Heel Tough Blog: 2026 Recruit Maximo Adams to Stay Committed to UNC

247Sports

After Michael Malone was hired as the 20th head coach of Carolina Basketball, one of the questions that surrounded the hire was whether or not the 2026 recruiting class, consisting of Dylan Mingo, Maximo Adams, and Malloy Smith, would remain committed to the UNC program after the firing of Hubert Davis. Malone and his staff, which still isn’t finalized, got their first answer early on Saturday morning. 

Maximo Adams, who is a 6-7 small forward and is ranked as the No. 25 player in the 2026 cycle and the No. 9 small forward, both according to CBS Sports, reaffirmed his commitment to the Tar Heels. In a comment he released to ESPN, Adams said the following: “I’ve always wanted to play for the Tar Heels. It was my dream school growing up, and I’m excited to be coached by Coach Malone.” 

Here is the 247Sports scouting report of Adams, per their Director of Scouting, Adam Finklestien: Adams was one of the biggest breakout players of the grassroots season, averaging 20.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in EYBL play while shooting 52% from the field, 42% from behind the arc, and 74% from the free-throw line. He’s a true mismatch problem who can play multiple positions and score at different levels. While Adams has a very versatile offensive attack, he has a few clear weapons. First, he’s an exceptional mid-range shooter off the dribble. He can create space with his handle, but has very advanced footwork, both at the end of his drives and in the mid-post. He’s even a threat to make some tough one-foot step backs from 12-15 feet and now starting to makes threes off the dribble. He’s also a pick-and-pop threat to the arc, able to straight-line drive bad close-outs, put the ball on the floor in the open court, and make reliable decisions (1.5 assists to 1.4 turnovers). At his best, he’s also putting pressure on the rim. At 6-foot-7 with solid length, athleticism, and cut, he’s plenty capable of operating as a big wing, but probably best suited defending opposing fours at this point. That also may be the position where his offensive versatility poses the biggest mismatch and where his rebounding is best utilized.

The Four Corners Podcast: