The big man from New Zealand won’t be at Pitt until the 2012, yet his legend seems to be growing every day. By the time he gets here, he’s going to be expected to single-handedly lead Pitt to the Final Four in his freshman year.

Every time that 2012 Pitt commit Steve Adams goes up against better competition, you cannot help but be more impressed with his skill level as his performances do not drop off in the slightest.  This time, in his first test against true elite competition, it was at the Adidas Nations event in Chicago.

Yes, Steve Adams was continuing to play in the US, and getting noticed. This from Rivals.com’s view of his potential based on the Adidas Nations:

Can’t say enough about the job done by Jamie Dixon and his staff at Pitt to identify and lock up New Zealand big man Steven Adams. A physical, athletic and strong 6-foot-10 center, Adams plays rugged basketball on both ends of the floor and doesn’t stray from the paint. From start to finish he was the event’s best rebounder and maybe the most physical player.

The closest thing to a negative evaluation came from NBADraft.net.

Pitt bound New Zealand center Steven Adams doesn’t have the greatest hands, seemed to miss a few easy rebounds. He’s still raw but shows a lot of potential.

So there is that.