This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our annual Spring Tip-Off (both in Richmond and Greensboro). Across the two days at Proehlific Park, we saw an abundance of talented prospects. Whether available seniors, young prospects, or players trending upward, there were plenty of guys who warranted attention. Amidst all the excitement, the Durham Hurricanes stood out as absolute machine en route to claiming the championship in their age group. Guys like Brendon Watley, MJ Ashley, Savion Mitchell, Jakari Glaspie, Ian Teague, Devin Gholston, KJ Ransom, and David Goduch each stood out as pieces worth noting. However, the intrigue of Julian Adigun is simply too much to ignore. Let’s take a closer look…
From a visual standpoint, it doesn’t take more than a quick glance to recognize Adigun possesses an incredible array of physical tools. At 6-foot-9, he’s a very fluid athlete with solid strength, extremely long arms, and a frame that should only continue to develop. Adigun finds a lot of success through playing hard on both ends of the floor. He’s a capable finisher, useful rebounder, and quality defender with terrific instincts for blocking shots—both around the basket and along the perimeter. Though still adding polish as a low-post scorer, Adigun proved to be reliable at spacing the floor and knocking down perimeter jumpers. While most big men look to apply shooting pressure from the top of the key, he was arguably at his best from the corners (widely considered a more difficult shot). Adigun displayed a great understanding of when to lurk around the basket versus when to float out to the perimeter. He highlighted nice touch and the ability to finish through contact or above the rim. There’s undeniable intrigue with his offensive potential. However, Adigun is already a real problem for opponents defensively. It doesn’t hurt to have an insanely long wingspan, but the mobility, switchability, understanding of space/angles, and pure instincts are clear separators between him and others. Adigun possesses the necessary qualities to be a high-level talent.
Add in the fact that he plays at Greensboro Day School and finally has a clean bill of health, and it’s easy to be optimistic about his trajectory. Between Adigun, Kohi Strickland, Jagger Emerson, and a slew of other young pieces, it’s easy to see Coach Johnson and the Bengals contending for even more state championships over the foreseeable future. Either way, it’s going to be interesting to follow Adigun’s progression going forward.
