Oklahoma hoops star eyeing Arizona teams
Adante Holiman might not have known all about the playing accolades of Bobby Hurley, but when the Arizona State basketball coach started pursuing him, later offering him a scholarship, his parents and grandparents, all basketball junkies, made him well aware.
Holiman, 17, is a junior point guard at McAlester High School in Oklahoma and one of the prime Sun Devils recruiting targets. He's considered a four-star recruit and been dubbed the No. 1 prospect out of Oklahoma by ESPN. He recently narrowed down his list of college options to seven, the most notable schools being rivals Arizona and Arizona State.
"They educated me real fast," Holiman laughed when asked about his family members briefing him on Hurley's playing exploits at Duke. "If I didn't know then, I know now."
The 5-foot-10 standout could make a public declaration soon even though he isn't quite through with a junior season in which he is averaging 30 points per game for a team coached by father Will and also featuring freshman brother Adonis and cousin Dre Flowers.
He scored a school-record 49 points with five rebounds and four steals in a game earlier this season. While he might be smaller than most Division I point guards, he boasts a 40-inch vertical and is noted for his quickness.
Like all other prep prospects, Holiman's recruiting process has been derailed a bit by the coronavirus pandemic. He made an unofficial trip to Texas A&M and has been to another of his top seven schools, Tulsa, on many occasions since it is just 90 miles from McAlester.
Holiman could wait out the pandemic and possibly entertain other suitors when he can make other trips, but he is confident in his current pool of schools from which to choose.
"I'm big on loyalty," said Holiman, who also boasts a 4.0 grade-point average. "I want to focus on the schools that were there for me first, that saw something in me from the start."
Holiman's first offer came from University of Missouri-Kansas City last summer. ASU joined the mix with an offer on Dec. 15 with Arizona following suit six weeks later. Holiman may play in a rather remote location in a state not necessarily known for the athletes it has produced, but it was a connection that paved the way for the Sun Devils interest.
Holiman was working out with a trainer in Texas who happened to be a friend of Rashon Burno, Hurley's associate head coach. Burno later saw the player in person and liked his game.
The prospect speaks regularly with the ASU coaching staff and, like other recruits, has seen the school through the virtual tours which now serves as a substitute for an in person visit. It's not the best scenario for a high schooler making a major decision but it's all that can be done in the current climate.
"It would definitely be better to be able to see the campus myself and be able to talk to other students. It's really not how I thought I'd have to make the decision but I just have to make the most of the information I have," he said.
Holiman was destined to excel in basketball. About nine years ago the family built a training center a stone's throw from their home. The facility includes a full-length basketball court which provides the perfect spot for Adante to sharpen his skills. It also proved the perfect option when the spread of the virus forced schools and other facilities to close down.
Playing for your father can be difficult but the two seem to have mastered that dynamic.
"I'm harder on him than anyone else, but he knows it's because I want the best for him and want him to get better," Will Holiman said. "It can be tougher if the coach's son is not one of the better players on the team but everyone here knows what Te brings."
ASU appears to be a favorable destination for the prospect. The Sun Devils will be rebuilding at the guard position after this season with Remy Martin and Alonzo Verge departing and Josh Christopher not likely to stay in Tempe after this season either.
Hurley also gives his guards a lot of freedom in the offense which suits Holiman nicely.
While ASU looks like a quality destination the player has also developed a relationship with Jason Terry, Sean Miller's lead assistant at Arizona.
Coaches are not permitted to make any comment on a potential recruit until a letter-of-intent with that player is in hand.
Neither Arizona school has been a regular destination for Oklahoma natives. The last Oklahoma native to suit up for Arizona was Tulsa’s Jason Ranne, who sparingly from 2002 to 2004. It has been even longer since an Oklahoman donned the maroon and gold. That would have been another Tulsa native, J.R. Cunningham (1994-95).
"It's really going to be about which school is the right fit for me," Holiman said. "It will be about where I think I can thrive and get better and take my game to the next level."
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Arizona Interscholastic Association to eliminate invitational tournaments and, for most conferences, reduced the state tournaments to 16 teams.
In the past, there would be play-in rounds, so essentially 24 teams from each conference had postseason opportunities.
But this year only 2A is having “play-in” or firstround playoff games. It gives that conference 24 teams in post-season play starting March 5.
The rest of the conferences — 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 1A — will only have 16-team state tournaments.
There are no regional tournaments.
How fair is this?
Teams are playing a maximum of just 16 regularseason games. And because of cancellations caused by contact tracing and COVID, some teams are scrambling to meet the required 10 games to qualify for the postseason.
This of all years should be the year that at least 24 teams from each conference play in state tournaments.
Better yet, open it up for everybody who sacrificed to have a season, even for teams that have yet to win a game.
“With our season being cut short because of COVID-19, missing two tournaments and about six game, it wound be appropriate for all classes to have 24 teams,” Eastmark boys basketball coach Joe Babinski said. “It could give a senior the last chance for a memorable season, even though it has been marred by COVID.
“Our senior athletes should be the top priority in this 2020-2021 season.”
Conference committees determined the playoff formats.
Chandler Valley Christian coach and athletic director Greg Haagsma, whose team is ranked No.1 in 3A, said the 3A Conference decided to go with 16 teams, “based on the fact that we don’t have our Northeast AZ schools on the reservation playing this winter.”
There are 36 3A schools playing basketball. Most of the reservations schools compete in 3A and canceled winter sports because of the surging COVID-19 numbers in December and January.
There are 35 2A schools and 31 schools in 1A playing. The 4A Conference has 44 teams playing basketball, 5A has 37, and 6A has 32 playing.
The infection numbers have been trending down in Arizona.
“I think now that the numbers are starting to improve, and some restrictions are being changed, and modified, we should revisit the playoffs and allow the top 32 in for both basketball and soccer,” Glendale Mountain Ridge boys basketball coach Craig Marcus said. “I feel the schools, coaches and players can do it safely. It only adds one more day to our seasons and gives the kids an opportunity to compete in the playoffs.
“It will also give schools an opportunity to generate some revenue that was missed this season”
Gilbert Perry boys basketball coach Sam Duane Jr., whose team is among the top three rated in 6A, said as far as he knows no coaches were given input on how the AIA was going to format the state tournaments.
“I have really just focused on what our team can control,” Duane said. “For us and only a 16-game schedule, we have taken the approach that every game is a big game. It has limited us in developing our young guys as in the past you had more room for error and tournament games that did not go against the power points.
“With 16 teams and the parity, every team have a tough matchup from the first round on.”
But imagine the Cinderella stories emerging if everybody was granted a post-season opportunity.
Surprise Paradise Honors coach Zach Hettel, whose team is a cinch to make the 16-team 4A tournament, said he believes the tournament should be expanded this year.
“Kids have sacrificed and already didn’t get the normal amount of games,” he said. “One extra round or games would not have made a huge difference and would have given some teams an extra game.”
Surprise Willow Canyon girls basketball coach Brandon Scholtz said he doesn’t believe it’s right to shrink the tournaments down a round with no “playin” games.
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