🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I'm really liking what this young man has to offer. His decision is coming on Friday.
Any of you have thoughts on his abilities?

Sure looks like he has amazing potential to me!

From Jerry Meyer on 247

A powerful athlete at 6-7 and out of Austin (Texas) Westlake High School, Adams is ranked No. 73 in the 2021 247Sports Composite. He is a combo forward with a power oriented offensive game and defensive versatility.

KJ Adams scouting report:

Extremely strong and powerful athlete. Not necessarily a fast twitch high flyer in space, but an athlete who can move bodies and has a feel for the game. Possess functional athleticism. Effective in traffic. Can score through contact. Best in the middle of the court attacking off one or two dribbles. Keeps defense honest with his shooting. Willing and adequate passer. Dangerous on the boards. Has defensive versatility.

Should be a never good get for us

Functional athleticism sounds like a below the rim player that's going to end up being an defensive liability.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

Functional athleticism sounds like a below the rim player that's going to end up being an defensive liability.

He has some in game dunks in his highlights but he's no Udoka or even that JUCO kid KU offered two days ago.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

Functional athleticism sounds like a below the rim player that's going to end up being an defensive liability.

He has some in game dunks in his highlights but he's no Udoka or even that JUCO kid KU offered two days ago.

Most of his highlights are lay ups and not dunks so I stand by him being a below the rim player. Even Perry and Dedric had a few drinks in their highlight tapes.

Above the rim - - - Below the rim - -last time I heard - -read- -or saw --still has the same value in scoring , at the end of the day it's still 2 points. Who would of Thunk it ?

I don't give a tinkers ass if he is above the rim type player or not. - he can flush it - - he can lay it up - - he can finger roll it in - -he can tip the dam thing in - -as long as that round object goes through the rim & the result is two points - - - -I'm good with that. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

@jayballer73 Adams being a below the rim player is an issue because it's a sign of lack of athleticism. At his current size of 6-7 and about 200 lbs., he's probably going to be a wing and an unathletic wing doesn't typically do too well in Self's system.

How many times did Perry Ellis and Dedric Lawson get their shots blocked because they were below the rim players?

So while the premise that a dunk and lay up are worth the same is accurate, someone who is a below the rim player is much more likely to have their shot blocked than an above the rim player which does affect a player's ability to score.

If you can't grasp how being a below the rim player is a major concern for a player, then I don't know what to tell you.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I wasn't disagreeing, he is not an ultra elite athlete.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

@jayballer73 Adams being a below the rim player is an issue because it's a sign of lack of athleticism. At his current size of 6-7 and about 200 lbs., he's probably going to be a wing and an unathletic wing doesn't typically do too well in Self's system.

How many times did Perry Ellis and Dedric Lawson get their shots blocked because they were below the rim players?

So while the premise that a dunk and lay up are worth the same is accurate, someone who is a below the rim player is much more likely to have their shot blocked than an above the rim player which does affect a player's ability to score.

If you can't grasp how being a below the rim player is a major concern for a player, then I don't know what to tell you.

I'm not that concerned, I've seen plenty of the so called below the rim players do just fine. I mean it's obvious that Coach thinks he is worth the Scoli - - I think I'd rather trust Coach's judgement - -He has a solid jumper he is gonna be just fine. , so you really don't need to tell me anything

@jayballer73 there have been several guys here who never dunked in HS, ex Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers. Granted Mario wasn't 6'7.

I haven't watched the kids highlights yet.

Below the rim athletes can be very dominant in high school, then fall flat in college. At 6-7, he is probably one of the bigger guys on the floor on most nights. In college, he will see someone bigger than 6-7 every single night. If he is not able to shoot from the perimeter, he will be very limited on offense. And if he isn't super bouncy and fast twitch, he's a less athletic Jamari Traylor. That's not a guy that will have an impact at a P5 school.

Now, maybe there is some athleticism to unlock. Perhaps that's an angle to look at. But if that's the case, he may need to redshirt to accomplish that. Or maybe there's some shot potential, but again, that's a year long process that may require a redshirt.

I guess where I am is that he's currently a less athletic Jamari Traylor, with the opportunity to be a less skilled KJ Lawson or (absolute best development case) Jamari Traylor with a jump shot.

I wouldn’t knock the guy too much yet. He’s a top 80 recruit for a reason. What I saw was a very athletic muscular frame but maybe not the explosive vertical you are wanting lol. The kid had very good handles, nice mid range jump shot, and good passing ability. I think he would be a good get. Sure we missed on the 5star KBrown. Brown would have been here 1 year, this kid is a 3-4 year guy. Sometimes we are better off with quality 3-4 year guys anyway. Besides Brown could dunk but he couldn’t shoot a lick.

@justanotherfan could KJ Lawson dunk? Serious question I don't remember. Adams definitely can. He's a solid shooter, already better than Jamari. Not saying he will light the world on fire at KU but I think he has a good chance at a very solid 4-5 years.

@jayhawks2010 A friend of mine that is at Sunrise was very concerned about KB's shooting. Said it was broken. I mentioned this before when it was believed KU would land him so it's not just a sour grapes thing. I still think he would have been really good at KU, but it would have cost KU a game or two for sure.

Jerry Meyer is projecting him as a P5 starter with the comparison being Kristian Doolittle. I'd take that and run with it.

A Kristian Doolittle comparison, I'd take that and run with it too. Hopefully (if he signs with us), by the time his career at KU is finished @Texas-Hawk-10 and others will be calling him KJ Doomuch.

@justanotherfan Jamari Traylor was athletic as hell, but minimally skilled. Ochai falls ino that same category of very good athlete, just not very skilled. About the only way Adams and Traylor do compare is body type as Adams definitely looks like he has room to add another 20-25 lbs. of muscle onto his frame.

KJ Adams kinda reminds me of a poor man's Perry Ellis. Decent skill set, decent shooter, but subpar athleticism. That lack of athleticism is almost certainly going to force Adams to be a stretch 4 at KU, but even then Adams is probably always going to be a major defensive liability at the P5 level.

His shooting form looks solid so he looks like he could develop into a really good shooter which is probably his best bet to ever see extended minutes for KU if he came here.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

Jerry Meyer is projecting him as a P5 starter with the comparison being Kristian Doolittle. I'd take that and run with it.

I'm not seeing a Doolittle comp at all unless all he's comparing is a short 4. Doolittle couldn't shoot for shit from the field and was quite a bit more athletic. The one year OU had a good season was also Doolittle's least productive season and that was Doolittle's sophomore season when they had Trae Young and went to the FF. Fewest minutes, only year Doolittle wasn't a regular starter, lowest PER by a lot.
Doolittle was productive when there wasn't much talent around him.

If KJ Adams came to KU, he'd have to wait quite awhile to play and is someone that would likely redshirt early on because of the logjam KU has that spot. Just in 2021-22 alone, he'd likely have a senior TGF, a Jr./So. Enaruna (depending on if he can get back or not), and a So. Wilson in front of him on the depth chart and that's just with current players. If anyone wants to view him as a wing, then you add a Sr. Agbaji and a Jr. Braun into the mix not including any other possible recruits KU could land.

Just based on that, the earliest KJ Adams would project to be a factor in the rotation would be his 3rd year at KU.

@Texas-Hawk-10 um, OU did not go to the ff Trae Young's year there. They went 18-14 and lost to URI in their first tournament game.

@BShark I got mixed up on which year Nova beat them, but my point still stands about Doolittle not being very productive when there was more talent around him though.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Maybe because there was more talent around him?

The entire Trae Young season was a disaster for everyone not named Trae Young. Several guys basically quit iirc.

I expect some attrition that we are not expecting. Let's say two more people besides Garrett, Silvio and Mitch leave, that means a 5 man class. Really don't need more wing/4 types though, that's for sure. Would love to add a 5 and 2 more guards if that were the case.

@approxinfinity said in K.J. Adams:

@jayballer73 there have been several guys here who never dunked in HS, ex Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers. Granted Mario wasn't 6'7.

I haven't watched the kids highlights yet.

ta I know. - -Was Frank Mason an above the rim player ? - -Was Devonte Graham an above the rim player ? - -I know different position, BUT still really good players. - -Is McCormack an above the rim player ? - -What about Christian Braun ? - -above the rim ? just a couple , could go on - -and from high-lite That I have seen umm yes - - Adams CAN play above the rim , just depends on the Situation. - just because he isn't doing eye popping flush all the time doesn't mean he can't play above the rim..

Scout report says he has a very servicable Jumper - -is Jalen Wilson above the rim player ? - the answer would be - -no more then KJ. Some people jut want to automatically start tearing a kids play up right from the get go - -gets pretty old. KJ A dams is going to be a very solid 4 year player for KU - we can't land nothing but one and dones we can't land the Monster rim eating studs all the time. - -What we can do is just like Coach is doing finding solid 3-4 year players that may need some work but still very very solid players - -don't get me wrong this isn't directed at you - really not directed at anyone in particular - - just saying - -I think I trust Coach & we & KJ Adams are going to be just fine

@jayballer73 I feel you. I appreciate all the chatter, the doubters the believers, all. Dreaming about basketball is just what the doctor ordered.

@Marco said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 Maybe because there was more talent around him?

Which is my point on a Doolittle comparison. Doolittle had by far his absolute worst season when there was some talent around him and wasn't even a regular starter his sophomore year after starting as a freshman. Doolittle's PER that year was 8.1 when they had talent around him.

https://247sports.com/college/kansas/board/103719/Contents/247sports-expert-breaks-down-4star-ku-hoops-target-kj-adams-149648997/ ↗

More in depth look from Jerry here. He thinks KJ would do well under Self.

@jayballer73 Perry Ellis and Dedric Lawson could also dunk and nobody has ever called them an above the rim player. Players of Adams size who play mostly below the rim tend to be poor defenders due to a lack of athleticism and bad rebounders due to poor jumping abilities. Players with Adams profile at programs like KU have a history of struggling and not panning out as expected due to their physical limitations. Another difference between Adams and Ellis and Lawson is the Ellis and Lawson were both top 40 recruits while Adams is barely a top 100 program.

I also remember a lot of people giving me shit when I kept saying that Quentin Grimes was going to be a busy because of him being from an area that's weak in HS basketball. The HS Adams attends is the top football program in Austin and a top 10 program in Texas having churned out a lot of NFL talent including two Super Bowl winning QB's currently in the NFL in Drew Brees and Nick Foles, but Austin isn't exactly known as a basketball hotbed so I also have serious doubts about the level kf competition he's faced, especially without an AAU season this year to go against better players and improve.

So add all of these factors together along with doubts about a HS season happening and a not very athletic kid without much, if any, organized basketball activity potentially over a year is going to make me skeptical about what he'll ever be at KU.

If you want to try and claim I'm always bagging on recruits to taking a dig like you did, then you might want to check history, because there's plenty of recruits I've been high on that others weren't.

I'll go ahead and breakdown KU's current roster right now you can comeback and see what I got right and wrong.

Marcus Garrett is going to be an NPOY candidate this year and a second round NBA pick. If Garrett could shoot, he'd already be in the NBA as a lottery pick. His defense alone is going to keep Garrett in the NBA for a long time and he'll probably have a Pat Beverly type career.

Bryce Thompson is going to be a good, but not great 2/3 year player for KU. My comp for him is Wayne Selden. Thompson isn't elite at anything specifically, just a solid all around player, but that lack of an it factor is what will hurt his NBA prospects.

Ocahi Agbaji is someone I've made pretty clear my feelings on and I'm nowhere near as high on Agbaji as others here are. Even playing on a top AAU team he didn't get much attention from other P5 programs. I do believe he is the most naturally athletic player Self has ever had at KU, but he's also one of the lowest skilled players as well and one of the lowest basketball IQ's Self has had. He'll be a 4 year player, and test off the charts in regards to physical abilities and maybe get picked up in the 2nd round based on potential, but I believe that's all he'll ever be is potential that spends a year or two in the NBA before headed overseas for the rest of his career.

Mitch Lightfoot is a future coach and honestly wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a GA after this year. Mitch is one of the smartest players Self has had which is why he's always maximized his time on the floor and why Self wanted Mitch on this team this year. He's also a great leader and does the little things well like setting screens, knowing how help from the weakside defensively, and whatever is needed to help KU win. Mitch's game is a perfect compliment to basically everyone who will be on the floor for KU because this is going to be a group that looks to drive the ball first and then kick out to an open 3. Mitch is going to be instrumental in making that happen.

Tyon Grant-Foster is one I'm less up on than others because I'm always naturally skeptical of JuCo's in basketball. TGF is an above average athlete, but he falls into that Ochai, Jamari neighborhood of a good athlete, but lower skilled player. His shooting is a big concern as are his turnover numbers. He is a solid rebounder for his size which means he's aggressive. I don't think he's a bad player, but I'm less optimistic about the immediate impact he'll have than others are this upcoming season.

David McCormack is an upgraded Landen Lucas that can score more. He's a guy we know effort is never going to be an issue with and is always looking to get better. He's probably going to be 2nd or 3rd team Big 12 this year and a Big 12 POY candidate as a senior. I don't see him getting drafted, but I can see him making an NBA roster based on his hard work and dedication to getting better.

Christian Braun is that guy we all hate when he's on other teams. He is that annoying white kid who can go off for 5 or 6 made 3's any night. Even if Braun doesn't start this year, I think he should start over Agbaji personally, he's going to play starter level minutes for his remaining 3 years at KU.

Tristan Enaruna is KU's best NBA prospect to me. He'll take all 4 years to develop like Svi, but he'll be a very good player by his senior year. Being brought up in the Euro game, defense is probably always going to be his achilles heel, but he has the makings of being a Svi clone.

Jalen Wilson is another 4 year guy. Another Texas player with subpar athletic ability. I don't see him ever becoming more than a role player and if he doesn't develop a consistent shot, he's someone I don't see finishing his career at KU and probably ends up transferring to a mid major conference.

Silvio DeSousa is going to go down as the biggest what if player in Self's tenure at KU. We saw flashes of what Silvio could be as a freshman, but the NCAA and the KSU incident have majorly derailed his development. Silvio is probably a top 3 rebounder under Self and is a phenomenal shot blocker, but is someone who needs a redshirt to focus on refining his game. If I were Self, I'd seriously consider redshirting Silvio this year honestly because I think Silvio would be best option at the 5 next year out of the realistic options Self has.

Dajuan Harris is someone I've struggled to get a solid read on. I don't see him being ready this year to even be the back up for Garrett which is a little concerning since he's probably taking over in 2021 for Garrett. He's currently listed at 160 lbs. on KU's most up-to-date basketball roster so durability is going to be a big concern with Harris until he can get into the 180 lb. range.

Gethro Muscadin is a player that's going to need all 5 years to maximize his potential at KU. I think he can eventually develop into something similar to fellow Haitian Skal Labissiere except being able to rebound. He definitely needs to add bulk because so he doesn't get bullied. He's also still relatively new to basketball from what I can tell so he's definitely a work in progress, but I'm just not expecting much of anything his first 2-3 years here.

Latrell Jossell along with Jalen Wilson is someone I don't see finishing his career at KU. Jossell probably has this season to prove something in practice to convince the staff to not recruit over him, but he's even smaller than Harris so durability again becomes a major concern because his body doesn't look like it can handle much past 170-75 lbs. without taking a hit on quickness.

My opinion is based on the two highlights posted. In the highlights, his drives that he makes are basically straight line drives. He doesn't make any dribble moves to beat an opponent. It's just catch and drive for the most part, and even then, its not a thing of quickness, he just gets the angle and goes to the basket.

On the second video, you notice a couple of times with him in the post and he can't just use his strength, quickness, footwork, or athleticism to just beat his man on the back down. He's effective in HS with his skillset, but will look very ordinary in college against a strong 6-5 guy (think Mario Little type) that will have a quickness advantage on him.

I don't think he's a bad player, but he is a 9th or 10th man at best to my eye right now. His handles are not great, so he isn't really a wing. His set shot is solid, but he's not a guy that can fly off screens and knock down threes all day. I don't see an elite athlete (probably peg him at above average, but not more than that).

He's a nice recruit to get if he's going to be here five years. He will need a redshirt year to become a significant contributor IMHO.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

@jayballer73 Perry Ellis and Dedric Lawson could also dunk and nobody has ever called them an above the rim player. Players of Adams size who play mostly below the rim tend to be poor defenders due to a lack of athleticism and bad rebounders due to poor jumping abilities. Players with Adams profile at programs like KU have a history of struggling and not panning out as expected due to their physical limitations. Another difference between Adams and Ellis and Lawson is the Ellis and Lawson were both top 40 recruits while Adams is barely a top 100 program.

I also remember a lot of people giving me shit when I kept saying that Quentin Grimes was going to be a busy because of him being from an area that's weak in HS basketball. The HS Adams attends is the top football program in Austin and a top 10 program in Texas having churned out a lot of NFL talent including two Super Bowl winning QB's currently in the NFL in Drew Brees and Nick Foles, but Austin isn't exactly known as a basketball hotbed so I also have serious doubts about the level kf competition he's faced, especially without an AAU season this year to go against better players and improve.

So add all of these factors together along with doubts about a HS season happening and a not very athletic kid without much, if any, organized basketball activity potentially over a year is going to make me skeptical about what he'll ever be at KU.

If you want to try and claim I'm always bagging on recruits to taking a dig like you did, then you might want to check history, because there's plenty of recruits I've been high on that others weren't.

I'll go ahead and breakdown KU's current roster right now you can comeback and see what I got right and wrong.

Marcus Garrett is going to be an NPOY candidate this year and a second round NBA pick. If Garrett could shoot, he'd already be in the NBA as a lottery pick. His defense alone is going to keep Garrett in the NBA for a long time and he'll probably have a Pat Beverly type career.

Bryce Thompson is going to be a good, but not great 2/3 year player for KU. My comp for him is Wayne Selden. Thompson isn't elite at anything specifically, just a solid all around player, but that lack of an it factor is what will hurt his NBA prospects.

Ocahi Agbaji is someone I've made pretty clear my feelings on and I'm nowhere near as high on Agbaji as others here are. Even playing on a top AAU team he didn't get much attention from other P5 programs. I do believe he is the most naturally athletic player Self has ever had at KU, but he's also one of the lowest skilled players as well and one of the lowest basketball IQ's Self has had. He'll be a 4 year player, and test off the charts in regards to physical abilities and maybe get picked up in the 2nd round based on potential, but I believe that's all he'll ever be is potential that spends a year or two in the NBA before headed overseas for the rest of his career.

Mitch Lightfoot is a future coach and honestly wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a GA after this year. Mitch is one of the smartest players Self has had which is why he's always maximized his time on the floor and why Self wanted Mitch on this team this year. He's also a great leader and does the little things well like setting screens, knowing how help from the weakside defensively, and whatever is needed to help KU win. Mitch's game is a perfect compliment to basically everyone who will be on the floor for KU because this is going to be a group that looks to drive the ball first and then kick out to an open 3. Mitch is going to be instrumental in making that happen.

Tyon Grant-Foster is one I'm less up on than others because I'm always naturally skeptical of JuCo's in basketball. TGF is an above average athlete, but he falls into that Ochai, Jamari neighborhood of a good athlete, but lower skilled player. His shooting is a big concern as are his turnover numbers. He is a solid rebounder for his size which means he's aggressive. I don't think he's a bad player, but I'm less optimistic about the immediate impact he'll have than others are this upcoming season.

David McCormack is an upgraded Landen Lucas that can score more. He's a guy we know effort is never going to be an issue with and is always looking to get better. He's probably going to be 2nd or 3rd team Big 12 this year and a Big 12 POY candidate as a senior. I don't see him getting drafted, but I can see him making an NBA roster based on his hard work and dedication to getting better.

Christian Braun is that guy we all hate when he's on other teams. He is that annoying white kid who can go off for 5 or 6 made 3's any night. Even if Braun doesn't start this year, I think he should start over Agbaji personally, he's going to play starter level minutes for his remaining 3 years at KU.

Tristan Enaruna is KU's best NBA prospect to me. He'll take all 4 years to develop like Svi, but he'll be a very good player by his senior year. Being brought up in the Euro game, defense is probably always going to be his achilles heel, but he has the makings of being a Svi clone.

Jalen Wilson is another 4 year guy. Another Texas player with subpar athletic ability. I don't see him ever becoming more than a role player and if he doesn't develop a consistent shot, he's someone I don't see finishing his career at KU and probably ends up transferring to a mid major conference.

Silvio DeSousa is going to go down as the biggest what if player in Self's tenure at KU. We saw flashes of what Silvio could be as a freshman, but the NCAA and the KSU incident have majorly derailed his development. Silvio is probably a top 3 rebounder under Self and is a phenomenal shot blocker, but is someone who needs a redshirt to focus on refining his game. If I were Self, I'd seriously consider redshirting Silvio this year honestly because I think Silvio would be best option at the 5 next year out of the realistic options Self has.

Dajuan Harris is someone I've struggled to get a solid read on. I don't see him being ready this year to even be the back up for Garrett which is a little concerning since he's probably taking over in 2021 for Garrett. He's currently listed at 160 lbs. on KU's most up-to-date basketball roster so durability is going to be a big concern with Harris until he can get into the 180 lb. range.

Gethro Muscadin is a player that's going to need all 5 years to maximize his potential at KU. I think he can eventually develop into something similar to fellow Haitian Skal Labissiere except being able to rebound. He definitely needs to add bulk because so he doesn't get bullied. He's also still relatively new to basketball from what I can tell so he's definitely a work in progress, but I'm just not expecting much of anything his first 2-3 years here.

Latrell Jossell along with Jalen Wilson is someone I don't see finishing his career at KU. Jossell probably has this season to prove something in practice to convince the staff to not recruit over him, but he's even smaller than Harris so durability again becomes a major concern because his body doesn't look like it can handle much past 170-75 lbs. without taking a hit on quickness.

very nice - - I think I'll STILL have a tendency to lean just a wee bit more towards trusting the KU Coaching staff in evaulation of a player then umm I dunno - - - you. Not saying your not an excellent evaulator of talent it's just I feel more comfortable in men that do this for a living and on top of that - -they seem to make pretty good money at doing just that, and I think now I could be wrong but I think MAYBE - - just MAYBE have had pretty good success with offering these types of kids/ Yet thanks for your opinions always love varying opinions , what makes the world go round. Can't agree on everything. - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

@Texas-Hawk-10 Fwiw Adams is a kid that was top 25-30 and then fell off a bit. Similar to Perry but with a different trajectory. Perry iirc was top 5 at one point, maybe just top 10. But he moved around a bit.

I was somewhat down on Grimes as well due to things I heard about him, and was down on KJ and Charlie as well. I thought they were bad fits. I do think Adams is a better fit for Self based on what I've seen and read. Obviously I've been wrong before as well, I thought Bragg would do well..

Not to go jaybate but Selden was definitely hampered by injuries in his time at KU. Hopefully Bryce stays healthy but I agree he does not have one ultra elite trait.

I have similar concerns with TGF but I think he is going to play a lot because Self loves him.

If Mitch could actually score the ball he would be amazing. But he is great at all the little things, Lucas was too and that plays with Self.

I would also start CB over Agbaji I would like to see Agbaji get down to the 20 minute range but this absolutely will not happen.

I'd crap myself if Enaruna gets to Svi's level as a shooter. He had a lot of threes that just were not even close. Svi had the bad first year not playing a lot too but it was evident that he would be a good shooter. He was known as a shooter coming in. The other thing is Svi had TRex arms, Enaruna is like a bird with huge wings. This helps his defensive potential enormously and is his path to sticking in the league I think. Just get the shooting to a competent level and engage/understand defense.

Agree on Jalen. If Tristan does get stuck in Europe, Jalen is the main beneficiary imo.

I feel sad for Silvio. He looked lost on offense last year. Like you said everything got knocked off track for him.

The staff seems high on Harris. Agree we don't know yet, he hasn't played a minute at KU. The word is he is an excellent pure pg that distributes the ball very well. Teams will likely try to make him actually finish drives as much as possible, because he is pass first.

I feel like Gethro and Jossell were scramble takes while the NCAA crap was at full tilt. It would not shock me if both end up elsewhere.

@justanotherfan I agree and I think developing a great level jump shot is his path to playing at KU. Jerry touches on that in fact (screen cap below). He is absolutely a 4-5 year guy. That's even being mentioned now, which is fairly rare before guys even get to college. I don't think he is a starter his first two years, if he's okay with that then great.

I decided to screencap Jerry's breakdown for those w/o VIP.

!alt text ↗

@jayballer73 You do know at this stage, KJ Adams is nowhere near KU's top choice in recruits right? There's a reason why the staff waited until this point to start making a push for Adams and it's because of other players KU's staff liked better turned KU down for whatever reason whether it be playing time, fit, possible sanctions, etc.

This is more of KJ Adams being best remaining option rather than best option. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't, even for KU.

You have a case like 2011 where Self didn't plan on the Morris Twins leaving early (still don't know how he didn't plan on that even being a possibility) where that class was put together late and only 2 of the 5 ended their college careers at KU and only 1 of 5 was here two year later.

Frank Mason was a similar case as he was the 8th or 9th player Self recruited at PG alone that year.

More times than not though, beginning to recruit a player this late is more of a desperation move than anything else because that player has major holes in his game that may or may not be fixable.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I respect your opinion, but you called Adams a poor man's Perry Ellis and maybe he is, time will tell (I personally, think he's more athletic than Ellis). But that being said, Perry Ellis is one of my all-time favorite Jayhawks and all that he did was win.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I do like your debates, you bring something to the forum - which is kind of why we are here in the first place.

It's pretty apparent that the staff started making a big push after KB went to Baylor.

It's certainly been a mixed bag for Self with scramble additions. Mason was an early signing but definitely not the first choice. Some of the PGs I remember that were targeted and missed on before adding Mason: Kasey Hill, Anthony Barber (somewhat KU's decision to move on), Tyler Ennis, Rysheed Jordan, Demetrius Jackson, Roddy Peters... There might be more, that's what I remember. Some of these players ended up being worse than Mason. There's definitely some luck involved.

Cheick Diallo, Brannen Greene, Cliff Alexander, Grimes and Conner Frankamp were all plan A type recruits. Then you have plan A recruits that work out just fine like Dotson, Udoka, Dave, Josh, Garrett, Wiggins, Selden, Embiid, Oubre (almost didn't but I would say he was a success).

Some other scramble recruits: Svi, Graham, Vick, Billy Preston (does not pick KU if KU gets Ayton, period), Agbaji, Harris, Braun, Wilson, the entire 2011 recruiting class except Ben, Anrio Adams, Landen Lucas.

@Marco Ellis was more athletic than he gets credit for by a large portion of the fan base imo.

@BShark Dropping 60ish spots is major drop and an indicator that his ceiling/development is limited.

I don't think Gethro was a desperation move on KU's end. For a sub 150 recruit, he's had some other really good offers like Tech, Louisville, and Memphis along with a bunch of other P5 and quality mid major offers. Gethro's also the player out of this class (KU's 2020) that I'm highest on long term as a player.

My Bryce Thompson to Selden comparison is the post injury version of Selden that was noticably slower and less athletic than before his injuries.

@BShark Bigtime, I was not knocking his athleticism (just think that Adams - from what I have seen - is more athletic, is all). Ellis was a smart, team player, not flashy but could score in a variety of ways - including above the rim. I do not recall Ellis ever consistently being a crappy defender either.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Thompson is known as an outside shooter, was Seldon ever called that?

@Marco KU really didn't win that much with Ellis. Never made a Final Four and the 2 of the 3 worst seasons under Self happened with Ellis.

Perry was a better athlete than Adams is, but Perry still got shut down and taken out of games with relative ease by good defensive teams.

Ellis will always be a fan favorite, but that doesn't mean he was a great player. He was a good player, but there's also a reason why he never got a serious look from the NBA.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Without Ellis those teams (all four of his years) would not have been much of anything.

@Marco said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 Thompson is known as an outside shooter, was Seldon ever called that?

It's not what he was known for, but Selden was an above average 3 point shooter being in the upper 30% range and Bryce's shooting ability is a bit overhyped at this point.

@Marco said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 Without Ellis those teams (all four of his years) would not have been much of anything.

My mistake, I was off on Perry's actual years at KU (since he was allegedly at KU for 15 years according to some). KU only made it to one Elite 8 with Perry. I keep thinking he graduated in 2017 instead of 2016. Perry was a nice player, but he never should've been the focal point of the offense of those teams and that's a big reason why they underachieved so much. A lot of that falls on Self and staff for failing to land better players to help out, but 2011-2014 was a pretty dark time for KU recruiting.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Yep, Self failed by getting someone anticipated to be a project in 2013 who merely became the number 3 pick. Crappy recruiting....

Oh, don't forget the no. 1 pick that year, too...

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

It's pretty apparent that the staff started making a big push after KB went to Baylor.

Some other scramble recruits: Svi, Graham, Vick, Billy Preston (does not pick KU if KU gets Ayton, period), Agbaji, Harris, Braun, Wilson, the entire 2011 recruiting class except Ben, Anrio Adams, Landen Lucas.

Rio Adams and Landen Lucas were 2012 recruits, not 2011. 2011 was McLemore, Traylor, Naadir Tharpe, Merv Lindsey, and Braeden Anderson.

@mayjay said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 Yep, Self failed by getting someone anticipated to be a project in 2013 who merely became the number 3 pick. Crappy recruiting....

Oh, don't forget the no. 1 pick that year, too...

My bad, 2010-2012 was the shit recruiting for KU. As for 2013, great talent, but damn sure didn't hp KU win any more games that year considering they lost 10 games for the first time under Self and got their asses handed to them by Stanford in the 2nd round that season in the NCAA tournament. That group was arguably the most talented group Self has ever had, but was also by far Self's worst KU team until the 2018-2019 team came along.

So, and what of this past season's team? A total recruiting bust when going up and down the lineup? I am telling you, if Adams signs he is not going to be a chump. When all is said and done (if indeed, he does sign, and I guess we are all assuming that he will) if I am wrong I'll be the first to admit it. Kind of like I was, so far, about Enaruna.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I know that's why I listed them by name instead of "the 2011 class other than Ben". Since Ben was the only plan A recruit taken in that class.

The dearth of good recruits between 2010-2012 is what led to the need for such a large immediate impact class of 2013. You will always end up having some attrition when you take a class that big. Overall, it went about as good as you could hope for but I wasn't surprised when it ended in tournament failure. It's best to avoid requiring such a large class of immediate contributors if possible.

@BShark This was your exact wording, "...2011 recruiting class except Ben, Anrio Adams, Landen Lucas."

The teacher in me reads that as you saying Adams and Lucas were part of the 2011 class, not that Adams and Lucas were part of the 2012 class.

That was meant to be listed as one name essentially instead of listing off the other 4 members of that class. It could have been better if I put that last.

@Marco said in K.J. Adams:

So, and what of this past season's team? A total recruiting bust when going up and down the lineup? I am telling you, if Adams signs he is not going to be a chump. When all is said and done (if indeed, he does sign, and I guess we are all assuming that he will) if I am wrong I'll be the first to admit it. Kind of like I was, so far, about Enaruna.

If Adams signs, it's going to be awhile before he ever plays meaningful minutes because he plays a position KU has zero need for in the 2021 class. His best case scenario at this point for minutes is for Enaruna to be unable to return to the US due to Corona and decide to turn pro and stay in Europe and Zach Clemence to end up playing the 5 which opens a path for Adams to get minutes in year two. Even in that scenario, Adams would be a starter until year 4 after Wilson left.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

If Adams signs, it's going to be awhile before he ever plays meaningful minutes because he plays a position KU has zero need for in the 2021 class.

It's interesting to me that the staff felt they needed to go after someone at this position. Maybe they are expecting a departure that we are not, maybe it's just about filling the roster out because I do think this will end up being a 5 man class. It almost never happens where every underclassman stays.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

If Adams signs, it's going to be awhile before he ever plays meaningful minutes because he plays a position KU has zero need for in the 2021 class.

It's interesting to me that the staff felt they needed to go after someone at this position. Maybe they are expecting a departure that we are not, maybe it's just about filling the roster out because I do think this will end up being a 5 man class. It almost never happens where every underclassman stays.

Enaruna staying in Europe or Wilson transferring are the most likely scenarios of unexpected departures that would make the staff look at someone like Adams to me. I know Jossell seems like a prime transfer option as well, but he wouldn't impact KU looking at Adams so I'm leaning towards Enaruna or Wilson not coming back with Enaruna being the more likely option at this point due to Covid.

Texas hawk 10 your so wrong on Thompson. The guys going to be a stud he’s already taller then he was in High school and he’s a sharp shooter. He’s a first round pick easy! Obviously we need some top 30 talent to be a great team but a foundation of that 2008 title team had a lot of solid top 100 guys (Kaun, Robinson, Jackson). Garret has been a great player and he wasn’t a top 20 player. Even trob wasn’t top 15. Last final four team didn’t have a nba first rounder and was great. Yeah NCAA vilolations and unchecked Nike recruitment of guys to duke and Uk Is hurting ku but Virginia, Villanova all won titles with 3-4 year guys. And by the way kJ is exactly like the Villanova big guys that destroyed ku in the final four. 6”7 shooting big guys with muscle so they don’t get pushed around.

@jayhawks2010 his three ball and athleticism are not really on the level of a Mikal Bridges or Eric Paschall. Best case he turns out a Kris Jenkins type stint. While Nova does have lots of multi-year guys, their two title teams had 6 and 5 NBA players each. Jalen Brunson inexplicably stayed a third year. NBA talent matters.

I am pretty much in the middle with Adams. It's impossible to know what he will end up being, but he is worth an offer/signing to find out, imo.

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

Texas hawk 10 your so wrong on Thompson. The guys going to be a stud he’s already taller then he was in High school and he’s a sharp shooter. He’s a first round pick easy! Obviously we need some top 30 talent to be a great team but a foundation of that 2008 title team had a lot of solid top 100 guys (Kaun, Robinson, Jackson). Garret has been a great player and he wasn’t a top 20 player. Even trob wasn’t top 15. Last final four team didn’t have a nba first rounder and was great. Yeah NCAA vilolations and unchecked Nike recruitment of guys to duke and Uk Is hurting ku but Virginia, Villanova all won titles with 3-4 year guys. And by the way kJ is exactly like the Villanova big guys that destroyed ku in the final four. 6”7 shooting big guys with muscle so they don’t get pushed around.

Please point to statistical evidence that Bryce Thompson is a sharpshooter and not what a scout says based on his shooting form.

I guarantee he will shoot 38% or higher from 3. And what’s the negative attitude on a top 25 recruit? The kid is a stud! If we want to break down a player, Kendall brown had a high dribble and no outside shot lol. Red flags right there

Villanova had nba talent but there guys were like Devonte or svi they weren’t top 20 recruits across the board. they developed into nba players

https://247sports.com/player/mikal-bridges-30556/ ↗

https://247sports.com/player/eric-paschall-35612/ ↗

@jayhawks2010 I was excited as our staff about signing him!

You can't just look at the rankings and size/build of a player and assume similar results. You have to look at how they perform in game and try to extrapolate. The points and concerns raised about Adams are definitely valid.

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

I guarantee he will shoot 38% or higher from 3. And what’s the negative attitude on a top 25 recruit? The kid is a stud! If we want to break down a player, Kendall brown had a high dribble and no outside shot lol. Red flags right there

Shooting percentages very rarely increase when someone moves up in competition.

I'm also trying to figure out why you think me basically saying Bryce Thompson's not going to be an all-world player out of the gate is me having a negative attitude towards him. He's a very good player, but he has deficiencies in his game at this point which is why he's only a 20-25 ranked player.

I also don't think a post injury Wayne Selden comparison is a negative thing either because Selden was a very good player for KU during his 3 years even if Selden was never a superstar player.

Don't be shocked when Bryce doesn't meet you expectations as a freshman and isn't a OAD player.

I would be thrilled if we get Bryce for three years, guessing two.

@BShark me too! Plus fans, what fans? Are going to love him! Great kid and family.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

I would be thrilled if we get Bryce for three years, guessing two.

YA , me too , thinking two years for Bryce, yet who knows MAYBE shock us and stay 3 doubt it though. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

Texas hawk 10 your so wrong on Thompson. The guys going to be a stud he’s already taller then he was in High school and he’s a sharp shooter. He’s a first round pick easy! Obviously we need some top 30 talent to be a great team but a foundation of that 2008 title team had a lot of solid top 100 guys (Kaun, Robinson, Jackson). Garret has been a great player and he wasn’t a top 20 player. Even trob wasn’t top 15. Last final four team didn’t have a nba first rounder and was great. Yeah NCAA vilolations and unchecked Nike recruitment of guys to duke and Uk Is hurting ku but Virginia, Villanova all won titles with 3-4 year guys. And by the way kJ is exactly like the Villanova big guys that destroyed ku in the final four. 6”7 shooting big guys with muscle so they don’t get pushed around.

Please point to statistical evidence that Bryce Thompson is a sharpshooter and not what a scout says based on his shooting form.

"Thompson is one of the better perimeter scorers in the 2020 class. He averaged 24.4 points and shot 45.8 percent from 3-point range for the Oklahoma Run PWP grassroots program on the UA Association circuit last spring and summer.

"Thompson is one of the most improved players in the senior class," ESPN national recruiting director Paul Biancardi said. "He has a tremendous knack in scoring the ball. His ability to make open shots and contested shots is impressive. His passing skills are better than most know about. He's a high-end, go-to recruit for Kansas."

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28065089/kansas-lands-five-star-recruit-bryce-thompson ↗

Kid can really stroke it from deep.

@FarmerJayhawk I'm not seeing where he averaged 24 PPG on Oklahoma PWP's site for last year, I'm seeing Bryce at 16 PPG.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

@FarmerJayhawk I'm not seeing where he averaged 24 PPG on Oklahoma PWP's site for last year, I'm seeing Bryce at 16 PPG.

Those are the spring session stats from 18; the game log stops at 7/13/18. Missing an entire year of AAU competition. The UAA's site is down so I can't get to the 2019 stats.

Yeah Bryce got a LOT better the last year or so.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

Yeah Bryce got a LOT better the last year or so.

UAA's Twitter says he won the scoring title in that circuit last summer so that's pretty neat

@FarmerJayhawk I remember those stats you listed as well. They used to be up on the AAU site.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

@FarmerJayhawk I remember those stats you listed as well. They used to be up on the AAU site.

Yeah, I think UA basically shut down its grassroots operation because of covid. No reason to keep the site up if there aren't any games. Wish I would've saved them. Oklahoma never published his senior stats either so can't find those.

The Oracle has spoken. 🐦 View Tweet?s=21

@FarmerJayhawk said in K.J. Adams:

The Oracle has spoken. 🐦 View Tweet?s=21

Yep it will be ku

Really enjoying all the posts.

Concerning KJ... my opinion is only based on these two clips. What I see, I like. I see a young man who will probably be here for 3 to 4 years, but can offer some contribution from day 1. He still has another year of high school ball, and I bet he either puts on more height or girth, maybe both. He has a great build already, and that means he's a guy that won't be restricted in his early days at Kansas as we wait for physical development.

I wouldn't say he's a super fast twitch player, but then, he has muscle mass as a junior in high school. He may fool some people at Kansas and suddenly be called a "late bloomer." I see aggressiveness, and you really can't teach that. Add that with size and strength and how can anyone think he won't contribute. I don't see how anyone can put him in the same breath as Ellis or Lawson. His aggressiveness and body separate him completely.

I may be trying to paint him with rosy glasses... but I wonder if what is mistaken for slow twitch is a guy who just plays under control. We've experienced off-the-charts fast twitch with players like Wiggins... who really couldn't translate that on the court. Granted... OAD!

Lawson was extremely aggressive on offense. I would say too aggressive in some circumstances but that was a fairly bad team that lacked shot makers/creators and he was needed to take on an offensive load.

@FarmerJayhawk said in K.J. Adams:

The Oracle has spoken. 🐦 View Tweet?s=21

curious as to why I don't see Slater's pick off 247 -don't find his CB - -found a couple of new ones for us - -giving us all 10 CB'S does slater not work for 247 anymore ?

@jayballer73 Slater isn't associated with 247 anymore and I believe he can no longer cm pick. He essentially gives his picks by tweeting now.

@drgnslayr said in K.J. Adams:

Really enjoying all the posts.

Concerning KJ... my opinion is only based on these two clips. What I see, I like. I see a young man who will probably be here for 3 to 4 years, but can offer some contribution from day 1. He still has another year of high school ball, and I bet he either puts on more height or girth, maybe both. He has a great build already, and that means he's a guy that won't be restricted in his early days at Kansas as we wait for physical development.

I wouldn't say he's a super fast twitch player, but then, he has muscle mass as a junior in high school. He may fool some people at Kansas and suddenly be called a "late bloomer." I see aggressiveness, and you really can't teach that. Add that with size and strength and how can anyone think he won't contribute. I don't see how anyone can put him in the same breath as Ellis or Lawson. His aggressiveness and body separate him completely.

I may be trying to paint him with rosy glasses... but I wonder if what is mistaken for slow twitch is a guy who just plays under control. We've experienced off-the-charts fast twitch with players like Wiggins... who really couldn't translate that on the court. Granted... OAD!

My Perry and Dedric comparison isn't a comparison of playing style or skill set or mentality. Perry and Dedric were not very athletic and we're often shut down and taken out of games by good defenses. Hell, good defenses shut Doke down last year and was an NPOY candidate, but still only a notch or two more athletic than Perry or Dedric. KJ Adams has similar athleticism to Perry and Dedric which means he's going to have plenty of nights throughout his career where's he's going to struggle to get into any kind of rhythm. It also means he's more than likely going to be a big liability on defense similar to how Perry was.

Andrew Wiggins didn't have and issue with his physical abilities, his issues have always been between his ears. He's never been an aggressive player and that's always been the root of his issues, not translating his skills to games.

Man your just all over this athleticism thing aren’t you. Have you seen this kid in person several times? From the videos I watch the kid doesn’t look that unathletic. The kid is suppose to be a good rebounder and has a lot of great traits. Sure he’s not Zion vertical out there, if he was, he would be a top 20 pick lol. Strength and lateral quickness are also a big part of athleticism. Just bc you can jump doesn’t mean your necessarily a good defender or athletic. There have been plenty of super athletic players at ku that have been flops or mediocre bc they had poor coordination/skills etc. hell if the kid is even half of what Lawson or Ellis were he’s a good pickup. Sorry the staff missed out on Kendall brown but get over it

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

Man your just all over this athleticism thing aren’t you. Have you seen this kid in person several times? From the videos I watch the kid doesn’t look that unathletic. The kid is suppose to be a good rebounder and has a lot of great traits. Sure he’s not Zion vertical out there, if he was, he would be a top 20 pick lol. Strength and lateral quickness are also a big part of athleticism. Just bc you can jump doesn’t mean your necessarily a good defender or athletic. There have been plenty of super athletic players at ku that have been flops or mediocre bc they had poor coordination/skills etc. hell if the kid is even half of what Lawson or Ellis were he’s a good pickup. Sorry the staff missed out on Kendall brown but get over it

Have you seen this kid in person several times? From the videos I watch the kid doesn’t look that unathletic.

Have I seen Adams in person? No. I just coach basketball and know what to look for in evaluating a player. I also know the level of competition in the Austin area where he played is shit so his numbers were put up against bad competition. Westlake played one good program last year, which just so happened to be Sunrise, and got ran out of the gym by Sunrinse.

Strength and lateral quickness are also a big part of athleticism. Just bc you can jump doesn’t mean your necessarily a good defender or athletic. There have been plenty of super athletic players at ku that have been flops or mediocre bc they had poor coordination/skills etc.

Adams is strong for his age, but he doesn't have good lateral quickness. He's not someone who's ever going to be a good defender and doesn't appear to have the length to be able to play at the 5 either. There's a reason why KJ has plummeted down the recruiting rankings in the last year or so and the ceiling on his game due to his limited athleticism is a big reason why.

I agree with your second part since it doesn't appear you are aware of my thoughts on Agbaji. I'm not going to sing the praises of anyone who's athletic just because they're athletic when there's not much skill to go with it, like Ochai Agbaji. Agbaji's only positive attribute on the floor right now is that he's an above average defender on ball defender, but even that comes with the caveat that when he's off the ball, he's prone to mental lapses and losing his man when his man is moving without the ball.

if the kid is even half of what Lawson or Ellis were he’s a good pickup. Sorry the staff missed out on Kendall brown but get over it

Adams and Brown don't play the same position so my thoughts on each player have nothing to do with the other, so my thoughts on KJ Adams would be the same regardless of whether or not KU had landed Brown. Kendall Brown is a very good player, but like Adams, doesn't play a position of need for KU. As a 3, Brown would mostly be fighting with Christian Braun and Agbaji for minutes whereas Baylor doesn't have much competition at the wing spot when Brown will arrive as the spot is currently manned by probably the second best defender in nation behind Garrett in Mark Vital.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I always appreciate your response and more than often agree. I know I'd rather have every player playing at fast twitch level compared to a slow twitch level. But I've seen many players succeed without being super blessed with high twitch capabilities. I think aggressiveness is still a huge factor and I remember so many times when Perry and Dedric let up sometimes after being rejected. Even the fast twitch players get rejected sometimes (but less). Body build and strength is also a monster factor. Right away I think about Charles Barkley... someone not blessed with too much fast twitch but dominated the boards in the NBA.

Fast twitch is a great benefit... but not a factor by itself that will decide if a player can be effective or not. I do agree with you and others, that it is a factor that comes more into play in D1 versus high school.

@drgnslayr Charles Barkley was not slow twitch until he became a fat ass later in his career at the end of his Phoenix run and while with the Rockets. There's a reason Barkley was one of the most common comparisons for Zion and that was because of his abnormal athleticism for a player of his build.

Adams has some skills that will give him a chance to have a decent career like his shooting and passing, but there's a reason his recruiting ranking dropped off a cliff though. Unless Adams grows another inch or two though, his strength may ultimately be rendered mostly ineffective because he'll be too short to stick in the paint because he'd get swallowed up by length. As a 4 on perimeter with his skill set, he'd get beat like a red headed step child on defense. I'm guessing his wingspan is about 6-9 or 6-10 based on his highlight videos which isn't something he can do anything about unless he grows taller.

Basically, I just don't see enough in Adams to believe he'll ever be more than an off the bench rotation guy for KU looking at his skill set, ceiling, and KU's roster composition. Right now, the only KU front court player I see KJ Adams having a higher ceiling than is Jalen Wilson who I honestly don't think will stay at KU after this upcoming season. He just doesn't jump off the screen to me in his highlight videos and that's with Adams playing against worse competition than Grimes did who I consistently called overrated and cited the quality of HS competition as well. I'm not calling Adams overrated because I think he's rated in the range he should in at this point and I think Adams is better suited for the mid major level instead of KU.

Best case with KJ Adams is he grows another inch or two his senior year and then KU could stick him in the low post so he's not out having to guard on the perimeter like he would if he stays a 4.

I guess agree to disagree. Obviously you never know for sure how a kid will produce when they get to college but I’ve seen enough to give the guy a chance. I also find your evaluation of Texas basketball a little comical. Texas produces a ton of football and basketball talent every year. It seems like your a little over the top about Texas kids like Wilson. Hopefully the next kid self gets you will like more. Do you like clemence? He is less athletic but a little taller and a better shooter.

https://m. ↗

Here’s a video If anybody wants to watch, shows a matchup of west lake ( with Adams and his teammate a player who went SMU) vs Langston love and a team that had Will baker (he was just hurt). Adams has a few dunks and blocks. Plus looks like just terrible competition lol.....Those teams would wipe the floor with most kc area teams lol

@FarmerJayhawk Yeah, I was looking for his senior stats as well to post, but couldn't find them. Saw the 18 point something stats, but knew that those weren't even close to what he did this year.

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

I guess agree to disagree. Obviously you never know for sure how a kid will produce when they get to college but I’ve seen enough to give the guy a chance. I also find your evaluation of Texas basketball a little comical. Texas produces a ton of football and basketball talent every year. It seems like your a little over the top about Texas kids like Wilson. Hopefully the next kid self gets you will like more. Do you like clemence? He is less athletic but a little taller and a better shooter.

You might want to pay attention to my user name before you decide my ability to evaluate the overall basketball talent level of where I live is comical. There's a reason why most top players from Texas, like Zach Clemence, transfer to prep/private schools elsewhere. Did you know that Zach Clemence and KJ Adams played against each other last season as Sunrise (Clemence) played Westlake (Adams) and that Sunrise beat Westlake by almost 30 points, yet Westlake was still considered one of the top teams in Texas last year. Did you know that only 8 out of the top 150 on 24/7's 2021 player rankings play in Texas and most of those players are from the D/FW area which if you've paid any attention is where I've said the best basketball talent in Texas is.

As far as football recruiting in Texas, yes Texas is a top 4 recruiting area in the nation for football, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the quality basketball talent in the state. Do you know why Texas produces as many basketball players as it does? It's because Texas has the 2nd biggest population in the US, but quantity does not equal quality. If you happened to browse the 24/7 player rankings for the 2021 class, you'll notice that only 8 out of the top 150 on 24/7's 2021 player rankings play in Texas and most of those players are from the D/FW area which if you've paid any attention previously is where I've said the one hotbed of basketball talent in Texas is located.

Lastly, I'm gonna disagree on Zach Clemence being less athletic than KJ Adams. Zach Clemence has also done a much better job of building his game around his strengths and is one of, if not the best back to basket players in the 2021 class.

@Texas-Hawk-10 do you know much about Ed'Xavior Rhodes? KU offered and he is from Dallas Skyline same as Marcus Garrett so I would think of Self really wants him then he can get that done.

@BShark I saw your post and gotta be honest, I've never heard of the guy. Saw where they were basically saying he is a crystal ball KU commit. If that happens (and I trust in Self and Co.) I don't see Wilson sticking around.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I have never called out your basketball acumen, appreciate what you contribute to the forum. I just disagree with you from time to time. For example, I remember being on Ellis' bandwagon when he was a freshman in high school. What was your assessment of him? Did you think he was a good pickup?

Lol alright well if the kid picks ku today then I hope your wrong. Also sunrise is an academy they are different then a standard high school and play teams all throughout the country. Of course those type of programs will have more talent. Westlake is like a Lawrence or Olathe school In their region. Also your making too big of deal about high school competition. Kids play AAU and that’s were their rankings mostly come from. Braun did fine his freshman year at ku and Kansas 6a teams are consistently much worse then the area that Adams plays in. Also of course I know your from the Texas area. I’m saying your weirdly biased against Texas players. Oh and it’s odd that your such an expert about teams from his area but haven’t seen him play, hmmm!

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 do you know much about Ed'Xavior Rhodes? KU offered and he is from Dallas Skyline same as Marcus Garrett so I would think of Self really wants him then he can get that done.

Haven't heard anything about him and there's not any video out there of him, just general team highlights that don't show enough to get a good read on him. With the number of 4's KU is after in 2021, there's something we're not aware of yet going on whether it's sanctions or Jalen Wilson transferring or possibly even Enaruna turning pro and going back to Europe after this season. Looking at Rhodes' offer list, there might be something there.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 do you know much about Ed'Xavior Rhodes? KU offered and he is from Dallas Skyline same as Marcus Garrett so I would think of Self really wants him then he can get that done.

From poking around a bit I can say they like his athleticism and defensive ability. Projects as a rim protector with plus length. Heard a 7’ wingspan but hard to say since they’ve never seen him in person.

@FarmerJayhawk said in K.J. Adams:

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

@Texas-Hawk-10 do you know much about Ed'Xavior Rhodes? KU offered and he is from Dallas Skyline same as Marcus Garrett so I would think of Self really wants him then he can get that done.

From poking around a bit I can say they like his athleticism and defensive ability. Projects as a rim protector with plus length. Heard a 7’ wingspan but hard to say since they’ve never seen him in person.

He could probably play at the 5 in that case.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I also think TGF is mainly going to play the four and his plan is to be OAD.

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

Lol alright well if the kid picks ku today then I hope your wrong. Also sunrise is an academy they are different then a standard high school and play teams all throughout the country. Of course those type of programs will have more talent. Westlake is like a Lawrence or Olathe school In their region. Also your making too big of deal about high school competition. Kids play AAU and that’s were their rankings mostly come from. Braun did fine his freshman year at ku and Kansas 6a teams are consistently much worse then the area that Adams plays in. Also of course I know your from the Texas area. I’m saying your weirdly biased against Texas players. Oh and it’s odd that your such an expert about teams from his area but haven’t seen him play, hmmm!

I'm not sure what your hang up on comparing Texas to Kansas HS basketball is considering I've never made any comparisons between the Kansas/KC basketball scene being superior to Texas. The sheer number of high schools in Texas means there's naturally going to be more good players here than Kansas. I'm pretty here in Houston alone there's more 6A schools than entire state considering the city of Houston has more than twice the population of the entire state of Kansas.

AAU is also a flawed way to evaluate players because it's more of a showcase without much coaching and development actually happening. HS is where that stuff happens because those coaches spend a lot more time with the players.

In regards to Braun, there's also a reason he moved from Burlington to KC and that was to play better competition compared to where he was at.

I'm also not sure why you think it's weird I familiar with the quality of competition Adams plays against despite having not seen him in person. I live in Houston which is about 3 hours away from Austin so it's not exactly like I can go drive over and watch him whenever.

If you were here a couple of years ago, you would know that I did go see Quentin Grimes play a few times and called him being massively overrated based on his final recruiting rankings from the start. Before that, I have probably been Marcus Garrett's biggest supporter here ever since he committed to KU even when most here were ripping him to shreds his first two years.

My opinions of players are not based on where there are from, but what their abilities and skills are from the their videos. Because I'm from Texas, I can usually give more detailed insight into the quality of competition here when KU is recruiting a player from Texaa. And if that player happens to play in the Houston area, like Grimes and Ben McLemore his senior year, I will go watch them play when I can. I don't remember if I was posting here yet or not or if I was still posting at KUSports when McLemore was being recruited, but during that year he was sitting out, I kept saying he was only going to play one year at KU.

My evaluations of players and what they'll become tends to right more times than not.

Ku getting him

https://247sports.com/college/kansas/board/103719/Contents/kansas-adds-top-100-forward-kj-adams-to-class-149730466/ ↗

Should be a free article. Stuff in there about why he picked KU, how Self thinks he fits etc

Always happy to get good news. Welcome aboard.

All things considered (the NCAA cloud and all), if Coach can sign Bates and a solid PG and maybe a big, I'm good. That would easily be a top 6 or 7 class.

Great news! Now they need to land Hickman!

@Marco Nolan Hickman is the PG the staff is after and Zach Clemence probably ends up being the low post player in this class. And as mentioned above, KU offered another 4 today.

Tamar Bates would be a nice developmental player to add, but not near the priority of Hickman and honestly, if KU adds Hickman, he'll probably spend most of his time at the 2 next to Harris to give Self his preferred dual PG line up and making Bates a luxury signing.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I'm more interested in Adam's handles and jump shot than if he's fast-twitch or not. I have more confidence in Self adapting his strategy around finding the right 5 to put on the floor. We saw that this last year. Going big didn't work. If he can use his size and still motor well, he'll be an asset in a smaller lineup.

He's a Jayhawk now and I welcome him to Lawrence!

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

@Marco Nolan Hickman is the PG the staff is after and Zach Clemence probably ends up being the low post player in this class. And as mentioned above, KU offered another 4 today.

Tamar Bates would be a nice developmental player to add, but not near the priority of Hickman and honestly, if KU adds Hickman, he'll probably spend most of his time at the 2 next to Harris to give Self his preferred dual PG line up and making Bates a luxury signing.

To clarify KU "offered" Rhodes in January. Rivals lists it but 24/7 does not however. It is my understanding that KU's interest got a little higher recently. It's also possible he is taller than his listed height by now, as that likely has not been updated. If KU got him that would be three developmental guys* on the roster that would be able to play the 5. If Dave goes, someone like Curry or pulling off a miracle with Kepnang becomes a high priority.

*Rhodes, Muscadin and Clemence with Zach being the guy most likely to contribute next year imo.

I would go as far to say KU/Self needs Hickman. KU probably won't make the next cut for JD Davison, Auburn is all over Frankie Collins and Hunter Sallis can be plugged into next year's UNC depth chart if they want him. So Hickman is far and away the best option for a PG. It would also be nice for Townsend to actually land someone.

Of course, Bates is a player I would absolutely love to see in Lawrence but he doesn't play the same position. He could possibly develop into a PG but right now he is more of a 2/wing.

@BShark Zach Clemence isn't a developmental player. He's someone that can play right away as Dave's back up and step into the starting spot after Dave graduates.

I'm not calling Bates a PG or saying that Hickman is a 2. I'm saying because of roster composition it's likely Hickman would be playing off ball like Graham did when he played next to Mason with Dajuan Harris as the lead guard in the Mason role. I also think it's likely Hickman would come off the bench his first year or two until Thompson goes pro.

I think Zach will need time to not get pushed around inside as the 5, but I could/would love to be wrong about that. Love his game overall and I do think he plays immediately next year.

Right I wasn't really commenting on what you were saying for that part. Just what I think their positions are which makes Hickman more of a need because we need more guys with elite ball handling as we know Self prefers two guys that can really handle it playing at the same time when he can. Harris is probably the only guy on the roster next year that fits due to Garrett graduating. Bryce potentially could, I know he's been coming along as a pg.

Hope we land Hickman. With Garrett then being gone, it is certainly a priority. We would still have Jossell, but is he even a true PG or a very small two?

@Marco Jossell is a PG, but he's probably not a viable option at PG in the near future at KU and there's a strong probability he ends up transferring.

My biggest concern with both him and Harris are their size. Harris is listed at 6-1, 160 lbs. and Jossell at 5-11, 155 lbs. which is tiny. With the Big 12 being one of the more physical leagues, I do have doubts about durability with both players, but Harris especially since he's projecting to play some minutes and take over for Garrett next year.

Just from a durability standpoint, Hickman is probably the staff's current top priority in recruiting because KU desperately needs another player that can be a lead guard because while Thompson and Braun are good ball handlers, they're not lead guards though.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

I think Zach will need time to not get pushed around inside as the 5, but I could/would love to be wrong about that. Love his game overall and I do think he plays immediately next year.

Right I wasn't really commenting on what you were saying for that part. Just what I think their positions are which makes Hickman more of a need because we need more guys with elite ball handling as we know Self prefers two guys that can really handle it playing at the same time when he can. Harris is probably the only guy on the roster next year that fits due to Garrett graduating. Bryce potentially could, I know he's been coming along as a pg.

Clemence should be fine by his second year to handle playing in the low post. As a HS junior he's listed at 210 and probably comes to KU in the 220-225 range and then it'll be up to the new S&C coach to determine Clemence's ideal playing weight which I'm guessing will be in the 240 range which Clemence should be able to get close to by his sophomore year.

Exactly. I am hoping Harris bulks up a little bit. Jossell is a D2 player imo. His jump shot actually looks really nice but it will be hard to him to not get abused on defense.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

Exactly. I am hoping Harris bulks up a little bit. Jossell is a D2 player imo. His jump shot actually looks really nice but it will be hard to him to not get abused on defense.

am sure harris is bulks up

I see Harris as a Russell Robinson upside. He has good defensive potential, can drive a little, not much of an outside shot but could be average with it by his senior year. I don’t see him having NBA potential. They need to have that nba level guard. Hickman has that upside. Jossell is such an unknown. Either we will be surprised with his game or he’s merv Lindsey level and your left shaking your head what the coaching staff saw. I never see braun being a true pg, just in emergencies. Garret should do well next year but the worry is offensively he has only been consistently effective when playing the 4

@jayhawks2010 and he's so injury prone

I feel pretty good about Harris (though he does need to bulk up), but agree that if we sign Hickman Jossell will more than likely, and probably should, transfer. I just wonder if Coach maybe signed him due to keeping an eye on and wanting to sign someone that Jossell might know?

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

I see Harris as a Russell Robinson upside. He has good defensive potential, can drive a little, not much of an outside shot but could be average with it by his senior year. I don’t see him having NBA potential. They need to have that nba level guard. Hickman has that upside. Jossell is such an unknown. Either we will be surprised with his game or he’s merv Lindsey level and your left shaking your head what the coaching staff saw. I never see braun being a true pg, just in emergencies. Garret should do well next year but the worry is offensively he has only been consistently effective when playing the 4

Russ came in around 200 pounds. Pretty big difference though their game can be similar in the ways you mentioned. Harris might be a better passer, need to see.

I will bet Jossell never sees the floor.

I am not even slightly worried about Garrett. He frequently handled the ball last year to give Dotson a breather and did fine in the game Dotson had to sit out.

I guess I don’t mean that Garrett can’t run the team or create some looks for others but he was such a mismatch at the 4 spot and most of his offense translated from mismatches in drives. It will be interesting to see if he can score at a similar rate driving against quicker guards

He played PG frequently last season from what I remember. I'll rewatch some games and see who guarded him primarily.

I think more important is Agbaji taking a step forward or finding less minutes. There will be less of a strain on Garrett if other players around him are capable of driving it.

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

Exactly. I am hoping Harris bulks up a little bit. Jossell is a D2 player imo. His jump shot actually looks really nice but it will be hard to him to not get abused on defense.

Jossell is a lot better than a D2 player. KU was the only offer he officially had that I'm aware of, but he had interest from several other P5 schools and some good mid majors. NC State, Texas A&M, and Missouri were other P5's interested according to 247 and Louisiana Tech, New Mexico, and South Dakota St. we're the mid majors interested.

He's a classic example Self seeing him something shiny in a river bend and hoping that Jossell pans out as gold instead of pyrite. Credit to Jossell for stepping up and challenging himself as well, but it's probably a case of produce and shine in practice without getting overwhelmed since he's probably going to redshirt along with Gethro this year or transfer to a mid-major where he can shine.

The biggest concerns I see with Jossell other than his size is he's not super quick and his shot is pretty slow and low. A couple of videos I've watched on Jossell and he struggles at times beating defenders off the dribble which he has to be able to do at KU to be successful. His shot also needs retooling otherwise he's going to get blocked a lot on close outs. He starts at his chest his release is slow.

He's got good handles and good vision and is a willing passer as there's a lot more of his assists in his highlight videos than most players put in there so Self is probably thinking Jossell's going to be a pass first, low scoring style PG.

I can see why Self would take a shot with Jossell, I just don't know if he'll develop enough to effective at KU.

@jayhawks2010 said in K.J. Adams:

I guess I don’t mean that Garrett can’t run the team or create some looks for others but he was such a mismatch at the 4 spot and most of his offense translated from mismatches in drives. It will be interesting to see if he can score at a similar rate driving against quicker guards

Garrett rarely played as the 4 last year on offense. He primarily functioned as the 2 in Self's offense. He was also usually guarded by opposing 3's. Ochai is the one who spent most of his time at the 4 in the 4 guard line up.

@Texas-Hawk-10 This clashes with what another poster here that knows the DBU coach said. Found the post actually: /topic/8959 I do hope it works out of course and he should have a year or two to develop before needing to play at all.

He still has that low release after looking at him taking some practice shots on Instagram. Of course that will take time to attempt to fix.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in K.J. Adams:

He primarily functioned as the 2 in Self's offense.

This is what I was thinking, but still gonna watch some games to kill time tonight.

@BShark That post was also 9 months ago before Jossell's senior season. Being a back up on an AAU team isn't necessarily indicative of where a player ability level is. Christian Braun was also a back up his AAU team. That's not meant to compare Jossell to Braun, just some of the evidence used to say Jossell is only a D2 talent isn't concrete. Also, his interest list wouldn't have more P5 than mid-majors either. Jossell is someone whose talent level appears to fit in well at the mid-major level.

Garret played the 4 lol. He caught the ball in the high post in many of the sets and was guarded by the other teams power forward

I think in certain instances Coach if going small ball will play Garrett and Harris at the same time, allowing Harris to be the primary ballhandler. At any rate, after the season that he just had I am never going to doubt Garrett again.

I have followed him as he has gone through high school and believe it's a great get for our program. He was on live ABC local station to announce. Of course they were hoping for UT, but even in the paper today, there was a big article at the top of the front page of the sports section, with the headline: WESTLAKE STAR ADAMS MAKES HIS CHOICE: 'KANSAS, BABY'
The announcement with over 50 friends and family gave out party favors of bottles of Jayhawk-decorated hand sanitizers.

Here's the text of the article in case anyone wants to read his glowing praise of HCBS!!

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

ROCK CHALK

**By Danny Davis

Posted Aug 1, 2020 at 3:58 PM
When it comes to college basketball, Westlake fans have a couple of schools in the Big 12 to root for.

Three former Chaparrals — Brock Cunningham, Will Baker and Shay Holle — are now playing at Texas. Matthew Mayer is playing at Baylor.

But when asked this weekend about which Big 12 team the Chaparrals should pledge their allegiance to, rising senior KJ Adams presented a new option.

“Kansas, baby. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk,” Adams said with a smile.

Inside a basketball gym in South Austin, Adams announced his commitment to Kansas on Friday on live TV. He revealed his plans in front of 50 mask-wearing friends and family members. Bottles of Jayhawks-decorated hand sanitizer were given out as party favors.

Adams said he made up his mind more than a week ago and that Kansas coach Bill Self was the deciding factor. Adams said he had talked with around a dozen players who did and did not attend Kansas, and that he consistently received positive feedback about KU’s coach.

“With all this quarantine stuff, I didn’t have a chance to go out there,” Adams said. “I’m just blessed to know that no one has ever talked bad about him or said anything about him. That’s rare to see as a coach. You always get one player that says something bad about a coach.”

Adams, a four-star power forward, is the state’s sixth-best prospect for the 2021 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports’ composite ratings. The 6-foot-7 big man was a unanimous selection to the Statesman’s All-Central Texas team this past winter. As a junior, he averaged 22.6 points and 6.7 rebounds.

What should Kansas fans expect out of him? Westlake coach Robert Lucero had a list of intangibles.

Athleticism? Check.

Defensive versatility? Check.

High basketball IQ? Check.

“Everybody wants to win, but to truly sacrifice for wins and then be happy at the end of the night regardless of how many points you put up, that’s kind of rare,” Lucero said. “I think that attitude will fit in well when he gets to college.”

With his commitment, Adams added another accomplishment to his family’s archive of athletic achievements. His father, Kevin, played football at New Mexico. His sister, Brittany, was an all-conference volleyball player at SMU. And Adams’ mother, the former Yvonne Hill, twice led Texas A&M women’s basketball team in scoring.

Like his mother and sister, Adams could have chosen an in-state school. Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor were among his suitors. Adams, though, has decided to forge his path outside of the state.

“It wasn’t really about location for me,” he said. “It was just about what I can do to be a better basketball player. Location is one thing and basketball is another thing.

“It doesn’t matter about my (comfort level) with the state or who’s there. I think whatever was the best place for basketball for me, wherever it is, I was going to go there.”**

@RockChalkinTexas nice reporting! How's the garden?

@Crimsonorblue22

Hey there!!! Burning up. Got no rain from Hurricane Hanna. It's been over 100 for better than 30 days so far and this whole week it's going to be over 100 with no rain in sight. We got a good crop of beans and cucumbers but they are not worth watering anymore. Mostly concentrating on keeping all my trees, palm trees and flower gardens from drying up. Have put off going anywhere and have only gone to grocery store 3 times since March 12th. It's bad in the Austin area and so grateful I live where I can control who we come into contact with. We ran out of milk this weekend (for white russians!!! for me) and may need to go to the market in the closest city to me, about 12 miles away. It's not a very crowded store but you sure do pay more than twice the price say at Walmart, but not having to deal with that outweighs the cost, IMO.

You know,,, off topic, but after that last post I have to say this - we'll be okay everyone. I wish all of my KU Bucketeers nothing but the best, and we will beat this fucker! This country and world has faced alot worse.

.....I like the Adams and Clemence pickups, now we need to nab Hickman and Bates

I'm happy with the Adams pickup, but have one other item of concern.

For an interior player with D1 size and athleticism, he averaged less than 7 rebounds per game. HS basketball affords plenty of rebound opportunities. I would hope he averages better than 9 rebounds a game this season at a minimum (10 to 12 would be ideal). Less means he's either not working hard enough on the glass, or he is not a good rebounder. Each has its own issues.

If he isn't working hard enough, that will only get worse in college because there are guys whose scholarships literally depend on grabbing every available rebound. If you aren't as hungry as them, you won't eat.

If he isn't a good rebounder, again, that will get worse in college because that means he has either poor positioning or poor timing, both of which will hurt him when he can't simply use his size and athleticism to grab a handful of boards each night.

I will be watching him closely this year to see where things go. He has talent, but, as his ranking suggests, there are some holes in his game as well.

@justanotherfan Everything I've read indicates that he is a strong rebounder and gives good effort. Said to be extremely coachable and sacrifice personal accomplishments for wins. That said, the number is low as you mentioned so I would lean towards something besides effort. We will have to see how that progresses his SR year and then as he potentially gets PT at KU.

@justanotherfan

Hard to say, but he hustles on the court and has size.

We don't know how he was utilized in high school. Doubtful he was planted under the basket all the time. I see often he was on the perimeter to shoot or drive.

@BShark 7 boards a game doesn't seem too bad for a 6'6 guy, but he was probably one of the taller guys on the court.

I've never seen a KU freshman show up to Kansas knowing how to rebound. Wait... I said NEVER... okay... thinking, thinking... I'll keep to my original statement.

@justanotherfan 9 is a lot under Self, especially a freshman. That's not just being great that's being in and rebounding for enough minutes to produce volume all season long.

Before these last two years, where Doke averaged 10+ and Dedric did the year before, we didn't have a 10+ rebounder since Tom Rob's senior year. I don't think we had any 9+s either during that time

@drgnslayr JoJo was pretty great at 8.1 for a freshman.

I think in the 7s would be really great production for us for his size. I think it will be less but that doesn't mean he can't still be a great rebound in less minutes.

Wait did you mean per 40? Then disregard.

Happy to have KJ aboard. Tools to work with and were able to close on him so quickly after the shocking loss of Brown. Not going to complain about any Top 100 kid coming here with the unknown future. I'm happy he decided KU was home for him and hopefully when he gets to campus he'll develop into a nice 4 year guy for the program.

@BeddieKU23 Yeah he mentioned deciding over a week ago. Sounds like a deal got worked out within a day or two of Brown picking Baylor which is pretty remarkable. Just add Hickman plus a 5 and call it a class.

@BeddieKU23 And as @BShark said, add a couple more players and call it day. What I like about this class so far is how it's coming together early, might have the entire class signed by November.

@approxinfinity said in K.J. Adams:

@justanotherfan 9 is a lot under Self, especially a freshman. That's not just being great that's being in and rebounding for enough minutes to produce volume all season long.

When I say 9, I'm talking about in HS this year (assuming he gets a full season). A guy with D1 size and athleticism should be able to get 5 boards just getting off the bus.

Many top D1 PG prospects average 5 rebounds per game purely because of their athleticism (John Wall, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Lonzo Ball, etc.). That's why for a wing guy to have just 7 a game sticks out to me.

@drgnslayr said in K.J. Adams:

I've never seen a KU freshman show up to Kansas knowing how to rebound. Wait... I said NEVER... okay... thinking, thinking... I'll keep to my original statement.

Thomas Robinson. Averaged almost 3 rebounds a game in just 7 minutes as a freshman. Averaged over 6 rebounds a game as a sophomore in just 14 minutes. TRob understood how to get position and pursue the basketball.

@BShark

At least 1 high level guard for sure and Hickman has been my #1 choice since we offered.

@BeddieKU23 said in K.J. Adams:

@BShark

At least 1 high level guard for sure and Hickman has been my #1 choice since we offered.

He's a top 25 type guy, imo. I don't care where he ends up in the rankings.

@justanotherfan gotcha gotcha. Thanks.

Hickman will announce for the Jayhawks within the next couple of weeks imo, and also maybe a big. Bates will hold off for a time, waiting to see what he is offered. Yes, call me Marcradamus. I hope 😂

@BShark said in K.J. Adams:

@BeddieKU23 said in K.J. Adams:

@BShark

At least 1 high level guard for sure and Hickman has been my #1 choice since we offered.

He's a top 25 type guy, imo. I don't care where he ends up in the rankings.

Agree he might not be elite at any one thing but I watched a lot of his film and he's exactly what we covet at the position. He would play early here. Imagine a combination of Harris, Hickman, Thompson & Braun in the backcourt in 21-22. Solid if you ask me

@BeddieKU23 I would say that that would be a very solid rotation. I am liking the make-up of our team for not only this season (and I hope we have one, the nation needs a distraction) but also next year.

The NCAA crap will by then be resolved, and all things considered Coach and co. have done a great job in bringing in players. I am just saying, I am not so sure that Brown would have been a better fit than Adams. I think that Tyon will be around for a couple years, would Brown have been able to beat a senior Tyon and then after that Braun out? And let us not forget Enaruna and Wilson (though like some, I think that Wilson might transfer after this season and I wouldn't blame him).

@Marco

Should be a solid core. You could theoretically have Sr's: Agbaji, McCormack & Grant-Foster, Jr's: Braun & Enaruna, 3rd year players Wilson & Harris & a second year of Thompson. That might be enough to make up for the lack of top end elite talent at any one position.

@BeddieKU23 said in K.J. Adams:

@Marco

Should be a solid core. You could theoretically have Sr's: Agbaji, McCormack & Grant-Foster, Jr's: Braun & Enaruna, 3rd year players Wilson & Harris & a second year of Thompson. That might be enough to make up for the lack of top end elite talent at any one position.

If Grant Foster stays healthy, look out for him as a senior. The level of improvement from HS to now is mind blowing. That type of trajectory is very rare.

Does Grant Foster wear sunglasses backwards?

@mayjay banned

Sigh...finally...

@justanotherfan said in K.J. Adams:

@drgnslayr said in K.J. Adams:

I’ve never seen a KU freshman show up to Kansas knowing how to rebound. Wait… I said NEVER… okay… thinking, thinking… I’ll keep to my original statement.

Thomas Robinson. Averaged almost 3 rebounds a game in just 7 minutes as a freshman. Averaged over 6 rebounds a game as a sophomore in just 14 minutes. TRob understood how to get position and pursue the basketball.

I'm going to accept being wrong here. TROB was solid on the boards in his freshman year.. mostly because of his hustle. But he did show how position counted. He went on to become even better!

Solid weekend. “Kansas pledge K.J. Adams was a monster on the drive. No defender dared to stop the superhero-built hybrid forward on his attack. His physicality, ability to move laterally, and play in the high post are all translatable strengths at his disposal.”

@FarmerJayhawk I thought you said Lawson for a sec.

@FarmerJayhawk

KJ isn't afraid to mix it up! Can't wait!

Bump. Heard from someone who watched workouts this week “KJ is a f** freak show!”

Yeah he's gonna be a Bill favorite.

This team will be about chemistry. If they work hard and build it, they should go far next March.

@BShark yeah, seems like almost every year someone unexpected really meshes with the team and becomes an important piece. Would love to see KJ be that guy. Looking forward to seeing more play above the rim

I think he has a chance to eat into Jalen's minutes. Jalen obviously isn't a great defender, and if he slumps on offense again I could see KJ getting some run at the 4, especially when Martin is on the floor to open up driving lanes. The big strength of Adams's game right now is bullying smaller players on drives and using his strength to finish.

@Oldmanhawk said in K.J. Adams:

@BShark yeah, seems like almost every year someone unexpected really meshes with the team and becomes an important piece. Would love to see KJ be that guy. Looking forward to seeing more play above the rim

Yeah I am not sure how much he plays this year but he really has the look of a guy that ends up playing more than the fan base expects. Jamari being a classic example.

@FarmerJayhawk said in K.J. Adams:

Bump. Heard from someone who watched workouts this week “KJ is a f** freak show!”

i THINK i LIKE THAT - - i LIKE THAT A LOT

@jayballer67 I've expected him to play from the get go, never believed that either he or Clemence would redshirt. Not one player, unless Pettiford isn't ready to go is going to take a redshirt. Wilson is coming back, but Ochai is gone.

@Marco said in K.J. Adams:

@jayballer67 I've expected him to play from the get go, never believed that either he or Clemence would redshirt. Not one player, unless Pettiford isn't ready to go is going to take a redshirt. Wilson is coming back, but Ochai is gone.

i AGREE ABOUT HIM BEING GONE.

@drgnslayr Nice , only thing is -he gonna meet ALOT stronger resistance when he tries driving to the hole then what we see on here. He gonna be allright