James McAdoo
		6-8
		BF
		Norfolk (VA) Christian
		Club Team: Boo Williams Summer League

Brick's Evaluation

The son of former Old Dominion star Ronnie "Jack" McAdoo is a terrific 210-pound athlete whose biggest on-court flaw is his streaky, sidespin jump shot, which he seems to squeeze out of his hand. Otherwise, this star of USA Basketball's FIBA World Championship 16U (in 2009) and 17U (in 2010) National Teams has a lot of on-court assets, as he runs fast, jumps high, has good strength and excellent body control, is very active on the offensive board, plays good, quick defense (blocking shots forcefully), and handles the ball well for a big forward. He recovered from an April broken wrist to excel early July in Germany, and there's no doubt that he's a national top-10 caliber player. As for his jump shot, he actually hits some from mid-range and even a few three-pointers, but down the road he'll need to upgrade his stroke in order to become a college All-American and perhaps future NBA all-star. This high big-time prospect committed to North Carolina.

Event Performances

Play by Play Classic (1/11): It’s not often that we’ve seen James McAdoo play poorly, but that’s what happened to him at the recent Seven Cities Classic in Virginia. The 6-8 BF and UNC signee was back on track in Greensboro, however, playing a slightly more physical game and using his superior length and athleticism to make plays happen in transition and above the rim. The Norfolk (VA) Christian star’s best defensive days are ahead of him; he jumps passing lanes, elevates for blocks and should be a fantastic help defender in college on the perimeter thanks to his quick lateral feet. The questions yet to be addressed pertain to offense; namely, will he be able to fix his unorthodox, two-handed jump shot and free throw? Right now, he projects as a face-up big forward for the next level.

Peach Jam (7/10): James McAdoo is another of the USA Basketball guys to suffer with tired legs but still find a way to impress those who hadn’t seen him before. The 6-8 BF headed to North Carolina and Boo Williams’ main man is an elite athlete with quick-twitch explosiveness who makes a lot of freelance plays other guys that size can’t conceive. His best moments are when he rises from nowhere to pin a shot on the glass, or jumps the passing lane for a steal and slam, or when he leaps for an offensive board, lays it in and gallops back to his defensive position. He’s a very determined competitor and potentially lethal defender of his quick lateral feet. The next step for McAdoo is to tighten his offensive game, which shows flashes but lacks completeness in any one area. He gets fouled but misses to many free throws, hits some jumpers but has an odd release, makes some quick drives but frequently turns the ball over has a dribble, and so on. He isn’t far away from closing the circle as a scorer, but he isn’t there yet.

Tampa Hoops Classic (12/09): Norfolk (VA) Christian is home to junior 6-8 BF James McAdoo and he easily displayed why the folks in Chapel Hill will be excited to have him in Carolina Blue in the future. He’s a smooth, graceful, and unselfish performer who makes the game look effortless. With improving (though still very inconsistent) range to the arc and the ability to get to the rim from the wing in one dribble, McAdoo is too tough to cover for ordinary high school players. He’s also very good at anticipating lazy passes and taking them the other way for dunks and gets up high in traffic for rebounds, some of the one-hand snatch variety. Two plays that made people drop their jaws in wonder were 1) catching the ball on the right wing in transition, a quick crossover to the left for one dribble, then finishing with a rim-shaking dunk and 2) catching the ball just below the free throw line in the line, taking one step toward the hoop and then rising to crush home another dunk. While it was a great display from an elite junior, his next step is to become more consistent with his shot from fifteen feet and beyond as well as more judicious in his ball-handling in traffic against smaller foes.

Chic-Fil-A Classic (12/09): The hype surrounding James McAdoo is easily justified. The 6-8 BF at Norfolk (VA) Christian and early North Carolina commitment is a big-time athlete with skills who continues to improve. Now stronger (though still likely needing another 15-20 pounds for college), McAdoo remains one of the most explosive forwards in the Class of 2011. Despite playing the post for his Boo Williams club team, he actually plays wing forward for Norfolk Christian and actually looks mostly comfortable doing it. He boasts tremendous lateral quickness — better than that of even No. 1 junior Michael Gilchrist — and we continue to see resemblances in his game to that of a young Shawn Marion. In addition to size and quickness, McAdoo is a gazelle in the open floor and can finish with either hand at or above the rim. He also jumps passing lanes for slams, elevates high for rebounds (though he could become more physical) and uses his springs to swat away shots as well. We love his non-flashy, highly functional crossover dribble and the way he can control his body to finish with short jumpers on the move. The biggest chink in the armor is his jump shot, which suffers because of his unorthodox hand placement and abbreviated follow through. His free throws also can be adventurous for the same reason. All in all, however, it’s difficult to envision at this point that there are five better prospects in the junior class. On Monday, he finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

Boo Williams Invitational (4/09): Yet another big-time talent for Boo, McAdoo enjoyed an outstanding weekend. The slender forward has become less slender since we last watched him at the Super Slamfest in February, and he remains a gazelle who also plays with toughness and intelligence. McAdoo is a very quick leaper with long arms who is especially effective on the offensive glass, and his jump shot -- with remains slightly mechanical -- is accurate to 15 feet. He's at his best in the open court, however, sprinting the floor and throwing down slams. Defense is another area where he eventually will excel, thanks to his wingspan and quick feet. Looking ahead, his ability to drive right and shift the ball to his left hand is a rare weapon and could become a serious money-maker someday.

PrepStars.com Staff, www.PrepStars.com