Five-Star prospect Darius Adams announced his commitment to play basketball at UConn via social media earlier today. Adams is among the best recruits coach Dan Hurley has brought in and projects to make an immediate impact as a Husky.
He attends La Lumiere School in Indiana, but grew up in Manasquan, NJ, not too far from where Hurley’s roots lie. In what has been a slow-to-announce of Class of 2025, Adams is a fantastic first get.
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The 6-foot-5 guard has the length to compete from the jump in college, along with a refined offensive skillset. His best asset is his shot, which will be very helpful for the Huskies early. Whether it’s in transition or the half court, Adams is great at finding some daylight to shoot, and it doesn’t tend to matter how much he’s covered and how far away the hoop is.
Adams has some serious range, often firing from more than five feet beyond the high school arc and finding the bottom of the net. His height–and he still might be growing–allows him to pull over most defenders, especially with a relatively quick release. He’s also really good at knocking down shots off ball screens, something that comes at a premium in Connecticut’s offense. Adams has success firing from a pass or off the dribble, which opens up combo-guard possibilities that I’ll get more into later. Back to the point: his shot is something that’ll make him difficult to take off the floor early, offering some instant-offense.
Along with his stroke from deep, Adams is also excellent at putting the ball on the floor and getting past his primary defender. With the knowledge that the guard can shoot from anywhere, defenders close out hard on him and are often sent flying when he fakes into a drive to the hoop. Though he doesn’t frequently dunk it, layups over centers aren’t an issue for him. Adams’ finishing is reliable, as he doesn’t get knocked off balance easily.
Adams' passing is also a strong suit, as he’s certainly capable of making the right dishes, even if it’s not with a tremendous amount of flair. More of this duty will likely fall on class of 2024 Ahmad Nowell, who is a pure point guard, though Adams will be a great option when he needs to fill in. Hurley's offenses have also shown an ability to feature multiple facilitators at once, so he could work alongside Nowell there.
The biggest area that will be important for the new Husky commit to improve on is his strength. He gets on fine defensively, even able to pick the passing lanes some, but he’s lanky for the college game. Adams will definitely benefit from a year under UConn’s strength program, and will also likely face some adjusting time in getting used to guarding college players.
Even with that caveat, Adams is a huge get for Hurley. He’s an excellent scorer, one of the best in the class, which will be critical for them. He deserves his 5-star mark and shouldn’t be a surprise to be in the NBA sooner or later.
STORRS IMPACT...
Adams could be a day one starter, just like five-star Stephon Castle was when he came to Storrs. However, a lot of this depends on who comes and goes from the roster. If they win another championship this year and send Liam McNeeley, Jaylin Stewart and Alex Karaban to the NBA, then that leaves a lot more room for Adams to start and have a bigger impact.
Nowell will be the lead point guard if all goes well in his development and Solo Ball will likely be slotted into the two, unless things either go really great or poorly for him.
Aidan Mahaney will also probably return for his senior year, taking up another guard spot. None of this prohibits Adams starting though. He’s talented enough to overtake either Mahaney or Ball with his shooting, versatility and 5-star pedigree.
If he isn’t able to find a starting spot, a role that could make sense is as a sparkplug sixth man. Adams’ stroke is excellent, and in a lower-pressure role that allows him to focus on getting open and shooting, he could show the best side of him. It’s not unheard of for elite college sixth men to go in the lottery, especially if that’s the role they’ll see in the NBA. But next year’s roster is a long ways away, making all this discussion fuzzy.
Regardless, Adams has the skills to thrive in however big of a role Hurley gives him, which could be a sizable one. He makes plays and whether he stays for one or two years, UConn fans will love what he brings to the table.
Next up is the rest of the 2025 class. Adams is an excellent starting point, and expect a few more players to fill the two remaining holes.
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