Amari Odom 6’2 150 2023 CE Jordan HS, Durham NC
Amari impresses with nice length, well-honed mechanics and elite athleticism. He is a slippery playmaker with slick handles and the ability to effortlessly break defenders down and use a change of pace to get to the rim in a flash and with good regularity. A solid decision maker! Amari uses hard crossovers and the ability to attack decisively going left or right and with equal effectiveness. He flashes timely hesitations and pace changes which, coupled with his length and great body control allows him to navigate traffic and get where he wants to with the dribble. He’s so quick and slippery and possesses terrific speed which he maximizes with his solid ball-handling skills and great vision. Attacks space emphatically and is a talented passer especially in the open floor with his quick recognition and ability to pass ahead in transition. A multi-level passer he poses a threat even attacking the basket hard where he is a threat to find cutters and deliver pinpoint passes. Quick recognition of double teams and great court presence overall. Has a natural feel.
Amari is a three-level scoring threat both off the dribble or using screens and on catch and shoot opportunities. Sound mechanics, high release and fluidity, elevates quickly into his shot. Disciplined stroke and follow through. Amari really works the mid-range area nicely with textbook pull-ups and the ability to stop on a dime and elevate into his shot. His ability to use hesitations, dribble pauses to keep defenders off balance and use stops and starts to beat his guy or play off a hesitation move and quickly elevate into the jumper is impressive given the effortless nature with which he can execute these skills. His quick burst and length allow him to knife through the lane where he plays through contact nicely or around contact with body contorting finishes. Amari is also an explosive leaper who can finish above the rim. He uses high floaters and great touch around the rim finishing nicely even from tough angles and can also finish with either hand at the rim. Defensively his length, sound footwork, and good upper body strength allows him to defend either guard position effectively. He can play tight on-ball defense in space and not get beat. Off the ball, he demonstrates solid instincts and anticipation in passing lanes and can break on a pass quickly for steals. Also a willing rebounder whose athleticism and leaping ability allows him to pose a rebounding threat on both ends of the floor. His frame hints at plenty of vertical growth still to come given his broad shoulders, long wingspan, and a size 15 shoe! Amari shows solid leadership, talks, great composure.
A multi-sport star Amari was entrusted by Jordan High School Head Coach and former NBA Star Rasheed Wallace to lead his team as a freshman floor general. Amari is adept at using both hands on the court as a finisher, ball-handler, and passer but that ambidexterity is not limited to his basketball skills. Amari also excels as a left-handed baseball player and a right-handed quarterback on the Jordan High School football team. He has solid basketball roots as well. Amari is the son of current NC Central Head Women’s Basketball Coach Trisha Stafford-Odom.
In addition to the great success she has enjoyed in her three years at UNCCU, Coach Stafford-Odom has had a long and distinguished career as an assistant coach at the collegiate level, enjoyed a record-setting playing career at University of California at Berkeley where she was inducted into the school’s hall of fame and also played in the WNBA! His father has a history of athletic success at the highest levels as well as having played in the Canadian Football League! What better mentors than to have parents who have enjoyed success at the professional level' A California native, Amari ranks among the top freshman basketball players in North Carolina and is also a consistent honor roll and high academic student-athlete with a 4.2 GPA. He has all the tools for great success both on and off the court…and field of play!