Steven Adams, Freshman, Center, Pittsburgh
Overview:
Adams, who hails from New Zealand, is a 7-foot center who can do practically anything and do it with ease. In fact, this foreign standout has an uncanny knack for 20-20 vision from time to time. In last year’s Adidas Nations Tournament, Adams scored 20 points and grabbed 24 rebounds against Team USA Red, and he followed up with 37 points and 14 boards in a loss to Team USA Blue. Catch up on his exploits while he played in Wellington and the numbers are just as good: 19 points in the New Zealand 17-under championship game, and a robust 33 points and 23 rebounds in the under-19 finals.
He faced off against Nerlens Noel in a game against Tilton Classic while a member of Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) during the winter 2012 season. The end result was 23 points and 13 rebounds for Adams, who held Noel to a thin 14 points and seven rebounds. Adams will be in the spotlight immediately as a member of the Big East’s elite Pittsburgh team, which had a rare down season last year under Coach Jamie Dixon.
Final Projection:
How Adams handles himself in the states may be a question. In fact, Adams recently told a reporter that there was nothing like the madness of college and high school basketball Down Under, suggesting he played his time in New Zealand quietly. When CBS and ESPN, not to mention the local Pittsburgh media, want some quality time with Adams, he might find out how different things are here. Until then, the ability to score buckets of points while putting up Dennis Rodman-like rebound numbers is too good to pass up.
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