Six freshmen and their families take part in KU basketball program’s move-in day

By Matt Tait     Jun 7, 2021
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Kansas University basketball recruiting

Sunday was move-in day for the Kansas basketball program’s six incoming freshmen, KJ Adams, Zach Clemence, Kyle Cuffe Jr., Bobby Pettiford and walk-ons Dillon Wilhite and Charlie McCarthy, the newest face to join the KU basketball roster.

All six are slated to begin summer school on Tuesday and summer workouts with the rest of the Jayhawks this week, as well.

Not everyone on the 2021-22 roster has arrived yet, and senior forward David McCormack remains limited because of offseason foot surgery.

But the KU athletic departure captured a few fun interviews with the parents of some of the newcomers on Sunday.

Here’s a look at some of the sights and sounds from one of the most memorable days of their lives to date.

KJ Adams
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**6-foot-7, 220-pound forward from Austin, Texas**

A four-star prospect ranked No. 90 overall in the final Rivals.com rankings of the 2021 class, Adams brings size and versatility to the program and is comfortable playing both inside and outside.

Zach Clemence
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**6-foot-10, 221-pound forward from San Antonio**

Four-star stretch 4 who starred at Sunrise Christian, Clemence brings a ton of energy, a great shooting stroke and the ability to do work down low, hang on the perimeter and run the floor. Ranked No. 46 overall in the final 2021 class rankings by Rivals.com.

Kyle Cuffe Jr.
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**6-foot-2, 180-pound guard from Toms River, N.J.**

Cuffe, whose father starred at St. John’s back in his day, reclassified into the 2021 class to join the KU program a year early.

Bobby Pettiford
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**6-foot-1, 175-pound guard from Durham, N.C.**

A three-star prospect ranked No. 121 in Rivals’ final recruiting rankings for the 2021 class, the former Louisville commitment arrives at KU nursing an injury in his lower leg.

Dillon Wilhite
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**6-foot-9, 240-pound forward from San Diego**

The grandson of longtime KU basketball administrative assistant Joanie Stephens, Wilhite is part of the new crew of KU walk-ons who will become a familiar face in the program in the years ahead. Played his high school ball at Cathedral Catholic.

Charlie McCarthy
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**6-foot-2, 180-pound guard from Rancho Mirage, Calif.**

The son of KU donor and alum Kent McCarthy, Charlie played prep basketball at Palm Desert High in California and for the AAU program Orange County Pride. Averaged 11.5 points per game in 24 games as a junior.

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.