adams commits to arizona

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Westchester's Hassan Adams
Commits To Arizona--(Nov. 5, 2001)

Surprise, surprise. Hassan Adams (6'-4" Sr. SG) committed over the weekend during his official visit to the University of Arizona and Wildcat head coach Lute Olson. Hassan chose the Wildcats over Cal, UCLA, and Kansas. The commitment comes as somewhat of a surprise to those who followed Hassan's recruitment, because he took official visits to Cal, Kansas and was scheduled to visit UCLA this coming weekend, but instead chose Arizona. Speculation about the reasons for Hassan's change of heart abound on the internet, but according to one of Hassan's high school coaches, Marlon Morton, who spoke with PrepWestHoops' Greg Hicks, "It was two things. The chance to go away from home, be his own man and grow up, and the history of guards at Arizona."

Hassan is a very big get for Arizona, one of the top players in the country and one of a handful of potential McDonald's All-Americans in California (and we don't mean merely a nominee, but a potential game candidate) and the commitment also also marks a significant blow for both the Bears (who had been recruiting him the longest) and for the Bruins, or at least for a significant number of Bruin fans who believe the sky will fall without another super-athletic and speedy guard who can shoot the lights out. Personally, we're very happy for Hassan and for Coach Olson, but given the depth on the Bruin roster, and the likelihood that the bench in Westwood will continue to be incredibly deep even after Dan Gadzuric and Jason Kapono depart along with Matt Barnes and Ray Young, we continually wondered where Hassan's minutes would have come from had he chosen to stay in Westwood.... Call us cynical, call us crazy, but in our view, these things happen for a reason, and this is one of those things. Congratulations to Hassan and to Arizona on a great fit.