Hillcrest basketball player Austin Adams bounces back

If there’s anything Hillcrest High senior Austin Adams learned from his mother, it was to respect everyone and do your best in everything, whether it’s work, school or athletics. Those lessons are being passed from Adams to his younger brother Devin Adams, but this time it’s Austin doing the teaching, since his mother passed away a year and a half ago.

“It’s hard not having her here, especially with all the high school things I’m experiencing and the holidays being here,” Adams said. “But even though she’s not here to see it, I know she’s with me and wants me to succeed.”

Following his sophomore year as a starter on the Huskies basketball team, Adams came home April 14, 2010 to an empty house - which was not typical. He said he went upstairs to his room and looked out the window into his backyard and noticed the unthinkable: his mother had drowned in the family’s hot tub. He called his father, Dave Adams, who rushed home but was unable to revive her.

The Hillcrest team rallied around Adams in the midst of this tragedy. According to head coach Samuel Richins, “Austin’s teammates came together in a manner one would not expect 15 to 17 year old boys to do. A lot of hugs, tears and heart-to-heart talks occurred.”

Adams found himself on the court more and more while trying to deal with the reality in front of him: that his mom -- his cheerleader -- was gone.

“Austin has used basketball as a tool to deal with his frustration, sadness and anger over the passing of his mother,” Richins said. “I found after the tragedy, Austin was much more aggressive on the court -- a socially acceptable place to be aggressive.”

“I can get away from everything by being on the court,” Adams said. “It’s just me and the basketball and I can forget about everything else.”

Last year, as a junior, Adams led the team in scoring with over 14 points a game. He credits Richins for helping battle back from adversity. “He has been more than just a coach to me, he’s a tremendous mentor,” Adams said. “Coach helped me just to get through that first season without my mom.”

This year, Adams led the team to a 4-1 start including two overtime wins – an 86-77 decision over East in the first game of the season on Nov. 22 and a 53-50 victory over Highland Dec. 6. The Huskies’ record presently stands at 5-6 with Adams averaging more than 17 points a contest to lead Hillcrest.

“He lifts us as a team when we stall,” Richins said, crediting Adams as the best defender on the squad. “He is a young man who shows that a person can rise above a horrible event and still achieve greatness.”

The senior continues to have a special relationship with his 10-year-old brother Devin, who he calls his “fuel.”

“I just love him to death and try to be the best example for him in all areas,” Adams said.

Currently, Adams -- who maintains a 3.8 GPA -- is “shopping for a scholarship” in hopes of continuing his career in the game he has played since he was 3 years old.