Standing at 6 ‘2 and hailing from the Bronx, point guard number 11, team captain Adam Bello will be taking his talents to play basketball for the Bowdoin College Polar Bears.

Throughout his four-year Masters career, Bello has made several crucial contributions to the Masters basketball program, both on and off the court as a leader and as the team’s star player. 

Bello has been honored by the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) and New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) for two years in a row. 

In his junior year, Bello was awarded with an honorable mention from both leagues, and for his senior season he was a NEPSAC honorable mention and took home FAA first-team honors. 

This season he has averaged 16.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block per game.

Beyond his accolades, Bello was also able to lead the team to their first playoff appearance and playoff win in five years with his stellar offensive and defensive production. 

Before developing into the player he is today, Bello did struggle during his underclassman years on the team. He said, “When I was in ninth grade I came in at 5’2 and in tenth grade was 5’7. I was struggling in tenth grade to produce at a high level. Though I did start, I wasn’t scoring a lot. I didn’t really blossom till last year and that’s when coaches and I sat down and said, okay, I can actually play in college.” 

Bello is a true floor general. He’s a major threat and is a three level scorer. He’s automatic from three, whether it be a catch and shoot or off the dribble opportunity. Bello’s also a quick guard that can blow right by his defenders for easy layups or can pull up and shoot in the mid-range. 

His teammate, junior guard Eddie Tam, said he never doubted Bello’s destiny to play college basketball. He said, “We all knew he was going to play college ball. Everyone was just waiting for him to commit. We all saw it coming.” 

Tam said he is going to miss having Bello around as his teammate. He said, “I’m going to miss him. He’s a really good teammate and a really good leader. He’s also a really great friend outside of basketball and is really caring. He’s a well-raised kid.”

As a player, Bello has great court vision and can always orchestrate the offense and find the right play for his teammates to get scoring opportunities.

On the defensive end, he’s a monster on the perimeter and is always contesting and blocking shots from the three. 

Bello said of playing college basketball, “I’m really excited about the opportunity. I’ve talked to Coach Loyd and Tyler a lot about what they are looking for from me. All that’s on my mind is proving myself. I’m trying to prove to them what I can be for this team and that I deserve a spot on this team and this is where I’m supposed to be. I’m going to work as hard as I can all summer and all fall so when I step foot on campus in September I’ll be in the best form I can be.”

Despite being focused on basketball, Bello reflected on making sure he does well both on the court and in the classroom. He said, “I hope to do well academically. Bowdoin is a hard school academics-wise. I want to show that I’m not only a basketball player. It’s student first. I have a lot of academic goals that I want to achieve during college.”

Bello is grateful for all of his coaches and mentors that have been a part of his basketball journey, like Masters Head Coach Joey Kuhl and his AAU coach, Zach Kuba.

Bowdoin’s team is currently an NCAA Division III school and plays in the NESCAC league. Last season, Bowdoin finished with a record of 9-15. Bello hopes to make an immediate impact on the team his freshman year. He said, “I want to work my way into the rotation, be a consistent player for the team, be a floor general, be someone who controls the pace of the game and gets his teammates involved. I’m hoping I can do that and am given the opportunity to.”