Kansas Jayhawks’ KJ Adams is playing with a new level of confidence ... and it shows
Kansas forward KJ Adams Jr. isn’t afraid of the big moment.
The Jayhawks found themselves in a precarious situation against Oklahoma on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse. KU hadn’t scored the ball in over 12 minutes and were down 10 (71-61) with 5:17 left in the game.
Kansas desperately needed a score, and the sophomore Adams answered the call.
Adams set a screen for Dajuan Harris; the guard then drove to the basket and flipped a pass to Adams, who was trailing on the play. Adams caught the pass and dunked the ball, ending KU’s scoring drought.
On Kansas’ next possession, Adams collected an offensive rebound that helped lead to a three-pointer by forward Jalen Wilson.
In less than a minute, the Jayhawks had cut OU’s lead to five points, at 71-66. And Adams’ play was the catalyst in KU’s 79-75 comeback victory at Allen Fieldhouse.
Adams scored a career-high 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the floor and also grabbed six rebounds in 27 minutes. It marked Adams’ ninth straight game with double-digit points.
Primarily known for his defense, Adams has showcased his offensive prowess this season. Last season, he averaged just 1.4 points per game. So far, in the month of January this season, he’s averaging about 12 field-goal attempts per contest.
“I feel like I can miss a couple of shots and nobody will lose confidence in me,” he said. “That really did a lot for me ... I was really aggressive, drawing fouls and just playing loose.”
The Sooners focused on staying attached to KU’s shooters and limiting their shot attempts. Kansas shot 36.4% from three-point range but attempted a season-low 11 shots from beyond the arc.
OU’s focus on keeping KU off the perimeter isolated Adams, giving him one-on-one opportunities. And he thrived against that style of defense.
Early in the second half, Adams showed off his finishing ability. KU guard Gradey Dick threaded a bounce-pass between two OU defenders; Adams rolled to the basket and finished through contact for an and-one.
Adams scores a lot of his points in the short pick-and-roll and finishes around the basket. He’s currently shooting 67% at the rim, according to hoopmath.com.
Adams’ overall play this season has made him a reliable third or fourth option to score.
“They dared him to go one on one because they stayed connected to the shooters and he’s got to make some plays,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “He’s getting better all the time. He’s improved so much in the last six weeks or whatnot.”
Playing like he did Tuesday, Adams unlocks a new ceiling for the Jayhawks, providing them another consistent scorer. His performance against OU showed that opponents can’t focus solely on staying attached to KU’s shooters.
And his teammates like the new level of swagger with which he is playing.
“These last (nine) games in a row, you’ve seen the confidence raise and he’s rising to the occasion,” Wilson said. “For a guy that didn’t get much time last year to now being thrown into the fire and seeing him react the way that we need him to is everything. … It just shows his will to win. He’s young, but he’s a winner.”
“I told him after the game, he really could’ve had 30 (points),” Harris added with a laugh. “He missed a lot of bunnies, but he was tired, so I was just trying to get on him. He had a good game.”
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks’ KJ Adams is playing with a new level of confidence ... and it shows."
