KJ Adams Jr.
Kevin Wynn "KJ" Adams Jr. is an American college basketball player. He played for the Kansas Jayhawks.
Adams grew up in Austin, Texas, and attended St. Andrew's Episcopal School as a freshman. He later transferred to nearby Westlake High School, where he played basketball and lacrosse. During his junior season, Adams averaged 22.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. As a senior, he was named 6A All-State after averaging 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
Recruiting
A four-star recruit according to major recruiting services, Adams committed to play college basketball for Kansas over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Georgetown, Iona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, and UCF after signing his national letter of intent on November 11, 2020.
College career
Adams played in 37 of Kansas' 40 games during his freshman season and averaged 1.0 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game. During the 2022 national championship game against North Carolina, he played three total minutes in Kansas' 72–69 victory and was a defensive substitution for the final possession of the game. Adams entered his sophomore season as Kansas' starting center, and finished the season being named the Big 12 Most Improved Player after averaging 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. In his junior season, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. During the 2025 NCAA tournament in his senior season, Adams sustained a torn Achilles tendon in a 79–72 loss to Arkansas on March 20, 2025. He finished the season averaging 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Coaching career
Adams joined the Kansas coaching staff as an assistant video coordinator for the 2025–2026 season on June 2, 2025, after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon during the 2025 NCAA tournament.
Personal life
Adams is the son of Kevin and Yvonne. He has two sisters. His father played football at New Mexico, and his mother was a two-year basketball starter at Texas A&M University and led the team in scoring in 1989–90 and 1990–1991. His sister, Brittany, was an all-conference volleyball player at Southern Methodist University.