Future Kansas Jayhawks forward K.J. Adams impresses at AAU event in Oklahoma City
K.J. Adams, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound senior power forward from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, who has verbally committed to play basketball at Kansas, fared well at the Team Griffin “Closed Session” AAU basketball event last weekend in Oklahoma City.
“K.J. Adams had a nice few days,” Eric Bossi of Rivals.com wrote of the No. 84-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to Rivals.com. “The times that he committed to using his strength and playing as a mismatch 4-man, he was too much for anybody else in camp to deal with. His jump shot, though, remains a work in progress.”
Adams chose KU over Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Georgetown, Iona, Iowa, Oklahoma and Central Florida. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a junior.
After the Adams commitment to KU, Bossi stated: ““Powerfully built and crafty around the rim, Adams is good finisher who is pretty well developed as a scorer from 15 feet and in. He likes spin moves, is explosive to the hoop when he can gather himself to leap off both feet. Maybe the most intriguing part of his game, though, is that he’s a very good passer who can pick teams apart from the high post.
“In Adams, who has been a standout for the Team Griffin EYBL program, Kansas is getting a player that they hope can develop into the type of mismatch that Kristian Doolittle was over the last few years while developing into an all-Big 12 level player at Oklahoma,” Bossi added.
Collins fares well in OKC
Daimion Collins, a 6-9 senior forward from Atlanta (Texas) High School who is ranked No. 20 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, also had an excellent showing at the Griffin event in Oklahoma City.
“Anything I had previously thought of him being on the verge of a breakout, I’m doubling and tripling down,” Bossi said of Collins, who has a list of KU, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Houston, Arkansas, Alabama and LSU.
“I think we will need to talk seriously about moving him into the top 10 of 2021. Don’t get me wrong, Collins is not a finished product. He’s almost painfully thin and his motor runs a little hot and cold. But, what stood out to me most in addition to his absurd athleticism and length is how much more diverse he’s become,” Bossi added. “He handles the ball much better, he is shooting the ball some from deep and he’s got some freakish switchability as a defender. I used to think of him as more of a modern center/power forward and now I’m thinking he could ultimately develop into a versatile hybrid/combo forward because of his ability to move on the perimeter. The general thought is that while Collins has a final group of programs, Oklahoma and Texas are out in front and could be co-leaders.”
Hopkins re-opens recruiting
Bryce Hopkins, a 6-6, 210-pound senior small forward from Fenwick High School in Chicago who is ranked No. 34 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, has decommitted from Louisville, he told ESPN.com.
Hopkins told Stockrisers.com he’s heard from coaches from Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Northwestern and Providence. Before he committed to Louisville last fall, he visited KU, California, Wisconsin, Indiana and Northwestern.
“Louisville’s loss is most definitely going to be somebody else’s gain,” wrote Bossi of Rivals.com. “Kentucky’s John Calipari reached out on Monday morning. Indiana is expected to be very much in the mix. Wisconsin had been strong prior to Hopkins’ Louisville commitment and the home-state Illinois Illini would likely try to make a run. Bottom line, he can play anywhere in America and I expect his recruitment to take place at the highest level.”
Phillips on KU’s radar
Julian Phillips, a 6-7, 175-pound junior small forward from Blythewood (South Carolina) High School who is ranked No. 51 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com, told the recruiting Website he’s hearing the most from coaches from KU, Missouri, Clemson, Florida State, South Carolina and Texas Tech.
“It’s a really nice program. Their coach texts me every day. They haven’t missed a day yet with a text or call since June 15. They have sent me videos and always give me different facts about Bill Self,” Phillips told Rivals.com.
Of Phillips, Dan McDonald of Rivals.com wrote: “Clemson and South Carolina tend to be really tough to beat on in-state prospects and both have made him a priority early, so this could come down to a heated recruiting battle between the two rivals. Look for his recruitment to continue to heat up over the next year with new schools still coming into the picture. Florida State and Kansas in particular look to be real contenders to pry Phillips out of South Carolina.”
Isaacs quite interested in KU
Richard Isaacs, a 6-2, 180-pound junior point guard from Wasatch Academy in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, who is ranked No. 29 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com, tells Rivals.com that KU is one of his favorites.
“I talk to Oregon a lot, Gonzaga a lot, Florida State, Arizona State. Kansas has probably been the main one that has been recruiting me the hardest,” Isaacs told Rivals.com. “Saint Mary’s is recruiting me really hard too. They are probably right there with Kansas. Arkansas, Marquette, Creighton and Ole Miss are some of the others recruiting me hard.”
Isaacs, who is originally from Las Vegas, added: “I talk to (KU assistant) Kurtis Townsend like every other day. They just keep in touch the most. They check in with me a lot.”
Other schools on his list include Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Rutgers, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and UNLV.
He’s considering entering the recruiting Class of 2021.
This story was originally published August 12, 2020 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Future Kansas Jayhawks forward K.J. Adams impresses at AAU event in Oklahoma City."
