I remember being completely shocked when I heard talk of James McAdoo possibly being drafted in the top 10 of the 2012 NBA draft. Sure he filled in admirably in the absence of John Henson late last season, but a few solid performances hardly screamed NBA superstar. It would have been a disaster that most likely would have doomed his professional career, but thankfully he returned for his second season at UNC. Now that we’re halfway through his sophomore campaign, it’s pretty clear McAdoo is still far from ready to make the leap to the professional ranks.

It’s easy to see how pro scouts could be mesmerized by the chiseled, 6’9” 230 pound athlete. McAdoo has great speed and quickness for his size. Add that to his jumping ability and you get the increasingly-dreaded “potential” tag. This label has led to countless botched draft picks, GM firings, and careers that ended before they could get started. This is precisely what would have happened had McAdoo turned pro after last season, and I’m glad he didn’t fall into the trap.

For the first half of the season, McAdoo played mostly rushed and out of control. He was weak and tentative, often shying away from contact. He took way too many off balance or hurried shots, usually without ever surveying the defense before making a decision. McAdoo would simply catch the ball (when he was able to do that), then turn and fire up a quick shot without ever considering his options. He just hadn’t shown the ability to read a situation and make the right play, which often lead to bad shots or careless turnovers. The last two games have given us a glimpse of the player everyone was expecting to see this season.

McAdoo has always played hard, but he seemed to finally be playing with a purpose in Saturday’s game against Maryland. He was aggressive from the outset, hustling all over the floor and seemingly coming up with every loose ball. He showed signs of maturing offensively, taking his time before attacking the rim, taking a jump shot, or passing to a teammate. It helped that he had his best outside shooting day of the season, but that was a direct result of simply looking at the basket and getting on balance before chucking it up. McAdoo has settled for a tough jump shot too often this season, and as a result his field goal percentage has suffered and he’s only averaging five free throw attempts per game. He’s attempted 24 free throws over his past three games however, and while he’s only made 11 of them, his increased confidence and aggression are very encouraging signs.

James McAdoo has plenty of tools to be a very good basketball player, but I’m not sure he has the mentality to be a dominant player. He may just be a little too nice to ever play the way people want him to, and that’s okay. Not everyone is wired to bring the intensity and competitive will that is needed to be a basketball superstar, and it’s starting to look like we might have a couple more years before we know just how good a player McAdoo can be in Chapel Hill.

You can follow Josh on Twitter @HoopVisions

image via todd melet

Related Stories
‹
Seeing Red
This Saturday morning found me as most have in recent weeks: huddled with my friends in a line outside of the Dean E. Smith center. Congregated under my roommate’s oversized golf umbrella, the half-dozen of us waited beneath a gray Chapel Hill sky and watched as puddles encroached. It was cold and my bed was […]
Together We Are Carolina
After getting blown out by 26 against Miami on Sunday, expectations for Wednesday night were low…well, as low as possible for a game against Duke. Rivalry games are special, and no rivalry is more special than Carolina-Duke. The records don’t matter, the rankings don’t matter; nothing really matters except those forty minutes on the court. […]
A Hot, Snowy Day On The Hill
Maybe it has to be freezing outside for the Tar Heels to get hot inside. That was certainly the case on a cold and snowy Saturday, when Carolina played perhaps its best game of the season and, at long last, shot the lights out in the second half of a 93-81 win over Virginia. […]
The Eye Of The Hurricane
This is far more about what Miami did than Carolina did not Saturday afternoon in Coral Gables. But, don’t kid yourself, what the Tar Heels couldn’t do contributed heavily to their 87-61 blowout to the ACC-unbeaten Hurricanes who, frankly, keep playing like their nickname bearing down on the Final Four in Atlanta. If there is […]
Seeing Red in a Sea of Red
By not competing, Carolina committed the cardinal sin of UNC basketball Saturday night at N.C. State. Whether underdog, undermanned or under intense pressure from a crazed crowd, the Tar Heels have rarely not been ready to fight from the opening tip. They weren’t this time, perhaps thinking their sky blue uniforms would settle a red […]
Finally, Some Answers
Well… I think I got my answer to my last question. If we are down by one with ten seconds left, Reggie Bullock is coming off three screens to get a look! It’s great to see that Coach Williams and the staff have weathered the slow start and gotten the heels on track even with […]
'We're Getting On The Same Page!'
I was so impressed and inspired by the first half of our game against Maryland. It showed what kind of a team we can be. We finally got Reggie and James Michael on the same page. Imagine what we can do if P.J. and Marcus get on that same page, all at the same time. […]
Bye Bye, Big 10 Terps
Amidst the chaos that has become college athletics, Carolina defeated Maryland Saturday in truly a tale of two halves. The Tar Heels played perhaps their best 20 minutes of basketball to begin the game and ended with perhaps their worst. Depending on when they officially bolt for the Big 10 and the 2014 basketball schedule, […]
Art's Angle: A So-So Season Going Nowhere
Looks like it’s another Year of Living Dangerously. In other words, expending our energy rooting against Duke. We’ve had these seasons before (i.e., 2010), although rarely. When our own basketball team is so young or weak (literally) or mediocre that it is not a safe use of our emotions to pull FOR the Tar […]
Reason For Optimism
With the 2012-13 season well under way, it’s safe to say there’s a lot to discuss about Carolina Basketball! I look forward to the opportunity to share my perspective on our program, as well as offer a different point of view on other NCAA programs around the country. First of all, let’s start with a […]
›