James McAdoo- A BWSL Star

James McAdoo is 6'9, and he's only a freshman. That will grab anyone's attention, and it appears colleges are already starting to take notice of the class of 2011 star forward from Norfolk Christian (VA). McAdoo plays for the Boo Williams Summer League (VA) U-15 team, a squad that won the Gold Bracket Championship at the Southern Jam Fest a few weeks ago. On the second day of the event, I spoke with James after his team's big win over the Delaware Sharks.

NB: What does it mean to you to play for the Boo Williams Summer League team, one of the most highly-regarded programs in the country?
JM: It means a lot. . . . It just shows you how hard work can really pay off. If you work for what you can get and you set goals, hopefully if . . . God looks out for you, you’ll get there.

NB: Do you ever feel [that] there’s too much pressure on you, being a freshman and having the national attention that is already on you? Is that ever too much to handle?
JM: No, no, I just go out there and play for myself, just go out there and try to play. God has given me the ability to play ball, so I just go out there and do . . . what He gave me [the ability to do], just go out there and play.

NB: What colleges have been showing interest in you thus far?
JM: Clemson, Duke, . . . Florida, North Carolina, [North Carolina] St., [and] UCLA, that’s it.

NB: Do you have a dream school, someplace that you’ve always wanted to go?
JM: I’ve always wanted to play at North Carolina I’d say.

NB: If they were to eventually offer you [a scholarship] down the road, would that be something that you would just jump at and [accept] on the spot?
JM: It depends the program [is] because the programs are up and down all over the nation, so it depends on . . . how the team’s doing at that point.

NB: Is there an coach . . . that you most admire? Whether . . . it’s [because of] the way that his players play, whether it’s his tenacity, whatever it might be, . . . which coach [at] the NCAA level would you say is the one you most admire?
JM: I would say the head coach for Florida, . . . Billy Donovan. I really like the way he coaches [and] how his relationship with the kids [is].

NB: You said Florida [has] been showing interest in you. When Billy Donovan and his team did show that interest in you, what was that like for you? Was that . . . extra-special for you?
JM: Yeah, that was a big surprise, that he would come and see me after they had just won those two National Championships, but it actually showed my how down-to-earth he was, and how they [are] just ballplayers just like us.

NB: Do you have a timetable for when you plan to commit?
JM: Not really. . . . I haven’t thought about that yet.

NB: What do you consider to be the biggest strength of your game?
JM: Probably my ability to handle the ball and shoot the jumper at my height, being a big man, . . . and being able to run the floor.

NB: [What is] your biggest weakness?
JM: Probably my strength, I got to get stronger [and] be able to go up stronger with the ball.

NB: What do you plan on doing to work on that?
JM: I [have] been lifting weights ever day [and] working on my agility to increase my strength.

I caught up with James last week, and he mentioned four more schools that are showing him interest: Old Dominion, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech. He told me that "they all [have] expressed a lot of interest, but [I have] no real offers." In addition, the big man told me that "his leaders are Florida and North Carolina,” which makes sense considering that he is an admirer of UF Head Coach Billy Donovan and lists UNC as his dream school. McAdoo is just a freshman, so you may not have heard of him yet, but he is making some noise on the AAU circuit, and you will be hearing his name a lot in the future.