KEVIN B. KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior guard Hassan Adams reaches for a rebound during Arizona's first-round game against Utah State last March. Adams will now decide whether to participate in a NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago.

Olson now predicts Adams will stay

Just more than a week after head coach Lute Olson predicted that junior guard Hassan Adams would leave school early for the NBA, Olson said he thinks Adams will be back for his senior season.

After talking to NBA scouts in the past week, Olson relayed that not one scout considered Adams ready for the NBA.

"As of this point, I don't think Hassan will go," Olson said. "Where I felt at the end of the year that it would probably be a done deal, I don't think it is."

Olson, as well as assistant coaches Josh Pastner and Jim Rosborough, spoke with as many scouts as they possibly could so that Olson could inform Adams of the situation during their meeting yesterday.

"We've been doing a lot of checking to see at what level he would go," Olson said. "There hasn't been one pro team that hasn't said he should come back."

Adams made the switch from the power forward position to a perimeter spot after his sophomore season and the scouts commended Adams on his improvement.

Although Adams' averages dipped, his performance in the last 10 games of the season made him shine in the eyes of NBA teams.

"Hassan had great progress for his first year on the perimeter, he played great through the last 10 games with one exception," Olson said.

Many believed that Adams' stretch run made him a lock to leave for the NBA, but the scouts Olson talked with begged to differ.

"They feel he's made great progress this year in terms of perimeter play, but they still feel he needs to handle the ball better, he needs to develop a consistent outside shot and continue to work on his mid-range game," Olson said.

Adams is in no hurry to skip town according to Olson.

Adams mentioned the influence of Jason Gardner, Rick Anderson and Luke Walton, all of whom stayed for their senior season, almost daily towards the end of the season.

Olson said next season, he would obviously be team captain, a role Adams understands from the seniors he played with as a freshman.

"Hassan loves it here, so it's not a case of 'I want to get out of here,'" Olson said. During their meeting, Olson said Adams took the scouts criticism well and that the topic of conversation surrounded how important Walton, Anderson and Gardner were to Adams.

"When we talked yesterday, he talked about how important Luke and Ricky and Jason had been to him, and that he feels he can really be helpful to our young guys coming in," Olson said.

Arizona has produced 24 NBA draft choices since 1989, and with Salim Stoudamire and Channing Frye likely to be drafted this year, the Wildcats will have more NBA draft picks than any other school.

The scouts and Olson think one more year at Arizona will be just right for Adams to be the next Wildcat to play in the NBA.

"The system prepares guys for the next level, and they just don't feel he's ready yet," Olson said. "A year from now, he'd be one of the premier guys coming out."

Still, Adams is likely to test his draft stock in Chicago, which Olson believes could be a good move. Olson said it would be up to Adams to decide whether or not to go to the camp.

"The only negative is if he goes to Chicago and has a camp like Jason (Gardner) did when he goes to Chicago," Olson said.

Gardner went to the pre-draft camp in Chicago after his sophomore season but struggled mightily, giving scouts a poor impression and lowering his confidence.

If Adams did play poorly in the camp, Olson thinks "it would put some question marks in other people's minds and put more pressure on him next year."

Regardless of whether he declares or not, and whether he plays well there, Olson said Adams will be wearing an Arizona uniform next season.

"I feel very confident he'll be back here," Olson said.

understands from the seniors he played with as a freshman.

"Hassan loves it here, so it's not a case of 'I want to get out of here,'" Olson said. During their meeting, Olson said Adams took the scouts criticism well and that the topic of conversation surrounded how important Walton, Anderson and Gardner were to Adams.

"When we talked yesterday, he talked about how important Luke and Ricky and Jason had been to him, and that he feels he can really be helpful to our young guys coming in," Olson said.

Arizona has produced 24 NBA draft choices since 1989, and with Salim Stoudamire and Channing Frye likely to be drafted this year, the Wildcats will have more NBA draft picks than any other school.

The scouts and Olson think one more year at Arizona will be just right for Adams to be the next Wildcat to play in the NBA.

"The system prepares guys for the next level, and they just don't feel he's ready yet," Olson said. "A year from now, he'd be one of the premier guys coming out."

Still, Adams is likely to test his draft stock in Chicago, which Olson believes could be a good move. Olson said it would be up to Adams to decide whether or not to go to the camp.

"The only negative is if he goes to Chicago and has a camp like Jason (Gardner) did when he goes to Chicago," Olson said.

Gardner went to the pre-draft camp in Chicago after his sophomore season but struggled mightily, giving scouts a poor impression and lowering his confidence.

If Adams did play poorly in the camp, Olson thinks "it would put some question marks in other people's minds and put more pressure on him next year."

Regardless of whether he declares or not, and whether he plays well there, Olson said Adams will be wearing an Arizona uniform next season.

"I feel very confident he'll be back here," Olson said.