Fairmont Prep freshman Adyra Rajan quickly proving herself as one of SoCal's top prospects

When you see her suited up for the Fairmont Prep-Anaheim Huskies, there is nothing freshman-like about Adyra Rajan — other than her actual age.

Standing 5 feet, 8.5 inches, with a strong frame and grounded in-game persona, Rajan could easily pass for an upperclassman. Her game is mature beyond her years. 

As she smoothly splashes a high-arcing 3-pointer before turning a defensive rebound into a fastbreak dime through traffic, her ball skills and intangible qualities bely the fact that she just turned 14. 

Rajan averaged 12.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game during the regular season for one of Orange County's top 10 teams. She consistently produced and helped win games for the Huskies despite them taking on one of the tougher schedules in Southern California. 

The scary part. ... She's rapidly improving.

Simply put, Rajan is on a fast track to being one of the top guards in the Southern Section — if not the state.  

She begins her Southern Section postseason career on Saturday when the Huskies (16-11) play the winner of San Dimas vs. Chino Hills in 2-AA playoff action. Fairmont Prep received a first-round bye. 

For now, Rajan is already a top-flight shooter, standout passer and a thoroughly well-rounded shooting guard who can play four positions. 

Her intangibles are uncanny for a freshman.

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"Her strong suit is putting the ball in the basket, but I like how she's able to contribute even when she's not scoring," Fairmont Prep head coach Sara Brown said. "What attracted me to her game was not just that she's a shooter and crafty scorer, but a big guard who plays defense and is a real rebounding guard."

In an era when so many players with ball-handling and passing skills get pigeon-holed into being point guards, Rajan jumps off the page as shooting guard prospect with playmaking skills. 

It's a mold that she embraces.

Quick release, strong motor

Her ability to move effectively off the ball and hit spot-up jumpers with no wasted time or motion is prototypical of a modern two. Although her release point isn't high, Rajan has no trouble getting her jumper off thanks to a quick release, range from well past the high school arc and the ability to connect despite a hand in her face.

On a Huskies' squad primarily comprised of smaller guards who move the ball well, Rajan doesn't need to function as a high-usage ball-handler or distributer. 

Her mark of 2.0 assists per game, while solid, is unspectacular. However, the film shows that her passing ability is on par with that of many standout point guards in her class.

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After all, Rajan didn't come up as the standout jump shooter she is now. As a kid, she always found ways to score, but versatility was her calling card. And even now that her ball skills are blossoming, she's still dedicated to being an all-around force. Put it all together and she's a clear-cut college scholarship prospect with Division I as an upside. 

"She always had a good motor," Adyra's father Sri said. "As a kid, she was known for her defense, getting steals, and rebounding. Then in some of her last years playing AAU, she had to be the main (playmaker) on offense. She learned how to adapt and got better at handling the ball and making reads."

Her in-game reps as a lead guard were supplemented by training she did outside of practice with Josh Lozano, a renowned skills trainer and club coach in Orange County. He was also an assistant coach at Fairmont at the time, and helped put Rajan on the radar.

"In the beginning all I did was shoot, but my game has grown so much," Rajan said. "I've always been a shooting guard, but (in the last couple years) I got better at attacking the basket, making decisions, passing." 

Dropping 30

Then with eighth grade winding down, Rajan chose to play club ball for Jason Kidd Select in the Bay Area. 

She liked how many NorCal-based club teams featured more ball movement than those in SoCal to create more open looks from the perimeter. So she dedicated herself to going from a solid jump shooter to an excellent one, getting up hundreds of shots a day and eventually moving from a bench role to a starring role on the 15U team.

By the time Rajan got to Fairmont Prep, there wasn't much that she couldn't already do — at least in flashes. She dropped 30 points in her second high school game, outscoring the opposition in a 65-25 victory over La Serna.

However, despite standing out defensively for most of her life, diving into guarding top offensive threats in the Southern Section required quite an adjustment. Since the start of the season, she's gone defensively from being average to an asset, often guarding opponents' top perimeter threats.

Brown is as excited about Rajan's intangibles as she is her skill set.

"She's a gym rat," Brown said. "She works extremely hard at practice, then she goes to strength training, and then she gets up a lot of shots almost every day. One of the greatest things about this kid is that she's extremely coachable. It's very rare that I have to tell her anything multiple time. I'm proud of how she holds herself accountable."

Brown says Rajan's poise is uncommon for an underclassman.

"It's one of the main reasons that she has a longer leash with me and that I let her play through mistakes," Brown said. "She does not get rattled. Instead, she bounces back from mistakes because she wants to be better. We've had some high-pressure games, and she's not afraid to step up to the challenge."

Extra juice

Rajan chose Fairmont in large part to play for Brown, who'd outlined a personalized longterm plan to help her reach her high ceiling. 

She's been a hand-in-glove fit playing for one of the state's top young coaches who isn't afraid to demand a lot of her players, especially on the defensive end.

"I've coached her hard," Brown said. "We had an actual agreement about it. Some kids say they're OK to really be coached but don't always mean it. Adyra has been up for the challenge."

Brown's coaching style works great, says Rajan's mother Anusha.

"Sara is always reiterating her belief in Adyra and reinforcing her," Anusha said. "It gives her extra juice in her step."

Rajan and her parents, who immigrated from India in their 20's, are excited for her to have the opportunity to set an example for other aspiring female athletes in the Indian-American community.

"Not a lot of girls play sports seriously in the Indian-American community," Rajan said. "It's all about being like a doctor or a lawyer. We've gotten some curious looks and pushbacks."

For Rajan's parents, letting their daughter develop as a high-level athlete was a natural decision.

Breaking presses, stereotypes

"Not many people in our community see sports as their path to success," Sri said. "But she was always athletic and energetic. Other parents would come tell us, 'Your kid is up in a tree right now!' And we'd be like, 'It's OK, we know.' Even in elementary school, coaches would tell us that she was a special talent. The validation kept growing over the years and we weren't afraid to believe in it."

That belief has meant the world to Rajan. 

"I want to be someone that people look up to — like the little Indian girl who wants to play sports but can't," Rajan said. 

Said Anusha: "Things are changing now for Indian American girls. But people still don't look at it as a career path. There's no reason that academics and athletics have to be a tradeoff."

Looking forward, Rajan and Brown both believe that improving athletically is paramount in unlocking her potential.

"I think her upside lies in improving her lateral speed and explosiveness," Brown said. "Getting stronger will help her shooting. I see all her numbers increasing as she physically develops and becomes quicker."

Rajan added that getting better finishing at the rim through traffic and contact is a priority, and that her hours lifting and training will be key.

"Adyra has sky-high potential," Brown said. "She loves the game — (including) practicing and watching it. She's a true hooper and she's a great kid and great teammate. I really enjoy coaching her, and the other girls enjoy her as well. I'm excited for her future."