Coming full circle...
Schaefer takes unusal path in returning to basketball stardom
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
ROCHESTER HILLS — Not everyone gets a second chance in life. Adrian Schaffer received his in the arena of athletics and made the most of it.
Schaffer, a 6-3 guard/forward from Rochester College, was recently named first-team All-America by the United States Collegiate Athletic Association for the second straight season. He led the Warriors to the national semifinals of the USCAA Division I tournament as a senior and the national runner-up trophy as a junior in his two years on campus.
He is the 18th All-American selection in men’s basketball for Rochester College and only the second player to earn those honors on more than one year. Not bad for a player who had been out of the limelight for a few years.
“It is a great honor,” said Schaffer, now 25. “To say that I am an All-America is a great way (to go out). I know there are some great players, even in (the USCAA).”
Rochester College finished the year 23-9, which included a 17-game unbeaten streak going into the national semifinals. Schaffer finished with around 15 points and five rebounds a contest and had several contests with over 20 points during his two-year stay with the Warriors.
“Adrian’s a great kid,” said longtime Rochester College coach Garth Pleasant. “We found out he had some (college) eligibility left and we worked it out for him to come play for us. We only had two players that I can think of that were All-American more than once. Ty Clark, back in the early 1990s, was named All-America three times.”
While Schaffer turns in his Warriors uniform as one of the school’s all-time best, it wasn’t a straight path to top honors. Schaffer envisioned something grander — at the NCAA Division I level.
BIG EXPECTATIONS
Schaffer had an exceptional high school career at Rochester Adams. His senior year he was voted first-team All-Area and to the Oakland County Dream Team. He also made the Class A All-State lists by multiple publications after averaging around 22 points and 12 rebounds a game for a team ranked in the top 20 in the state.
One of the best players in Adams school history, Schaffer had everything going for him and started to garner some college interest. A trip to the Adidas camp in Las Vegas, Nevada, the summer before his senior year helped ignite contact with college recruiters.
“I think that camp really helped me out. I got a chance to show what I can do,” recalled Schaffer of the summer of 2002. “It was some great exposure.”
Schaffer ended up signing with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay out of the Horizon League, the same conference that produced 2010 national runner-up Butler. He was redshirted for the 2003-04 season.
Realizing that he wasn’t a fit for UWGB, he transferred down to the Division II level to Wayne state and played one year for the Warriors.
“I was ineligible after that,” recalled Schaffer. “I stayed in shape but didn’t play college ball anymore.”
Away from the competitive hardcourt, Schaffer quickly left the limelight. There was still a burning itch to play again. The opportunity was hidden back in his own home town of Rochester Hills.
FINDING HIS WAY HOME
Schaffer’s college career didn’t turn out the way he had envisioned. Two colleges in two years, and no real improvement or opportunity, left him wondering what could have been for the once prep standout. He had gone from a Michigan top-25 prospect, to a pair of colleges, to being out of the game in less than three years.
He was a victim of the process of elimination, as most athletes find the playing field and collegiate environment a little more difficult than high school.
After bouncing around for a few years, Schaffer became an assist junior varsity boys basketball coach at Rochester Adams for the 2007-08 school year. This was the start of a re-birth.
“I wanted to get back into basketball. I thought coaching would help that out,” recalled Schaffer.
This was when he talked to Rochester College’s coaching staff about coming back to the hardcourt. He had two years of potential eligibility and the USCAA granted Schaffer that eligibility. He made quite an impact playing for one of Michigan’s smallest colleges, leading his team to more than 40 wins and back-to-back trips to the USCAA Final Four.
“I am just thankful that I had the chance to play again,” said Schaffer. “I guess it all worked out (in the end).”
Schaffer will graduate later this year with a degree in Mass Communication, where he hopes to find a career in Sports & Entertainment down the road. He still has basketball in his blood, and is looking into opportunities of possibly playing overseas.
“I have been looking into it,” he said. “I think there is a possibility. I know a lot of guys have done it.”
Adrian Schaffer has come full circle. He will now continue to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way — even if it takes him on an unusual path to get there.
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