Orr makes most of it
Adams has enough returning talent for another run at state
Enough returning talent to make another run.
Orr coach Lou Adams sums up his program clearly and candidly. “We get the kids nobody else wants,” Adams said. “We take those kids, and we teach them.”
Orr isn’t Young or Simeon. It’s a school for kids who mostly have fallen through society’s cracks. Taking on those kids seems to be Adams’ specialty. Before his tenure at Orr, he briefly turned Englewood into a city powerhouse.
“Englewood and Orr are two very different schools and two different neighborhoods, but the kids are the same,” Adams said. “I know how to deal with them. I have to get them to believe in me, to believe that I’m trying to help them get out of this neighborhood. They have to buy in to what we are trying to do.”
Despite dealing with star player Marquise Pryor’s time in jail and controversial near-return to the court after his release, Adams guided Orr to Peoria last season.
The trip didn’t go well. The Spartans lost both games and finished fourth in Class 3A, but the achievement was notable considering all the distractions.
“It took a lot out of our program dealing with [Pryor’s incarceration],” Adams said. “We lost focus. Hopefully, this year we don’t have any distractions.”
Adams has more than enough talent returning with 6-8 senior Marlon Jones, 6-7 Tyquone Greer and 6-4 Louis Adams Jr.
Adams Jr. might be the most athletic player in the state. He has yet to put it all together on the court, but his potential is limitless.
Father and son have had kind of a rough time together on the court. They often had screaming matches on the sideline during games last year, generally resulting in Adams Jr. sitting on the bench for long stretches.
“It’s kind of hard coaching your son,” Adams said. “He gets it from me at home, at school and on the court. I understand that isn’t easy. He’s taller and stronger this year, though. If he can put it all together, the sky is the limit.”
Adams Jr. acknowledges that things have been rocky at times, but he has the proper perspective on the situation.
“He’s tough on me, but I know how lucky I am to have him in my life,” Adams Jr. said. “A lot of my teammates don’t have that. He’s been a great role model for me all my life. He’s been to college and knows what it will take.”
Orr still is waiting for eligibility rulings on two key transfers, guard Issaiah Hayes and big man Sire Carroll. Hayes likely will be cleared. He’ll step into the crucial point-guard role vacated by graduate Jamal McDowell, the heart and soul of the team last year.
“I’m focused on playing better defense and getting everyone on the team involved,” Hayes said. “I just want to get my name out there and show that I’m a better player.”
Orr beat Young last year in the regular season and lost their playoff clash. The teams have developed an intense Red-West rivalry the last few years.
“They think about us now and know we can’t be taken for granted,” Adams Jr. said. “In the back of their minds, they know it is going to be a war.”