UConn Basketball Recruiting: Huskies Land Versatile Guard Darius Adams

UConn landed its first commit from the 2025 class: four-star guard Darius Adams. The La Lumiere guard is one of the country’s most dynamic off-ball offensive options, making him an enticing potential fit with Dan Hurley. After back-to-back national titles, the Huskies look primed to continue racking up big-name recruits. 

Playing for PSA Cardinals on the Nike EYBL circuit this season, Adams averaged 13.9 points, 1.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game on a 49.5% true shooting percentage, per Synergy. Adams didn’t see enormous usage playing with other talented guards in Kayden Mingo and Danny Carbuccia, meaning much of his work came off of the ball.

Darius Adams’s shooting potential

Adams may not look like a high-quality shooting prospect based off of the raw numbers; Adams shot 33.3% (35-105) from three this AAU season. High school shooting efficiency stats are depressed across the board, so 33.3% on strong volume (5.3 three-point attempts per game, 0.42 three-point attempt rate) reflects well on Adams. He shot 39.5% (30-76) from deep in his most recent high-school season, evidence of his ability to make shots at an efficient clip.

Adams’s shot versatility profiles him as a pro shotmaker. At 6’5, he’s comfortable sprinting off of screens within and apart from the flow of the offense, firing threes off platform from range. Adams pulls up off of the dribble too, punishing defenders who overrun him chasing around screens with one-dribble jumpers. In a pinch, he’ll isolate and create jumpers for himself. Regardless of the play type, Adams’s confidence in shooting the basketball doesn’t waver. 

two play sequence i enjoyed from darius adams (’26 5*, IN) that showcase his excellent off-ball offensive skill

– beautiful deep three off movement relocating to the top
– draws two sprinting off screen and moves downhill to draw defenders and lay it down pic.twitter.com/cowkxM5Won

— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) June 26, 2024

When defenses run Darius Adams off of the line to deny his jumpers, he’s a dynamic creator attacking closeouts and in motion. Adams floats in shots with excellent touch and flashes some ridiculous passing off of these screens. Attacking an already tilted defense, Adams can wrap passes around to his bigs rolling to the hoop and kick out passes to the perimeter.

Darius Adams’s improvement points

Though Adams excels off of the ball, his high usage there reflects some of his on-ball limitations. Adams isn’t a dynamic athlete, struggling to beat defenders with his first step or hold up at the rim in traffic. Against bigger and stronger players, Adams relies heavily on his great touch to scoop and twist shots over players. This seaosn, He shot 51.7% at the hoop this AAU season. At the next levels, it’s possible Adams will struggle more to separate from defenders.

To compensate for that lack of speed and burst, Adams dribbles with excellent control, dexterity and flair. Unlike many young guards, Adams weaves in and out of traffic, willing to maintain a live dribble and extend his options even when defenders close space. He’s still solid getting to the rim (32.8% rim frequency) despite those athletic limitations. If Adams can improve as an athlete, he could develop into a potent driver with his touch and handling skill.

darius adams (’25) creates with his handle more dynamically than almost anyone in his class, the ball is always on a string pic.twitter.com/HVmxzDOvfa

— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) May 22, 2024

Those same physical limitations show up on the defensive end. At this stage of his development, Adams isn’t strong enough to hold up against many players. He’s willing and able to read out offensive plays and rotate to plug gaps and protect the rim, but he’s often unable to deter shots with impact contests due to his size and strength.

Darius Adams’s long-term outlook

Physical improvement will unlock Adams on the defensive end, letting him weaponize his feel and recognition as a help defender. Added lateral quickness could help Adams stay in front of quick players more consistently. Most teenagers will improve physically over their formative years. Adams already has the motor and feel requisite of a solid defender, forming a solid foundation to build off of on that end.

Improving his burst and strength will help Adams develop into a legitimate NBA prospect. With his height, shooting profile and handling creation, Adams could one day function as a useful off/combo guard at the next level. He’ll need plenty of development and reps on the ball to become more consistent to reach that ceiling.

Even if Darius Adams can’t turn himself into a surefire pro, he should slot in Dan Hurley’s motion offense beautifully. Hurley has experience turning high-octane movement shooters like Jordan Hawkins and Cam Spencer into excellent contributors. Hurley gets the best out of his players and minimizes their weaknesses, so he’ll likely put Adams in position to succeed as an off-ball shooter and closeout attacker often.

The Huskies will continue to pursue big fish in the 2025 class as the year continues. Darius Adams is an excellent starting point, as a player who won’t demand the ball and can function next to other talent while also boasting pro-level upside of his own.