Kerri Taylor
Staff Writer
On Feb. 2, Virginia Wesleyan College alumnus, Brandon Adair, added another triumph to his already prestigious basketball career, without even putting on his jersey, tying up his shoelaces or breaking a sweat. The 6 foot-5 inch forward celebrated his induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame at Virginia Wesleyan, in front of a packed crowd during half-time of the men’s basketball game. Adair’s jersey was retired, and now hangs proudly amongst the banners above the Marlin’s home court.
“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is an honor that I never saw coming when I first started playing at Virginia Wesleyan,” Adair said. “I am truly humbled.”
Although he may not like to admit it, VWC has never seen a basketball player quite like Adair. His remarkable ability and expertise on the basketball court propelled him to success at the collegiate level and beyond. Adair led his team to capture the 2006 Division III NCAA Men’s Basketball title, the first for any sport in Virginia Wesleyan history. After his time at Virginia Wesleyan, Adair continued his basketball career overseas, where he successfully played for 2 years in Germany before returning home to Virginia Beach.
While Adair played for the Marlins, he gained a lot of respect from many fellow student-athletes, including Nicole Thurston, who was the starting forward for the Women’s Basketball team.
“Brandon was an amazing player with
deep understanding of the game,” she said. “His personal game improved every year he was at VWC. He was able to battle physically inside the paint, yet be graceful with his touch around the rim.”
Adair’s induction into the Hall of Fame is the most recent of his many awards and honors. His accolades include being selected as the 2006 NCAA Division III Player of the Year; a five-time All-American; two-time Virginia College Division Player of the Year; and was also named MVP of multiple ODAC and Regional NCAA tournaments.
Despite Adair’s tremendous individual prowess, he possesses a team-first mentality. When asked what propelled him to reach such a high level of success at VWC, he said, “Team success always comes before individual success. The combination of my hard work, the coaches continuing to challenge me, and the overall success of the team made it all possible.”
For potential future Hall of Fame inductees, Adair gave the following advice: “Allow your coaches to challenge you. In order to become better you have to be self-motivated and be mentally strong enough to respond to challenges.”
Adair remains remarkably modest, even after such athletic success. He doesn’t brag or gloat about his triumphs. He lets his game do the talking.
