Sometime during his first semester at Putnam Science last year, there was a moment Adama Tambedou had to make an important choice. The 6-foot-8 forward had a promising preseason with the Mustangs, but when the season began, he wasn’t in the rotation. He struggled to find minutes.
There were serious questions on if he should stay at the school. Tambedou had opportunities to go elsewhere, and could have left for guaranteed playing time. But he declined the easy way out. Conversations with Putnam head coach Tom Espinosa and his family gave him clarity to stay at the Connecticut prep school and fight and earn his chance.
“He stuck it out. Not many kids would have stayed,” Espinosa said. “(His family) didn’t want him to quit, I don’t think he’s ever quit anything in his life. He was like, ‘God challenged me here and I’m gonna take the challenge and keep fighting,’ and that’s what he’s done his whole life.”
From there, Tambedou put his head down and worked. He took his raw, athletic tools and started putting things together. Eventually, he forced Espinosa’s hand, cracked the rotation and produced an impactful second semester that helped Putnam win the national prep championship. The momentum carried into the spring and summer, when he had a breakout grassroots season with Rhode Island Elite and transformed himself into a high-major recruit. On Tuesday, it all culminated as he announced his commitment to Maryland and head coach Buzz Williams.
