Hoquiam senior Jack Adams III said the main life lesson he took away from his years as a Grizzly is that hard work pays off. Now, all of Adams’ hard work has paid off in the form of a chance to continue his basketball career at Pacific Lutheran University.
“It means a lot to have everything work out to where I can still have the opportunity to play the sport that I love for another four years,” Adams said. “It is just great to know that I have that opportunity to continue my sport that I love with the hard work that I have put into it.”
Ever since he was in the sixth grade, the 6-foot-1 Adams has made a second home of the gyms at the YMCA of Grays Harbor and Hoquiam High School. The two to three-hour long workouts five times a week paid off as Adams finished his career as the all-time scoring leader in HHS history with 1,645 points. Last season, Adams averaged 22.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while setting the single-season scoring mark for the Grizzlies at 555 points.
Adams continued to develop as a more complete player as he helped guide Hoquiam to back-to-back 1A state tournament berths the last two season. He earned first team all-league selections in each of his last three seasons as a Grizzly. As a junior, Adams was named the Evergreen 2A/1A League Most Valuable Player.
After a career full of memories and accolades at Hoquiam, Adams will leave behind the crimson and grey for the black and gold of the Lutes. PLU hired Chad Murray as head men’s basketball coach in April and Murray has begun to rebuild the program. The first step for Murray to try and right the ship for the Lutes was to bring in a large freshman class to replace the graduating seniors and several players that left the program after the coaching change. Adams will be a part of a recruiting class of nine players, which he sees as an opportunity.
“I want competition for spots and I want to be able to have a chance to play as a freshman,” Adams said. “Me, as a player and person, I feel like if I have competition with other people I’m going to win. That is just how I am. I’m going to push myself to be better than the other eight freshman to come in and the upperclassman who are trying for those spots. There was a lot more opportunity for me to come in and make an impact on a new program.”
Adams will have an opportunity as a guard on the court, but he is also excited about the educational opportunities available at PLU. The honorable mention all-state selection hopes to one day become an orthopedic surgeon. Adams said he plans to utilize the biology program at PLU as he studies pre-med in hopes to one day be accepted into the University of Washington Medical School.
“I’ve always been fascinated with sciences and anatomy with how the body works, so I felt like surgery was a good way for me to go,” Adams said. “I also just love knowledge so the amount of school didn’t matter to me as much. I’ve job shadowed a lot and volunteered with hospitals and I know this is what I want to do.”
While he knows it will be a challenge, he isn’t above a little hard work on the court and in the classroom.
“As I got in the gym more and practiced more, the more time you put in, the more you grow to love it,” Adams said. “You really see yourself grow as a player.”
Now, Adams can’t wait to see himself continue to grow as a Lute.
