Even more on Adams

This is nothing major, but this is an email I received from Sue Pene, the Player Development Officer for Team New Zealand. I thought I would share the info she has provided.

He from my home town of Rotorua, here is some background. We have tried to get Steven to play for our Junior Tall Blacks this year, who have a FIBA Qualifying Tournament in September, unfortunately we believe Kenny has instructed Steven not to play for the JTBs - possibly due to wishing to get him into a college in the USA.

Background Information for Steven Adams
Born: 20/7/1993
Height: 6' 11"
Sister is Valerie Vili - World & Olympic Shot Put Champion
Family live in Rotorua, New Zealand (moved to Wellington to play for Kenny McFadden)
Father passed away in 2007, mother lives in Rotorua, with two sisters. His sister Gabby (born 1992) is a member of the New Zealand Junior Tall Ferns. Family is from low socio economic background
Currently attending Scotts College, Wellington, New Zealand (not a basketball college - but has been good for him academically)

Was named MVP at National U17(2009) & U19(2010) Tournaments.
Member of Emerging Junior Tall Blacks (U17) in 2009 who lost to Australia 2 - 1 for FIBA Oceania Qualifiers

Started playing representative basketball for Rotorua in 2007.
Athletic, generally plays inside the paint.

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Steve Adams

by Chris Dokish

When I said Pitt's future center would be somebody the fans haven't heard of, I wasn't kidding. Of course, I didn't know he would come from New Zealand either, though I did know that Jamie Dixon knew the players down there very well.

From what I know, the kid is 6'11" and according to my source, he is a "big dude, a monster". And he's only 16. Dixon knew of him through his contacts there. I know that Tom Herrion also knew of the kid when he went there to recruit Rob Low.

True centers are hard to find and with Adams now in the mix, this helps Pitt with players such as Andre Drummond (6'9" 250), Khem Birch (6'8" 190), DaJuan Coleman (6'8" 280), Daniel Ochefu (6'10" 215), and Kaleb Tarczewski (7'0" 220), who can now be recruited as power forwards. This could potentially give the Panthers amazing front court size in the future and it benefits the prospect by letting him not play out of position. And from what I'm hearing, this is exactly what the Panthers staff is trying to do.

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