KJ Adams Jr.
| No. 24 – Kansas Jayhawks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward / power forward |
| League | Big 12 Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 18, 2002 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Kansas (2021–present) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Kevin Wynn "KJ" Adams Jr. (born April 18, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the Kansas Jayhawks of the Big 12 Conference.
Early life and high school career
[edit]Adams grew up in Austin, Texas and attended St. Stephen’s Episcopal School as a freshman. He transferred to Westlake High School, where he played basketball and lacrosse.[1] Adams averaged 22.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game during his junior season.[2] He was named 6A All-State as a senior after averaging 25 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.[3]
Recruiting
[edit]Adams was rated a four-star recruit, according to major recruiting services.[4] On July 31, 2020, he committed to playing college basketball for Kansas over offers from Baylor, Georgetown, Arkansas, Texas, Iowa, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma.[5]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KJ Adams Jr. PF |
Austin, TX | Westlake (TX) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jul 31, 2020 | |
Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 95 247Sports: 85 ESPN: 47 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
[edit]Adams played in 37 of Kansas's 40 games during his freshman season and averaged 4.8 minutes played, one point, and 0.8 rebounds per game.[6] He played three total minutes in the Kansas' 72–69 victory in 2022 national championship game against North Carolina and was a defensive substitution for the final possession of the game.[7] Adams entered his sophomore season as the Jayhawks' starting small center.[8] As a sophomore, he was named Big 12 Most Improved Player and averaged 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.[9] Adams averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a junior.[10]
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Kansas | 37 | 1 | 4.8 | .520 | .000 | .600 | .8 | .3 | .1 | .2 | 1.0 |
| 2022–23 | Kansas | 36 | 36 | 27.4 | .622 | .000 | .607 | 4.3 | 1.9 | .8 | .8 | 10.6 |
| 2023–24 | Kansas | 34 | 32 | 33.5 | .601 | .000 | .600 | 4.6 | 3.1 | 1.1 | .6 | 12.6 |
| Career | 107 | 69 | 21.5 | .607 | .000 | .603 | 3.2 | 1.7 | .6 | .5 | 7.9 | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Kansas basketball freshman KJ Adams excelled in lacrosse as well". The Salina Journal. June 10, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "Westlake's K.J. Adams overcomes obstacles, becomes basketball court leader". Austin American-Statesman. April 8, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "Westlake's K.J. Adams heads 2021 All-Centex boys basketball team". Austin American-Statesman. April 10, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ García, Jake (March 1, 2020). "Westlake's four-star hooper KJ Adams working with former Ehlinger trainer during offseason". KVUE.com. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "K.J. Adams chooses KU Jayhawks basketball over Texas, others". The Kansas City Star. August 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "KU Jayhawks' KJ Adams didn't consider transfer portal". The Kansas City Star. June 7, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ Moore, CJ (February 3, 2023). "'I didn't know, Mom': The force that drives the most improved player in college basketball". The Athletic. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "KU basketball coach Bill Self is happy KJ Adams chose hoops". The Kansas City Star. December 14, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "🏀 Jayhawk Starters Headline 2023 All-Big 12 Honors for Kansas". Kansas Jayhawks. March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Henry, Greenstein (April 2, 2024). "KJ Adams confirms he'll return for senior year". KUsports.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.