It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... Adam Hall?
So he might not be Superman, but the Virginia men's basketball junior guard is as close as you can humanly get. His hops are sky-scraping; his dynamism mouth-dropping. He flies high for every rebound and knocks down electrifying, crowd-pleasing dunks.
"I know I have a God-given talent," Hall said. "I use it to my ability and my advantage, because I know a lot of people can't do some of the things I can. Most guys focus on boxing out and fundamental techniques to get them going, but I just get myself on a roll from my athleticism."
Even though Hall calls his flair an inherent gift, he doesn't owe his abilities only to that. Before entering high school, he constantly lifted weights. He also strapped on ankle weights and strung his shoes together in workouts to build up his legs. By the time he got to Virginia, his vertical leap was 36 inches.
"I've always been able to jump, but I still worked on it a lot." Hall said. "That was always my main focus: to try to jump as high as I can."
But Hall is not only known for his breathtaking jumping ability. Last year, the league's head coaches voted the 6-foot-5, 195-pound wing player to the ACC All-Defensive team. For the Cavaliers, he consistently is assigned to guard the Will Solomons, Joe Fortes and Jason Williamses of the opposing teams.
"I feel like when a team brings their best player, it's going to be a long night for that player," Hall said. "I'm going to be on him the whole 40 minutes. I'm going to be getting in his head and trying to out-tough him."
When you combine dazzling athleticism and outstanding defense with coach Pete Gillen's up tempo style, only one thing can be said: Watch out.
"Adam is our best athlete," coach Pete Gillen said. "He is one of the best athletes as well as defenders in the ACC. He can guard a two guard, a small forward and even a point guard. He can score in a lot of different ways - off the break, on offensive rebounds, and on alley-oop dunks. He's very versatile."
Hall is averaging 10.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 27.4 minutes per game so far this season. Lately, however, he really has stepped up for the Cavaliers. His numbers have improved to 12.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 32.4 minutes per game in the past eight games. These included a double-double at Clemson on Jan. 27 (17 points, 12 rebounds) and a career-high 17 rebounds against Wake Forest on Feb. 3.
What Hall may be remembered for the most this year, however, is his last-second, game-winning layup against No. 3 Duke on Feb. 14. To many young basketball players, it would have been a dream come true. But to Hall, it was just what he's been doing all along.
"I don't think [the shot] was a dream fulfilled," he said. "I never really had a dream of doing that. I just always knew I could. I know how to handle the situation because I've been making big shots all my life since high school. I'm just always in the right position at the right time to make a big shot."
When the game comes down to the line, Hall does not hesitate. In last year's final ACC game against No. 17 Maryland, he drained a game-winning three-pointer with 25.8 seconds left in overtime to lead Virginia over the Terrapins.
"Either it's going to go in, or it's not going to go in," Hall said. "But you never know if it's going to go in if you don't try."
To the 20-year-old from Katy, Texas, trying his hardest and giving all he has is what has driven him to his best. Since age 4, Hall has had a basketball in his hands. His father coached him until high school, where he excelled to first-team All-State, All-Region and District Player of the Year honors. Hall finished his high school career with 2,504 points and grabbed 1,022 rebounds.
A myriad of schools recruited the star player, and his list - along with Virginia - included Michigan State, Wake Forest, Cincinnati and St. John's. Hall admits that choosing a future was tough.
"To me, it wasn't all about the schools," Hall said. "I just got sick of the recruiting. My parents kept telling me to make a decision when I wasn't ready to. Towards the end, I was crossing schools out depending on how I felt that day."
Luckily, Virginia was the last one left. In the Cavalier's rough ride from the bottom of the hill to the top, Hall has been a big part in the team's establishment and successes. His awe-inspiring plays also have brought exciting momentum changes and increased fan support to games at University Hall.
"I came up here with a purpose and that purpose was to help the school out - bring it back to the top," he said. "I think that I've accomplished that goal - that I'm a big part of what's going on here."
As flashy and boisterous as Hall is on the court, who would have thought he would describe himself as an outcast who likes to keep to himself? In fact, Hall likes to stay in his room to play video games and watch television. The combination of his love for soap operas, his passion for basketball and his being an architecture student makes it obvious that there is no other person like Hall.
"I'm just a unique individual," Hall said. "You just don't know what to expect from Adam Hall. You can see something one day and something else another day."
But what the fans see on the court is all the same: earth-defying rebounds and spine-tingling shots. It is said the sky is the limit, but that might not even be enough for Hall.
"I want to play professional basketball in my future and that's the only thing I'm going to think about," he said. "If you don't think that way, then you're setting yourself short."
But for now, Hall and the rest of the Cavaliers will be gearing up for the showdown against No. 2 North Carolina in University Hall on Sunday.
"We're actually not really worrying about UNC," he said. "We just have to worry about ourselves. It's all us. If we do what we got to do out there on the court, then we can beat anybody"
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