UConn Basketball Recruiting News: Jalen Adams Submits Oral Commitment to Play for Kevin Ollie
ByThe UConn Huskies seem poised to continue their tradition of fostering future NBA guards after landing a commitment from Jalen Adams, an ESPN 100 recruit.
The 33-ranked high school recruit confirmed his commitment to ESPN Monday after two recent visits to the Storrs, Conn. campus, most recently Sunday with his family. The six-foot-two guard from Mass. will get the chance to play next to rising senior Ryan Boatright, who decided to finish his degree at UConn.
"It was because of the coaching staff and the style of play," Adams told ESPN of his oral commitment. "Coach Ollie lets the guards play. It's a guards-based program."
Kevin Ollie took over for Jim Calhoun, who led the UConn men to three National Championships, by leading the Huskies to win the NCAA title. Calhoun recruited and developed guards like Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, who played his senior season under Ollie.
Ollie seems ready to continue the tradition with Adams and Boatright.
"I've always liked UConn," Adams told the Hartford Courant. "Seeing guards like Kemba, and a local guy from where I'm from go on to higher levels, I could see what the program did for them."
UConn has always done well recruiting regionally, as Walker and Gordon are N.Y. products and Adams and Napier are from Mass.
Vinny Pastore, Adams' AAU basketball coach, said he believed the young guard was set on going to UConn before Ollie and his staff stepped in.
"It's just a perfect fit for him," Pastore told ESPN. "Their style of play, the tradition they have of developing guards to play free. I think Jalen has always wanted to go to UConn, and they recruited him the entire time."
UConn lost Napier, Niels Giffey and multiple other seniors, but also saw DeAndre Daniels declare early for the draft. After securing a contract extension and pay raise, Ollie is off to the right start to make another deep NCAA Tournament run in the near future.