Oregon Big Man going to Weber State
The feel-good basketball story in the state of Oregon this year? It's no doubt
the tale of Adonal Arrington, a developing 6-foot-10, 310-pound center from
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Clackamas (OR) HS. Arrington recently committed to play basketball at the next
level for Weber State, and will sign his letter-of-intent on a campus visit
later this month.
Prior to this season, Arrington was best known locally for his prowess as a
tackle on the football field. In fact, he started playing basketball this
winter for the first time since middle school with the sole intention of
keeping himself in shape during the gridiron off-season.
"I made the decision to play at the end of last school year," said Arrington.
"The coaches approached me; it just seemed like the best idea at the time.
It'd keep me in shape, and it's definitely worked out."
Starting the year at 340-plus pounds, things were slow for Arrington early on
as he struggled to get up and down the floor, limiting his minutes. But as the
year progressed and the pounds started to shed, his stamina increased, and in
turn, his production on the floor did as well. By the end of the year,
Arrington was putting up double-doubles on a nightly basis while playing almost
every minute of the game. A 26 point, 14 rebound, seven assist, and five
blocked shot effort in a playoff game against Milwaukie (OR) Putnam launched
Clackamas into the 4A state tournament.
In the state tournament, the numbers continued to pile up for Arrington, as he
averaged 15.5 points and 12.3 rebounds in leading the Cavaliers to a third
place finish. He finished the season averaging 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8
assists, and 2.4 blocked shots, shooting 55 percent from the field and 61
percent from the line.
The offer from Weber State came after Arrington impressed the Wildcats staff in
a recent open gym at the school. So much that Arrington - who had originally
planned on playing both football and basketball at Scottsdale (AZ) JC unless
"something else happened" - will give up the helmet and shoulder pads to
concentrate solely on hoops.
"I love playing football, but I think I might have more of an opportunity
playing basketball," he told Jerry Ulmer of The Oregonian. "I keep getting
taller and I keep dropping weight and I keep getting in better shape."
While he seemingly was one of the last to know, Clackamas head coach Steve
Gustovich was ecstatic at the news.
"I read about it in the paper like everyone else did!" he exclaimed. "But I'm
excited."
A massive load in the paint, Arrington has soft hands and finishes well inside.
When he plays aggressively, he can easily be very dominant on the boards and
defensively simply with his size. Clearly conditioning, mobility, and
experience will be factors in how much of an impact he has at the next level,
but the sky could very well be the limit for the still-growing lefty big man
with the infectious smile.
"He has all kinds of potential and who knows?" said Gustovich. "His growth
plates haven't closed up and he could end up at 7-4."
Arrington shares his coach's enthusiasm and is looking forwards to the
challenge of being a full-time basketball player.
"I'm excited to go play in college," said Arrington. "I want to see what I can
do."
Jed Tai is a senior writer for Hoopville.com.