Going off pure “eye test”, Adams is a top 5 raw talent in the class and he’s probably not 5.  It’s rare to have a player of his size and movement in Oklahoma.  When he’s at his best, there’s Power 5 potential to his game, the way he helped closed out Metro Christian in December was a great example of that. He would go coast to coast, block shots, powerful dunks. The upside is crazy.

At some point, production and consistency has to matter, and Hale based on raw talent was projected to be one of the top teams in Class 4A. Instead they’re finishing the year around .500, with some double digit margins in losses that are head scratching.  A potential factor in his team’s struggles, is that  Adams has had a stop and start to his season due to issues with technicals. Working on his maturity and keeping his cool is part of the puzzle for the junior prospect. But even in games that he has been available, they have had some struggles in losses.

The gifted forward should dominate the paint in most games, but he’s prone to floating along the perimeter.  Which yes he has some perimeter skills but it should be an add on to his game, not the defining feature. Embracing natural strengths and building from there is a key part of a player’s development, and with Adams that would start with being a player who builds momentum inside, then steps outside.

Hopefully this ranking and assessment prove to be wrong longterm, because that means Adams has figured it out and would be on his way to a potentially successfully college career.

Adams is a guy who showed flashes of what can be if he continues to improve over the next year. With his big frame, he has a presence to block shots and be a rim protector, run the lane and catch lobs, and can be the relief man in bringing up the ball if his guards aren’t available. He does things on the court that make you go wow at times and as he continues to get better I think he can end up having one of the better careers in basketball out of all the kids that played in the TOC this year. Adams is a rare talent that college coaches need to get on now before it’s too late.

There were plenty of “Wow” plays in the Thursday afternoon contest that support the belief that Adams has one of the highest ceilings of any player in Oklahoma.  The biggest came in the fourth when he grabbed a board off the rim, then weaved through defenders and punched home a slam.  It was the perfect cap for the improved energy level he played with during Hale’s dominating second half.  He was more active on the glass, punched home a few different dunks and used easy scoring around the rim to open up his mid-range jumper out of post ups and more advanced moves.  When Adams plays inside-out, there’s few teams in Oklahoma that can stop him.

One area to keep an eye on, Adams has a tendency to try to leak out or gamble for defensive steals. It allowed Metro’s size to be very active on the offensive glass with 14 boards. Against even bigger and more athletic teams, it would be a bigger issue for Hale.

It’s crazy to think after a 19 point and 13 rebound performance that a player could be better. But that’s how good Adams could be. And tomorrow is a big opportunity on if he can build off this strong performance against a stern test in a Class 4A State Tournament quality game against Weatherford.

With a big week at the Tournament of Champions coming up, Adams is one of the players who could shine the brightest at the event. With his combination of size, athleticism and developing ball handling, there’s immense ceiling to his game. There were times when he pushed it himself, that he looked unstoppable as he easily covered ground with his long legs and had a reliable crossover to seemingly glide past opponents.  But there were other times he dribbled into trouble or floated along the perimeter too much.  At the next level, he could be a huge weapon as a face up driving threat against fellow bigs, but trying to dribble through guards would be an issue.

On the defensive end, it was a bit up and down. There were some big time highs, with the occasional shot block. And most importantly, when he sat down and just moved his feet, he would seemingly engulf the opposition and can make life very difficult for opposing guards.  He does need to take less chances gambling to force steals. That was more evident when he would try to poke the ball out from behind, which made him an easy target for the refs to call cheap fouls on him.

The 918 standout is one of the most talented prospects in Oklahoma. A week at the Tournament of Champions will be an interesting benchmark for him as Hale will play some of the toughest games on their schedule.

It could be a huge season for Hale and the immensely talented Adams is a big reason why. The junior is physically gifted with great size and outstanding athleticism. His sophomore season was filled with highs but also lows as a talented Ranger team finished a game short of State in 5A. If Adams successfully raises his floor performances and takes over games more often (especially in the paint), he’ll combine with Lewis to give Hale a team capable of capturing it all in Class 4A.

There have been few prospects in recent years that have his combination of size and athleticism. Adams has moments where he can take a board or steal and go coast to coast with amazing agility for a player his size.  But there are other games where he floats along the perimeter, settling for jumpers and not crashing the boards.  After a disappointing ending to his high school season where he came up short of a Class 5A State Tournament appearance, he has had a quieter spring than expected.

Even with his upside as a perimeter player, Adams is still as the stage where he should be an inside player first. His quickness and touch around the rim should have him be a monster on the low block. Not to mention the “easy points” he should rack up with second chance points. Yes, with his developing skillset there should be moments of stepping out for the occasional three and drive to the rim. But imposing his wheel around the rim this July with Team Trae Young would likely see his recruiting soar.

If/when the light comes on for Adams, he would be among the state’s very best prospects regardless of class.

One of a few high upside prospects on Team Trae Young’s 2025 team, Adams is one of the most promising prospects in the state, regardless of class. Blessed with an amazing combination of strength, quickness and size, if his motor is running hot Adams could burst onto the national scene over the upcoming weekends.

There were moments during the two games that could put “Rio” in the conversation for being the best prospect in Oklahoma’s Class of 2025.  He’s one of the few mobile bigs that when he pushes it himself in transition it actually looks natural. This carries over in the half court with an impressive face up game. Mix in the occasional “grown man” style block on the defensive end, and a blind man could see the potential that oozes out of the sophomore.

Right now those moments still come in bursts. The highs and potential in Adams’ game are very impressive. The next step in his development is raising his floor. One example of this is how he should be a much stronger rebounder on both ends of the court. There are times he skies with rebounds that will standout to college coaches. Those impressive rebounds and more boxing out need to become more regular occurrences. Along with better reading of attacking scenarios in the half-court.

Iron sharpens iron, if Adams thrives against the competition he’ll face on the national level, he’ll become one of the more popular D1 recruits in the region.