If you search the nation’s college basketball rosters for athletes who are 6-foot-6, you’ll likely struggle to find someone who isn’t capable of dunking. However, out of those people, you’ll also likely struggle to find one who can dunk as majestically as Adonis Arms.
On the receiving end of a lob from his teammate Chandler Vaudrin (one of the nation’s leaders in assists), Arms almost touched the rafters in Winthrop Coliseum on his way up to throw down a dunk against Campbell University on the last day of 2020. Later that night, the play appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10.
“As soon as it came on, I was number nine and I just started screaming,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it. There’s so many kids that want to be on SportsCenter and I actually made it. I’ve got to get back on there.”
Born in Milwaukee, WI, Arms was just a kid hoping to one day appear on SportsCenter himself not too long ago. He started playing basketball when he was around 4 years old and remembers watching Kobe Bryant as a child.
“He’s been my favorite player ever since – rest in peace,” Arms said. “That’s really how I got into basketball… just watching him play and watching him just dominate people and take over games, and showing that passion that he had.”
Arms also played football and baseball when he was younger, but decided basketball was his greatest passion. He attended Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, AZ before starting his collegiate basketball career at Mesa Community College.
After two years of playing in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (part of the National Junior College Athletic Association), Arms enrolled at Northwest Nazarene University, a Division II school in Nampa, Idaho.
In 2018-19, his only season at Northwest Nazarene, Arms started all 28 of the team’s games, averaging 20.6 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, and 3.3 assists per game. He was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
“Division Two, it’s a great level. It’s a lot of good guys that could play [Division] One for sure. But being there was like an eye-opener,” Arms said. He said he thought to himself, “This isn’t where I want to be. I’ve got bigger goals and aspirations for myself.’”
After entering the transfer portal, Arms garnered interest from a lot of Division I schools. He received offers from Portland State, Weber State, Fresno State and other schools, but ultimately he decided Winthrop was the best fit for him.
One reason Winthrop stood out to him was because of Head Sports Performance Coach Eli Foy. Arms knew that transferring meant he would have a year to bulk up before playing, and he had seen what Foy had done for Deandre Ayton (now a member of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns) during their time together at The University of Arizona. He also liked that Winthrop doesn’t lose a lot.
“Winthrop had a winning tradition, and I want to win like nobody’s business,” he said.
Arms also noted the importance his mom and sister had in the process of choosing where he would play. He said he always trusts their judgment, and they felt like Winthrop was the best spot for him to grow and achieve his goals.
And his goals are quite ambitious. For starters, he wants his team to finish the regular season undefeated.
“I don’t want to lose one game,” Arms said. “Then I want to go to the Big South Tournament and win that thing again. Then go to the NCAA Tournament and make some noise.
“There’s a lot of teams out here that sleep on us because we’re a mid-major or whatever, but they don’t really want that if we want to be honest. We’re not afraid of [anybody]. We’ll go at anybody.”
His goals don’t just stop at this season. Arms is determined to make it to the NBA.
“Not just make it, but be in the league and stay in the league, and take care of my mom and my little sister,” he said. “Whatever we’ve got to do here to make those dreams possible – come true – I’ll do it for sure.”
One way Arms is chasing those dreams is by training with Desmond Howard (older brother to Markus Howard of the Denver Nuggets) every time he returns to Arizona through Howard’s company LEAGUE ME. Arms said Howard trains big-time players including Doug McDermott of the Indiana Pacers, and he appreciates everything Howard has done for him.
On a team that consistently plays twelve guys, Arms is making the most of his opportunities. Through eleven games this season he’s averaging 11.5 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, and 1.9 assists per game for the Eagles despite averaging just 17.4 minutes of playing time per game. He gives all the glory to God.
“I just want to keep working and keep pushing and keep praising God,” he said.
As Winthrop continues to garner national recognition as one of the last remaining undefeated teams in the country, Arms should get his opportunity to prove why he is NBA material. It’s just one more step to climb in his basketball journey.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
This was beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to let my brother speak his truth and lay it out with honesty and sincerity. I know he appreciates it and so do I. Thank you!!