Published Dec 6, 2023
KJ Adams displays versatility in win over Kansas City
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Joe Blake  •  JayhawkSlant
Staff Writer
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KJ Adams scored 18 points for the second straight game in Kansas’ 88-69 win over Kansas City. The performances come just days before and days after the funeral for his mother, Yvonne.

Adams’ energy is coming from surrounding himself around his team as he goes through this hard time.

“I’ve been going through a lot, but just seeing all the happy faces around when I come here… Coach [Bill] Self giving me love, teammates, the support from Jayhawk nation I feel like I never get tired,” Adams said. “Maybe when I go home and go to sleep I might pass out, but other than that everybody kind of keeps me uplifted.”

Among the teammates that are keeping him uplifted is Kevin McCullar, who himself had a career high 25 points. Even with that, Self said that “Kevin was great, but there’s no doubt KJ was the best player in the game for us.”

Adams had seven rebounds and six assists to go along with the 18 points, and Self was happy with the fact that it came naturally, and not from him doing too much.

“He played to his strengths, he was physical, he played to his athletic ability and the thing that he did do today… he was without question our best player in transition,” Self said.

Self went on to reference a play that Adams made late in the game where he turned defense into offense. First, he stepped into the passing lane on the wing to get a steal in the Kansas City backcourt. Then he took the ball in transition and squeezed it between two Roo defenders to Johnny Furphy to finish a lay up.

The play put Kansas up 83-67 with 2:12 to go, and impressed Self a lot.

“That pass that he made to Johnny late… that’s pretty good for a five-man last year making that play late in transition.

The late plays were big for the Jayhawks, who let the Roos back within eight in the closing minutes. Adams only scored two first half points, and credits his scoring to McCullar and Hunter Dickinson’s presence.

“I think they just started guarding Kevin and Hunter a little tighter and it opened a bunch of shots for me,” Adams said. “When you have great players like that, a lot of open looks come.

Adams did not attempt a field goal in the first half, but still put his handprint on the game with four assists and two steals. When it was time to shoot, he did so efficiently, going six-for-nine from the floor. He also drew six fouls, going an improved six-for-10 from the charity stripe.

The tale of two halves encapsulates what his teammate, McCullar, thinks about his presence. The 18 points pop out, but he was still impactful in the first half when he never took a shot. McCullar can appreciate both halves of basketball.

“He does it all,” McCullar said. “Like I've said over and over, and whether the stat sheet shows it or not, he does so many things that help us win ball games. He touches every aspect of the game.”