LAWRENCE โ University of Kansas basketball coach Bill Self knows he had the option of naming Danny Manning the team's Jayhawk Award recipient this year.
Self could have drafted Jayhawks senior center All-American Hunter Dickinson this season. Self could have selected redshirt senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr., their stalwart point guard. But as Self reflected last week after the team's end-of-season banquet, junior forward KJ Adams Jr. was definitely chosen for the honor.
Adams, a regular starter and standout player in the Big 12 Conference, went through a lot throughout the season. Adams handled everything with grace, including his mother's death. Adams played for something bigger than himself and the university, and Self felt Adams deserved the recognition.
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“We have a lot of great kids this year, but in my opinion, there's only one player who deserves and should always win this award,” Self told the crowd at the banquet. “Because there was no player who had more experience. There was no player who was able to compartmentalize so much going on in his life to stay focused for his teammates. No one ever had a positive attitude every day when they knew they were broken inside.โ
Self continued: “And we take that for granted, because he's so big and so strong, we think he should be able to do anything. And we think he should be able to do anything. He says what he did last year was unusual. It was something that no mere mortal could do.”
Adams later said it meant a lot to hear Self, a coach he values โโso much, say great things about him. It also meant a lot to Adams that so many people were happy for him. This moment will no doubt be cherished long after Adams finishes his college career.
Adams had a limited role off the bench as a freshman as Kansas won its most recent national championship, but continued to develop as his time with the Jayhawks progressed. In the 2022-23 season, he emerged as the Big 12's most improved player. It's remarkable that despite what he was going through personally, he remained one of the best players in the league last season, and it speaks to the appeal of the young man he is.
Adams started 32 of the 34 games he played in the 2023-24 season. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Kansas can't beat teams like Kentucky and UW in the regular season without him, and it can't advance to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament after beating Sanford.
“This means a lot,” Adams said of the Jayhawk Award. “Obviously, I wasn't expecting that at all. It was a shock for sure. But I'm really grateful to have won this award and appreciate what I've done this year. .โ
Adams plans to return to Kansas State for his senior season. He had already announced the decision on social media, saying after the banquet that it was always his dream to play for the Jayhawks for four years. he's happy to be able to do that.
Speculation abounded on social media about what Adams' plans will be next season as Kansas puts together a roster it will use to pursue further Big 12 and national success. Reporters attending the banquet brought up whether Adams had ever really considered leaving the university and mentioned the possibility of Adams entering the transfer portal. But Adams made it clear that was never the case, and he emphasized how hungry he is for what the Jayhawks can accomplish next season.
“It was definitely just a rumor and I never thought about leaving Kansas State,” Adams said. “This is where my heart is and I've been through everything here, so I never thought about leaving. I'll always be a Kansas Jayhawk.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics for the Topeka Capital Journal. He has been named the National Sports Media Association's 2022 Kansas Sportswriter of the Year. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or @JordanGuskey on Twitter.
This article originally appeared in Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State Basketball KJ Adams Jr. Jayhawk Award Danny Manning 2024