Scouting and Highlights: Khari Adams (2018)
Khari Adams is a 6’5″ forward for Hazel Park. He’s definitely undersized for his position, but makes up for it with unmatched motor, good athleticism and toughness. At just 6’5″, Adams has a legitimate case to be the leading shot-blocker in the state through this point in the season. His talent could be used up to the D2 level, though Adams will have to spend a year or two at JuCo to qualify for the D2 level. Here’s my take on Adams’ game:
Strengths:
Shot Blocking – I can’t understate the fact Adams has a great case to be the best shot blocker in the state so far – simply put, he’s been great in this aspect of the game. He has all the tools a good shot blocker has, besides elite height. He can jump with the best of them, has good timing, and has a quick and explosive double jump that allows him to contest shots even when his feet may not be set for the jump. Adams has blocked some of the state’s best athletes and most explosive finishers in the two games I’ve seen this season.
Motor – On a Hazel Park team that plays super fast and with a ton of energy, Adams still manages to standout in terms of motor/energy. He’s responsible to handle big man duties such as rebounding and shot-blocking, despite giving up height to taller big guys. He excels handling these duties, however, due to his motor. He’s relentless in the paint and it pays off.
Athleticism – Adams is an all-around good athlete. He can run, jump, he’s strong and he has that first-step explosiveness that’s so useful in the game of basketball. Whether his strength is a result of pure strength, or a combination of toughness and an unrelenting motor, it’s there. Adams’ athleticism allows him to play much bigger than he is.
Scoring (mid-range and in) – While he’s certainly not an elite scorer, I’ve seen Adams make some moves to signal to me he has some offensive talent. He’s not a top-3 scoring option on his team, so his looks are limited, but even so he’s put up double digit points in both games I’ve seen this year. Offensively, I believe that’s the best way to use him – let him take advantage of being an option opposing teams/coaches may not focus on. If used like this, he’ll be able to get that 10-15 points consistently.
Areas For Development:
Three Point Shooting – Given the fact that he’s several inches undersized for his playstyle, developing a consistent jumper will take Adams to the next level as a player. In today’s game, shooting is so important, so to not be capable of knocking down open shots hurts the team. He’s not a bad shooter from midrange- I’ve seen him make multiple shots from that distance. However, I’ve yet to even see him attempt a three in a shooter friendly offense.
Grades – Adams will have to take the JuCo route net year despite being a D2 talent. This is pretty clear-cut case, if he wants to play at the higher levels he will need to maintain his eligibility academically.