KJ Adams signs with KU Jayhawks basketball. Here’s what Bill Self said about him
KJ Adams, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound senior guard/forward from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, who orally committed to play basketball at Kansas on July 31, on Wednesday night signed a national letter-of-intent with KU.
Adams, the No. 54-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 by ESPN.com and No. 85-ranked player by Rivals.com, signed in an evening ceremony at his high school on the first day of the week-long early signing period. KU coach Bill Self announced the signing on Thursday morning.
Adams chose KU over Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. He also listed Arkansas, Georgetown, Iona, Iowa and Central Florida as finalists.
“KJ is a jack of all trades,” Self said. “I think KJ is a big guard that can play inside. He’s definitely strong enough. He’s a physically gifted youngster that can defend the five too. KJ is a guy that can play with the ball in his hands. He can play without the ball. He can be an tremendous physical presence in the game and certainly he is well beyond his years in that regard. I look forward to coaching his versatility.”
Adams averaged 22.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game as a junior at Westlake High.
Adams — he signed despite having never stepped foot on KU’s campus because of recruiting restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic — hit 61.3% of his shots for the Chaparrals, who went 33-2 in 2019-20 and won a fifth straight district title.
Adams was voted unanimously to the Austin American-Statesman All-Central Texas Team.
“Despite not being the tallest or most athletic player in the country, Adams has been a very consistent producer. He shows that he will compete against anybody, and was a key part of the Team Griffin AAU program (in Texas),” wrote Brian Shaw of 247sports.com. “He is someone who is more than capable of being a strong four- year producer at the college level,” Snow added.
Eric Bossi of 247sports.com wrote that Adams is “powerfully built and crafty around the rim. He is a 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.”
Bossi compared Adams to former Oklahoma forward Kristian Doolittle.
“He is going to a place where the staff has a pretty good proven track record of getting guys to play a role that benefits them and the team,” Bossi wrote.
Hometown school Texas was the first to offer Adams a scholarship during his freshman season at St Andrew’s High School in Austin.
“I’ve always been a Big 12 kid just because I’ve been around Texas basketball my whole life,” Adams said in a commitment ceremony on July 31 shown on KVUE-TV, Austin.
“Texas … Baylor, I think I was born into the Big 12,” he added.
He told 247sports.com he chose Kansas, “because of the relationship I have with Bill Self. Also, I like what he has said for how he plans to use me, and I respect the job of he has done building the program along with the history they have there.”
“It is definitely amazing, and a dream come true. A lot of hard work has been paying off, a lot of hard work is how I got here, so I might as well test myself at the highest level at a school like Kansas.”
KU has not yet received the paperwork, thus Self can not comment on the commitment of Zach Clemence, a 6-foot-10, 215-pound senior forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, who will sign Saturday in a ceremony at his high school.
Clemence — he committed to KU on May 11 — chose the Jayhawks over Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Ohio State, TCU and others. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, he’s the No. 35-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to Rivals.com.
The Jayhawks have three scholarships to give in recruiting, more if any non seniors turn pro or transfer.
The late signing period runs April 14 to May 19.
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 10:03 AM with the headline "KJ Adams signs with KU Jayhawks basketball. Here’s what Bill Self said about him."
