Illinois basketball offers versatile four star wing Maximo Adams

News broke today on X that Illinois basketball has extended a scholarship offer to Maximo Adams, a highly regarded 6’6” four-star small forward out of California. Adams shared the news on his X account, saying: “Very grateful to receive an offer from the University of Illinois. Thank you, Coach Orlando,  for believing in me.”

Illinois assistant coach Orlando Antigua is leading the recruitment of Adams, who stars at Sierra Canyon High School and competes on the EYBL circuit with Vegas Elite. He’s been dominant this AAU season, averaging 22.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Adams is leading the entire EYBL in both rebounds per game and double-doubles.

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Adams was one of the EYBL’s top performers on Friday, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds in a game against the Oakland Soldiers.

Very grateful to receive an offer from the University of Illinois. Thank you Coach Orlando for believing in me🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/HxYeCTlZ9M

— Maxi Adams (@MaximoAdams25) July 12, 2025

The Illini’s chances with Adams

Adams’ recruitment continues to heat up, as he recently picked up an offer from Houston and holds offers from powerhouse programs including Kansas, BYU, Missouri, Oregon, USC, Syracuse, Kansas State, Mississippi State, and others. He visited USC on June 30th.

Ranked #41 overall in the 2026 class by 247Sports, Adams brings a versatile skill set to the court. He’s a high-level scorer who can stretch the floor with his shooting and is an elite rebounder for his position.

Basketball talent runs in the family as his brother Marcus Adams Jr. was the #51 prospect in the class of 2023 and earned Second Team All-Big West honors at Cal State Northridge.

Adams would be a major addition to Illinois basketball, particularly the 2026-27 roster. Adams would fit perfectly on the wing to provide a scoring punch and rebounding. If Cal transfer, Andrej Stojakovic, has the season that we expect him to have, he may be a candidate for the professional ranks after the 2025-2026 season. Additionally, guard Kylan Boswell will also be out of college eligibility, which makes perimeter scoring and toughness a need for the Illini going forward. Adams would fit this bill perfectly, hence it will be interesting to see how his recruitment develops. 

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