UH transfer has Hawaii in his heart, as well as on his arm

How much did forward/wing Marcus “MMA” Adams Jr. want to play for the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team?

Adams, a former 4-star basketball prospect, has a tattoo of a hibiscus on his right arm, artwork he received during a Hawaii vacation two years ago.

After two 2025 basketball trips to Hawaii — with Cal State Northridge in March and with Arizona State in November — Adams declared the loco moco as his favorite dish “in the whole wide world.”

And after deciding to leave ASU and enter the NCAA transfer portal, Adams instructed his agent to notify the UH coaches.

“I’m very excited to be (in Hawaii),” Adams told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Adams is set to the join the Rainbow Warriors in June.

“I really like their style of play and their staff, and I thought it would be a great place for me to play,” said Adams, who signed a commitment contract with the ’Bows and has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Adams, who is 6 feet 8, is a three-level scorer who can play the wing, stretch four or in the post. In his lone season with Cal State Northridge in 2024-25, Adams averaged 16.5 points on 52.6% shooting, including 39,5% on 3s. That year, he scored 21 and 18 points in two victories over Hawaii. Because of ailments, Adams played sparingly in Arizona State’s victory over UH last November.

“When I played in the (Stan Sheriff Center), the fans were really into the game,” Adams recalled. “They were excited for their team. They booed me like crazy (in 2025). They were really loud. Now I’m excited to play on their side.”

He said he first began playing basketball when he was 3, shooting at the mini hoops at the local YMCA gym. When he was in fifth grade, he tried to model his game after Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony.

As a Narbonne High senior, Adams averaged 28.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. He was named to Max Preps’ 2023 All-California All-Star team. Others on that first team were Caleb Foster (now with Duke), Jared McCain (Oklahoma City Thunder), Trent Perry (UCLA) and Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois).

Adams initially committed to Kansas but left the program in the summer ahead of his freshman season. He then received an offer from Gonzaga but decided to join BYU. He redshirted during the 2023-24 season because of an injury.

After his father died in 2024, Adams decided to transfer to CSUN, whose campus is near his family’s home in Torrance, Calif.

“It’s been tough, of course. I think about him every day,” Adams said of his father, a former professional basketball player. “He wouldn’t want me and my little brother and my mom to give up. We pushed forward, the three of us, and we strive for greatness every single day. We know he’s watching us, taking care of us.”

Following the breakout season with CSUN, Adams said, “it was time to go back into the world, time to go high major again.”

With CSUN coach Andy Newman’s support, Adams signed with ASU. But injuries to his leg, back and foot limited him to 12 games. His last ASU game was on Jan. 3. At the end of the season, ASU coach Bobby Hurley was fired. After being medically cleared, Adams decided to enter the portal.

“I wanted to find a new spot,” Adams said, “and I’m happy it’s Hawaii.”