Maximo Adams Includes Illinois in Top 11: What to Know About the Top-40 Recruit

Brad Underwood and Illinois are maintaining their momentum on the recruiting trail. In the month of September alone, the Illini have a handful of visits scheduled – including top-25 prospect Cameron Holmes, four-star wing Lucas Morillo and top-60 recruit Jasiah Jervis.

And although the Illini have yet to line up a visit with Maximo Adams, they are clearly trending in the right direction, as Adams – a 6-foot-7 small forward and top-40 wing – included Illinois when he cut his list to 11 on Tuesday.

Here’s what to know about Adams:

Top-30 overall recruit Maximo Adams is down to 11 schools, he tells @Rivals.

The 6-7 small forward emerged as one of the biggest stock risers in the 2026 class this summer.https://t.co/63X8QpW8H0 pic.twitter.com/QIo8P7K1X2
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) September 2, 2025

Maximo Adams' background

Adams attends and plays for basketball powerhouse Sierra Canyon – which has produced a handful of NBA players including Bronny James, Brandon Boston and Amari Bailey, among others – while suiting up for Vegas Elite on the AAU circuit.

Adams' game

Serra's Maximo Adams (25) looks to pass while guarded by Indio's Jerry Perkins (1) during the first quarter of their first-round CIF-SS playoff game at Indio High School in Indio, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. | Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Offense

A versatile scorer, Adams can fill it up from all three levels. He’s practically a knock-down long-distance shooter in catch-and-shoot situations, while he has recently shown a developing off-the-dribble game from beyond the arc. In the midrange, Adams can get to pull-ups from anywhere, and is quite efficient there.

Adams prefers to just rise up and shoot, but he has shown the ability to drive close-outs. Although he’s not a springboard athlete, Adams has solid hops and has shown ability as a rim-runner in transition. He also can use his strong frame (205 pounds) to bully defenders around the basket.

Rebounding

At his size, and considering he’s playing high schoolers, Adams is an absolute beast on the boards. He’s equally effective on both ends of the floor as a rebounder and plays with a great motor. His raw numbers figure to drop at the next level, but he will still be a plus rebounder at his position, even as a freshman – which is likely a trait that has caught the eye of the rebounding-focused Underwood.

Defense

Also a net-positive defender, Adams anticipates well and has enough athleticism both vertically and laterally to effectively defend a wide range of positions and styles. He’ll immediately be able to handle Big Ten competition, although he may not be a star defender from Day 1.

Illinois' recruiting competition

The Illini are battling for Adams’ talents with a handful of respected programs, including Kentucky, Michigan State, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, USC and Texas.

2026 Top-30 overall recruit Maximo Adams (@MaximoAdams25) has scheduled official visits Kentucky, Michigan State, Kansas, North Carolina, Texas and Duke, he tells @Rivals.

Full visit schedule (+): https://t.co/MqjVm4Jciq pic.twitter.com/9lYqDpYfBj
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 11, 2025

There are a few other notable schools still involved in Adams' recruitment, but he has notably scheduled visits with only those aforementioned programs (and has already taken one to USC). It would be hard to imagine the Illini staying in the mix if Underwood doesn't get Adams lined up for a trip to Champaign sometime in the not-too-distant future.