John Timothy Adenrele is versatile both on and off the basketball court as he is the No. 13 ranked prospect in the NorCalPreps.com 2011 boys basketball rankings. He started playing organized basketball since 7th grade and has been a starting forward since his junior year at Oakmont High. As a junior on the team, Adenrele was a critical part to the Vikings' 25-8 record that ended with a 53-39 loss to St. Francis in the Division II state semi finals. Adenrele averaged 11.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per contest.
At 6-foot-6 and 211 pounds, this Viking can play both forward positions. His size allows him to be a post player, but he has the foot speed to keep up with smaller players. As a result, he considers himself to be a slasher because he can step out and hit the jumper and use his quickness to get around people or stay with smaller players on the defensive side. When asked to compare his game, Adenrele says, "I see shades of Shawn Marion (UNLV star) in my game that a traditional small forward that blocks shots, rebounds, gets up and down the floor, shoots the jumper, and occasionally hits the three. I am explosive and aggressive but do not back down from anyone."
Adenrele has spent the last two summers playing for E-Time Hoops. He has been working on his guard skills because he wants to be a small forward at the next level and would need ball handling skills, proper footwork, and a jump shot. This Viking considers his best basketball skill to be his defensive focus and says, "I do not back down from anyone on the defensive side. I block shots, grab boards, and take charges to stop the other team from scoring."
In addition, Adenrele credits E-Time Hoops Coach Taubodo for his growth. "Coach Taubodo gave me the confidence that I had the potential to play Divison I basketball and he inspired me to work hard to get there," said Adenrele. "Coach Taubodo has not only given me lessons on the court but lessons in life as well. I credit a lot of my success to him and I am certainly going to miss playing for him."
Taubodo on Adenrele's basketball skills: "JT is an imposing force on the court that demands attention. Offensively, he is often double teamed. Most opponents will change their entire defense to try and neutralize his offense. Defensively, JT is an intimidator. He makes the opposition think more about him then their objective to score. He has been compared to a young Bill Russell in the making."
Adenrele's versatility has not gone unnoticed. Northridge, Sacramento St., Colorado, Denver (Coach Scott), Lafayette, Pacific (Coach Ron Verlin), Portland, Portland State (Coach Geving), San Francisco State, UC Davis (Coach Gary Stewart), UC Irvine, UC Riverside (Coach Vonn Webb), and Washington State have been in contact. He has received formal offers from Lafayette, Portland State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside. Adenrele plans to take official visits to Denver, Portland State, and UC Davis and unofficial visits to Northridge, Sacramento St., Pacific, San Francisco State and UC Riverside, among others.
Adenrele has also thought out which programs are his favorites and the reasons why. He likes Pacific for its good education, proximity to home, and successful basketball program. UC Davis has coaches who are cool and a relaxed basketball program close to his home. Denver has respectful and trustworthy coaches who recognize his potential to play the wing instead of a post position and he likes being close to downtown Denver. He likes UC Riverside because of its chill, down to earth, and seasoned coaching staff that include Vonn Webb and Jim Wooldridge and the proximity to Los Angeles. Finally, his few interactions with Portland State Coach Geving have been positive and he likes being in a big city like Portland.
This Viking wants to attend a school that has a good coaching staff, good relationship between players, place where coaches put their trust in players, program where players have the freedom to just play basketball not always run a set offense, a program that plays a fast pace tempo, and a program that is flexible with the player's role and playing style. Adenrele prefers a big city atmosphere with mild weather and a clean campus. He does not envision himself going further east than Colorado or Texas.
Coach Taubodo says about Adenrele's college prospects, "JT will continue his basketball career by competing in college at the Division I level. Many college programs are impressed with his basketball IQ and complete make up. He is a well rounded player that is skilled both offensively and defensively."
Academically, Adenrele has a 3.40 GPA and a 1640 SAT score that makes him academically eligible. He would like to attend a school that has a good Engineering program that can place their graduates into successful careers.
For his senior season, Adenrele wants to become more of a vocal leader. In the past, he would lead by example but realizes that he needs to be more vocal as a senior. His name in the West African Yoruba dialect means, "Man who becomes successful but returns to his roots in order to help his family." This too is true of him as he has spent part of his free time working in a local day care. During the rest of his free time, he is a budding musician as he knows how to play the drums while he is learning the guitar.
Indeed, Adenrele is versatile both on and off the basketball courts.
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