship offer on Tuesday, a scholarship offer from Boise State University. With his first offer now under his belt, look for many more offers to continue to pour in for Adams. Adams also received phone calls this week from Arizona State, Oregon State and Colorado. Adams' club coach with the Arizona Magic Elite 16U, Gino Crump, advised me that he believes each of these three schools could be nearing offers to Adams as well very soon.
Adams is coming off a monster performance in last week's Fab 48 event in Las Vegas, where he recorded 14 blocks in a game where he was matched up with two top-rated prospects standing 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-10. Adams' performance in Vegas sealed his spot as the top 4-man in his class in the West.
Adams has the best individual motor that I have seen for a player in the past 10 years in the state. The son of former NBA star guard Lewis Lloyd (Houston Rockets), Adams has a big-time future ahead of him, as he is very long and rangy and still growing a great deal. Adams’ serious length and versatility as a player are very intriguing for a young prospect and he is just beginning to grow into his body.
Unlike many young prospects who, many times, peak early, Adams’ best years are well ahead of him. Possessing a thin, long frame, Adams has a left-handed shooting stroke and is capable of playing either with his back to the basket or while facing the basket out to three-point distance. He can put the basketball on the floor and get to the basket and finish strong, while also being an active rebounder and shotblocker that recovers quickly, and with excellent timing. Adams is currently at his best as a defensive stopper around the paint and has a striking resemblance as a player to former North HS and Arizona State product Tommie Smith.
Notes: Also receiving top honors from Arizona's 2014 class by Josh Gershon and Scouthoops.com were Mesa Mountain View HS 6-foot-10 junior post Payton Dastrup (#1 rated center in the 2014 class in the West), Westwind Prep Academy 6-foot-9 junior Connor MacDougall (#2 rated center in the 2014 class in the West), Westwind Prep Academy 6-foot-7 junior forward Zylan Cheatham (#2 rated power forward in the 2014 class in the West) and Pinnacle HS 6-foot-4 junior wing Dorian Pickens (#3 rated shooting guard in the 2014 class in the West).
