Updated 2:55 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2:
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had some pointed thoughts on Saturday on the play of his senior forward KJ Adams over the past two games.
“If he’s not Big 12 player of the week this week, I don’t know if anybody will ever deserve it,” Self said.
The voters ultimately defied the KU coach on Monday, picking Iowa State’s Keshon Gilbert and West Virginia’s Javon Small to split the honors instead, but Adams certainly had the credentials. Fresh off an eight-point performance against Duke in Las Vegas that Self called dominant, Adams turned in a flashy but efficient scoring night against Furman at Allen Fieldhouse while tying his career high in points with 22.
Adams made his mark on only 12 shots, sinking 10 of them with two free throws. It was a game for which the Jayhawks came in knowing that they could dominate in the paint, and graduate student guard Dajuan Harris Jr. made sure that Adams knew to be aggressive.
“I tell him every day because I know how good KJ is, and I know he’s one of the strongest players on the court and athletic,” Harris said.
It has become a daily reminder from Harris to Adams. In some ways, it goes against Adams’ nature, where his team-first play shows and he opts to pass the ball. That’s why Harris makes sure that the big man knows that when he gets the rock, he needs to attack the rim.
“KJ is unselfish like me,” Harris said. “I tell him, ‘Let me do the passing, you do the scoring.’ I tell him to be aggressive all the time.”
After a big game like Duke, players have to battle the natural sigh of relief going into the next game. Instead of taking Furman lightly, Adams and company dominated down low, scoring 62 of the team’s 86 points in the paint. From catching lobs to securing offensive rebounds, Adams played aggressively, and he’s hoping to continue the momentum into the future.
Dominance might look differently depending on the game to Adams. Sometimes, that means a 22-point outing like Saturday’s Furman game, or sometimes that means three steals and three blocks like the Duke game. Just about every bucket from Adams came from within three feet of the rim.
“He played to his athletic ability,” Self said. “Against Duke, he didn’t get those same opportunities. He had to use his skill to score against Duke. I think he’s playing at a high level.”
As a senior, Adams is one of the most experienced players on the team. He developed from averaging four minutes per game during the 2021-22 national championship run to being the starting big man next to Hunter Dickinson. Self said that nothing replaces experience, except talent. Adams is one of the Jayhawks who have both, and it allows him to make an impact in different ways in different games.
“(Harris and Adams) know what we’re trying to do as well as anyone that has played here and played a lot of big games,” Self said.
The frontcourt with Dickinson and Adams as starters and with Flory Bidunga coming off the bench provides unique matchups against different teams. The versatility of the Jayhawks’ frontcourt is a big reason why they are off to a 7-0 start, and the team believes it’ll continue to be a difference maker down the stretch.
Nick Krug
