KJ Adams Jr.
Adams in 2022 | |
| Kansas Jayhawks | |
|---|---|
| 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 (2021–2025) |
| NBA draft | 2025: undrafted |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Kevin Wynn "KJ" Adams Jr. (born April 18, 2002) is an American college basketball player. He played for the Kansas Jayhawks.
Early life and high school career
Adams grew up in Austin, Texas, and attended St. Andrew's Episcopal School as a freshman. He later transferred to nearby Westlake High School, where he played basketball and lacrosse.[1] During his junior season, Adams averaged 22.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.[2] As a senior, he was named 6A All-State after averaging 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.[3]
Recruiting
A four-star recruit according to major recruiting services,[4] Adams committed to play college basketball for Kansas over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Georgetown, Iona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, and UCF after signing his national letter of intent on November 11, 2020.[5]
| Name | Hometown | School | 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 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (86) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 95 247Sports: 85 ESPN: 47 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Adams played in 37 of Kansas' 40 games during his freshman season and averaged 1.0 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game.[6] During the 2022 national championship game against North Carolina, he played three total minutes in Kansas' 72–69 victory and was a defensive substitution for the final possession of the game.[7] Adams entered his sophomore season as Kansas' starting center,[8] and finished the season being named the Big 12 Most Improved Player after averaging 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.[9] In his junior season, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.[10] During the 2025 NCAA tournament in his senior season, Adams sustained a torn Achilles tendon in a 79–72 loss to Arkansas on March 20, 2025.[11] He finished the season averaging 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Coaching career
Adams joined the Kansas coaching staff as an assistant video coordinator for the 2025–2026 season on June 2, 2025, after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon during the 2025 NCAA tournament.[12]
Personal life
Adams is the son of Kevin and Yvonne. He has two sisters. His father played football at New Mexico, and his mother was a two-year basketball starter at Texas A&M University and led the team in scoring in 1989–90 and 1990–1991. His sister, Brittany, was an all-conference volleyball player at Southern Methodist University.[13]
Career statistics
| 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
| 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 |
| 2024–25 | Kansas | 31 | 29 | 30.0 | .540 | .000 | .725 | 5.0 | 2.5 | .9 | .8 | 9.4 |
| Career | 138 | 98 | 23.4 | .588 | .000 | .633 | 3.6 | 1.9 | .7 | .6 | 8.2 | |
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (November 12, 2020). "KJ Adams signs with KU Jayhawks basketball. Here's what Bill Self said about him". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (December 14, 2022). "KU coach Bill Self 'thankful' sophomore power forward KJ Adams chose basketball". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ^ "🏀 Jayhawk Starters Headline 2023 All-Big 12 Honors for Kansas". Kansas Jayhawks. March 5, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Greenstein, Henry (April 2, 2024). "KJ Adams confirms he'll return for senior year". KUsports.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Reiss, Mike (March 20, 2025). "Kansas forward KJ Adams injures Achilles in loss to Arkansas". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ^ "Former Kansas Forward to Join Coaching Staff Amid Injury Recovery". Kansas Jayhawks On SI. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "KJ Adams - 2024-25 - Men's Basketball". University of Kansas. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
External links
- Kansas Jayhawks bio Archived 2023-03-02 at the Wayback Machine
- KJ Adams Jr. at Eurobasket.com