Scott Keyes
Sports Scene
When Jason Richardson attended Arthur Hill High School, his electrifying dunks brought fans to their feet.
A few years later, Dar Tucker brought down the roof with his own thunderous dunks while leading the Lumberjacks to the 2006 Class A state championship.
Then Maurice Jones came along and wooed the crowd with his no-look passes, his speed, and his quickness.
When you add that up, Arthur Hill’s Jalen Adams has brought a little bit of all three players to the court over the past three seasons.
However, at this point in his career, Adams’ game may be a bit more refined than those three other players.
In addition to his mind-blowing dunks and silky-smooth driving ability, he can also shoot the 3-pointer with great success and dominate the glass on both ends of the court.
“Jalen has the ability to change the complexion of a game,” said Arthur Hill coach Greg McMath. “He has proven that he is a complete player.”
Despite adding a long-range and mid-range jumper into his arsenal, Adams is best-known for his high-flying antics on the court.
He has the ability to catch a ball well over his head and throw it down with authority. He can toss the ball off the glass on a breakaway, pass it to himself, and double clutch, all in a single motion.
Adams athletic skill can’t be taught, and he makes it look effortless.
“I think Dar and Jason dunked with a little more authority, but Jalen can be creative on the court; that allows us to get everyone on the team involved,” McMath said. “He is such a gifted athlete.”
Adams said that when he dunks, he doesn’t know what he is going to do with the ball until the last second. “I don’t know what I am going to do until it happens. I don’t have any set plan. It just happens.”
Through 12 games, Arthur Hill is a perfect 12-0 and Adams, a 6’4″ inch swingman, is averaging close to 20 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks a contest.
His play on the court has people talking about Adams being in contention for Mr. Basketball. He was recently nominated to play in the 2013 McDonald’s All American Game.
The list of nominees covers 39 states and the District of Columbia and is picked by high school coaches, athletic directors, principals, and members of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee.
And while Arthur Hill is focusing on the team, a lot of attention is focused on Adams and his future destination.
Adams’ Arthur Hill teammate, Eric Davis, has already been offered a scholarship by Michigan State University.
Adams, who is currently undecided, said that Michigan State, Iowa, Oregon, and a number of other schools have expressed interest in him.
“It’s probably 5 to 12 schools right now,” McMath said of programs that have made offers to Adams. “I’ll sit down with him and narrow them down over the next few weeks.”
Adams said he doesn’t have a timetable for making a decision.
“Right now I don’t know what the future holds,” he said “I’m just trying to do what I got to do for the team and win a state championship. Then whatever offer comes that’s the best for me, I’ll take.”