UConn commit Darius Adams to headline Metro Classic

Darius Adams is coming home to headline the Metro Classic.

The 6-foot-5 former Manasquan High School star and UConn commit will be showcased at the prestigious high school basketball showcase Feb. 6-8, 2025 at Franklin High School in Somerset, N.J. Adams, who transferred to national power La Lumiere (IN) after two seasons at Manasquan, will play two games at the event: Feb. 7 against Colonia and Feb. 8 against St. Rose.

"It feels great and I'm looking forward to coming back to New Jersey one last time in my high school career," Adams told NJ Advance Media. "My time in New Jersey meant everything to me. I just got to learn so much from the coaches at Manasquan and I was able to create history with them."

Adams is part UConn's four-man recruiting class ranked No. 2 nationally by 247Sports.com.

Dan Hurley and the No. 3 Huskies host Rick Pitino and St. John's Feb. 7, but the UConn staff is expected to support Adams at the event Feb. 8.

"I'm very excited to play for UConn," Adams said. "I can't wait to get out there and be coached and able to play with them. I want everyone to see how I do anything to win. I watched all of their games so far and just seeing them play makes me happy [and] it will be easy for me to fit in. Coming off the screens and how Hurley gets his players open is a difference-maker."

The event, televised in previous years on ESPN, MSG Varsity and NJ 12, has sold out since its inception. Participants have included national and local powers: Montverde Academy , Sierra Canyon, Camden, Christ the King, Long Island Lutheran, Oak Hill, Roselle Catholic, St. Benedict's Prep, St. Anthony's, St. Thomas More (CT), Imhotep (PA) Rutgers Prep, St. Joseph's Metuchen, First Love(PA) Academy, Ranney, Linden, The Patrick School, Lincoln (NY), Newark Eastside, Pope John, Gill St. Bernard's, Hudson Catholic, Hunterdon Central, Union Catholic, and Rumson Fairhaven.

Current NBA standouts Karl-Anthony Towns , Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Ben Simmons, Jonathan Kuminga, D'Angelo Russell, RJ Barrett, Naz Reid, Moses Moody and Gradey Dick, and more have shown off their skills at the Metro Classic.

The Metro Classic has also been a must-see event for numerous collegiate coaches including Bill Self, John Calipari, Ed Cooley, Mick Cronin, Shaheen Holloway , Bruce Pearl and Steve Pikiell.

This year's Classic has two teams in the Top 5 nationally, 10 Top 20 Teams in the metro area, 7 Preseason High School All-Americans and more than 20 ESPN Top 100 players.

On top of Adams, the event will feature players committed to Villanova (Dante Allen/Montverde), Creighton (Hudson Greer/Montverde), Florida (CJ Ingram/Montverde), Alabama (London Jemison/St. Thomas More), West Virginia (Kelvin Odih/SoCal Academy) and Minnesota (Jacob Ross/SoCal Academy), as well as numerous highly ranked uncommitted players.

Here's the schedule. Times will be announced at a later date:

Feb. 6

Legacy Texas v. Montverde CBD

Franklin v. Piscataway

Plainfield v. Union Catholic

Montverde v. College Achieve

St. Peter's Prep v. St. Rose

Feb. 7

St. Thomas More (CT) v. Blair Academy

Gill v. Manasquan

So Cal Academy v. Lawrence Woodmere NY

La Lumiere v. Colonia