Dorman made history last year and they were simply loaded with talent that you can find all over the court at the college level. However, one of those players continued to be overlooked at times with his recruitment. Justin Amadi brought a physical, athletic presence to Dorman while he was on the court and was a critical piece to the program’s impressive record last year. But with players like PJ Hall and Myles Tate on the team, Amadi did get overlooked at times.
Though not always in the spotlight, Amadi still looked to be one of the top players in the state of South Carolina, which earned him an invite to the Phenom Hoops South Carolina Top 80, where this was said about his game:
'He's a long, athletic forward prospect with quality feel on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Amadi has a pretty well-rounded skill set and is capable of scoring on all three levels quite well. He can operate the two-man game and dive to the rim or knock down shots off the catch with phenomenal efficiency. Amadi is an awesome rebounder on both ends of the floor he's able to secure an abundance of second-chance opportunities and finish the play himself on offense while consistently pushing transition play off of defensive boards. He was among the most versatile and polished defenders in attendance and was able to destroy his assignment in each contest. Next in his development process is working on improving his ball-handling, as a tighter handle would make him virtually unstoppable on offense. Coach Hall on Amadi: 'Justin has a great feel for the game. He picks his spots to be aggressive on offense. He's a strong, highlight-reel finisher around the rim and can also stretch the floor beyond the arc. Maybe his greatest skill is his ability to clean the defensive glass and create second-chance baskets on the offensive end. Justin has an excellent attitude and is a team player.' Amadi is another prospect that should see a boost in his recruitment sooner or later, as he possesses the necessary tools to make a strong impact at the college level.
With an evaluation like that and from what we saw when he played, you could see that this is a young man that can play and produce at the next level. It wasn't until later in his senior season when offers started to come in, including James Madison where he eventually committed to.
Now, he is showing that it was a good decision by the Dukes to recruit him, as he is now producing quite well as a freshman. The 6'7, 220-pound forward is averaging 8.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and is leading the conference in shooting percentage, shooting 68.4 percent from the floor on 5.1 field goal attempts and in 23 minutes.
James Madison sits s 10-5 overall and 5-1 in the CAA Conference, and Amadi has been a key piece early on in his career for the Dukes and is showing all that may have overlooked him back at Dorman that he could, in fact, be a productive college player.