Published Feb 23, 2024
KJ Adams looking forward to facing Texas one final time inside AFH
Shay Wildeboor  •  JayhawkSlant
Editor
Twitter
@JayhawkSlant

Since defeating Oklahoma in Norman last Saturday, No. 9 Kansas has had a much-needed week off to recover and prepare for the final stretch of the season. For much of the season Dajuan Harris, Johnny Furphy, Kevin McCullar, Jr., KJ Adams, Jr., and Hunter Dickinson have logged 30 or more minutes each game, with very little relief off the bench.

While addressing the media on Thursday, Adams, Jr., talked about the week off and how different it’s been.

“Yeah, it's been a little weird,” said Adams, Jr. “I'm not going to lie. It's weird having this much time in between games and just kind of trying to weigh how to fit practice and still get a lot of stuff done during that long period of time.”

Kansas is preparing for a Texas team that is 17-9 overall and 6-7 in the Big 12. The Longhorns are led by Dylan Disu (17.1), Max Abmas (16.9), Tyrese Hunter (11.0), and Dillon Mitchell (10.5).

“Yeah, they have two big guys and one of them can shoot really well,” said Adams, Jr. So, it's kind of hard kind of figuring out how to guard both of them at the same time with me and Hunter on the floor. So, it's definitely going to be a challenge that we're going to have to figure out how to try to compete with.”

Playing host to Texas on Saturday, Kansas will enter the game two games back of Houston in the Big 12 standings. With back-to-back home games looming, Texas and BYU, the Jayhawks simply can’t afford to slip up at home.

Kansas will close out the home schedule against Texas, BYU, and Kansas State, while hitting the road at Baylor and Houston. Bill Self, on Thursday, talked bout the importance of holding serve at home

“I think in our situation, holding serve at home is really important,” said Self. “We don't have any margin for error, but I'm not looking at it the way that maybe some people are looking at it. I'm looking at, hey, let's try to win one game at a time and we can't control what other people do and whatever happens, happens. But as long as we take care of our business, we’ve got a chance to have a really good year in our league.

“Now, whether or not that means having a chance to play for anything of the highest stakes against Houston, that remains to be seen,” he added. “We better go 4-0 if we're going to do that, but the best way to win them all is to win the first one. If you don't win the first one, that certainly eliminates all those desires. We’re just worried about Texas.”

This season, Adams, Jr., is averaging 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 60.9 percent from the field and 60.2 percent from the free-throw line. In all, he’s scored in double-figures 20 times and has grabbed five or more rebounds nine times this season.

Being from Austin, Texas, Adams, Jr., would have loved the opportunity to face Texas on the road one more time. However, with the Longhorns making the move to the SEC, that simply won’t be an option.

“I am a little bummed,” he said. “I did want to go home and play them for one last time, but it's all right. I still get to play them here at home. So, I think it'll all work out in the end. Not really (nothing extra in playing Texas on Saturday), other than playing my best friend Brock Cunningham for the last time, we've been going way back.

“He's been my best friend for a while, taught me a lot of things, so that'll probably be one of the emotional parts of that game when we play,” he added.