Adrian Oliver facts for kids
Adrian Oliver attends a San Jose State game in 2016.
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| Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 31, 1988 Modesto, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Modesto Christian (Modesto, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2011 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2011–2015 |
| Career history | |
| 2011 | Aris |
| 2011–2012 | Reno Bighorns |
| 2014 | Taranaki Mountainairs |
| 2014–2015 | Fuerza Regia |
| 2015 | Mineros de Caborca |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Adrian McClinton Oliver (born March 31, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Washington and San Jose State University.
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Early Life and High School Basketball
Adrian Oliver was born in Modesto, California, on March 31, 1988. He was raised by his single mother and grandparents. Adrian is of mixed African American and Mexican American descent.
He went to Modesto Christian High School and graduated in 2006. Adrian was a fantastic high school player. He was named a first-team all-state player twice. In his junior year, he scored an average of 26.1 points per game. As a senior, he averaged 25.5 points per game. His uncle, Allen Oliver, was his coach at Modesto Christian.
College Basketball Journey
Adrian Oliver played college basketball for two different universities. He started at the University of Washington before transferring to San Jose State.
Playing for Washington
Adrian received scholarship offers from many schools, including Gonzaga and Kentucky. He chose to attend the University of Washington from 2006 to 2007. During his time there, he played in 38 games. He started 12 of those games. In his first year (2006–07), he averaged 4.7 points in 32 games. In 2007, he averaged 2.8 points in 6 games.
On December 4, 2007, Adrian decided to leave Washington. He left for personal reasons, as his mother and stepfather could not move to Seattle. Later, he shared that he transferred because his grandparents were ill. He learned about San Jose State University just one day before visiting their campus. Because of NCAA rules, he had to sit out of basketball for one year after transferring. He could start playing again in December 2008.
Starring at San Jose State
At San Jose State, Adrian reunited with his old teammate, Justin Graham. Adrian studied sociology with a focus on criminology.
He played his first game for San Jose State on December 20, 2008. He scored 27 points in an 89–78 win against Northern Colorado. On November 20, 2009, Adrian and his San Jose State team played against his former school, Washington. The Spartans lost that game 80–70. This was the only time he played against his old team.
Adrian was one of the top college basketball scorers in 2009–10. He averaged 22.5 points per game, which tied him for fifth nationally. The San Jose State team finished the 2009–10 season with 14 wins and 17 losses. His coach, George Nessman, said that Adrian was very competitive. He also said Adrian was taking responsibility for the team's results. With his high scoring, Adrian was key to San Jose State having its first winning season in almost 20 years.
In January 2010, Adrian won the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week Award. This award is given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He was also named the WAC Preseason Player of the Year before the 2010–11 season. Before his senior year, Adrian worked with a personal trainer. He also played pickup basketball with NBA players like Chuck Hayes in Las Vegas.
On November 20, 2010, San Jose State beat Oregon 75–72. This was the first time SJSU had beaten a Pac-10 team since 1992. Before that game, Adrian had scored 1,066 career points. This was the 10th highest total ever for a Spartans men's basketball player. By December 2010, Adrian was the Spartans' main scorer. He scored 34 points in their first game of the season. He also scored 35 points in a win against UC Riverside. The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper reported that Adrian was the top scorer among all college basketball players in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In the 2011 WAC men's basketball tournament, San Jose State had a great run. They beat Hawaii 75–74 after Adrian scored a basket with only 5 seconds left. Then, they defeated Idaho 74–68. However, in the semifinal game, San Jose State lost to Utah State 58–54. Adrian missed a shot that could have won the game with eight seconds left. San Jose State finished the 2010–11 season with 17 wins and 15 losses.
Professional Basketball Career
After college, Adrian Oliver was not chosen in the 2011 NBA draft. However, he still went on to play professional basketball.
On August 25, 2011, he signed a two-year contract with Aris B.C. in Greece. In October 2011, he scored 16 points in a Greek Cup game. He left Aris in November 2011 after playing in only three league games.
On December 10, 2011, Adrian signed with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. He played one minute in a preseason game. He was later released by the Kings. On December 28, 2011, Adrian joined the Reno Bighorns in the NBA Development League. He played five games with Reno before being released due to an injury. He averaged 6.6 points per game there.
He rejoined the Bighorns on November 1, 2012, but was released again later that month. In August 2013, Adrian signed with Stelmet Zielona Góra in Poland. However, he was released a month later because of several injuries.
In March 2014, Adrian signed with the Taranaki Mountainairs in New Zealand. On May 10, 2014, he scored a team-record 42 points in a game. He was released by the Mountainairs in June 2014 due to an injury and disagreements with the team's management.
On August 22, 2014, Adrian signed a one-year deal with Fuerza Regia in Mexico. He played one game for them in 2014–15, scoring six points. Later that year, he played three games with Mineros de Caborca.
