Last week, after a very strong breakout performance in Los Angeles, CA at the Pangos Sweet 16 club event, Westview High School's ultra-talented 6-foot-8 rising junior forward Andre Adams absolutely blew up on the national recruiting scene with a very strong effort in front of numerous national scouts and media. As a result, Adams found himself on the front page of several national recruiting websites across the country.
This week, while playing again in Los Angeles, CA, and in another Pangos event - the Fullcourt Press Cream of the Crop Challenge, Adams has taken his game to another level. On Friday morning, in a big 72-69 narrow victory over Gamepoint (CA), Adams came up big - and this time on a bad ankle. After suffering an ankle sprain in last week's event, Adams returned to action again this week and looked as if he had no injury at all, as he ran the floor consistently without stopping, in what seemed like the entire game - blocking loads of shots, rebounding outside of his area and scoring effectively around the floor. Adams howed superior length and athleticism in the game and looked every bit like an elite high-major prospect - developing as much as any other player in the state since the end to the high school season.
Adams has the best individual motor that I have seen for a player in the past 10 years in the state, and it showed on Friday in front of several college coaches in attendance. Oregon State assistant coach David Grace and UNLV assistant coach Justin Hudson were both in attendance for Adams' performance on Friday, and now both programs are in hot pursuit of the talented 2014 prospect.
An almost unknown prospect before the beginning of the 2012 aau/club season, Adams has now emerged as one of the elite young prospects in the West, and definitely within the state's loaded 2014 class. Adams has blossomed quickly and has a tremendous upside for the future.
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.
A young but very talented prospect, Adams was part of a very talented Westview High School basketball team this past season that finished with a strong 23-7 overall record on the season in the Division-I Class. Still a very young and developing talent, Adams averaged a mere 4.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per/game last season on a well-balanced Westview team. Since the high school season, Adams has come into his own.
Look for Adams to begin to generate many scholarship offers from college programs at the high-major division-I level very soon, as he has become one of the hottest young prospects in the West.
