K.J. Adams, the rising senior forward from Westlake High School in Austin, TX, experienced a largely successful junior campaign as he was named as an honorable mention on the MaxPreps Basketball Junior All-American list. Just over one month ago, Adams announced his top ten schools that he would like to play college basketball for. The Longhorns were one of the five Big 12 basketball programs that K.J. announced that he is interested in: including Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Shaka Smart and the Longhorns were the first basketball program to offer K.J. a scholarship when they did so in July of 2018. Adams could potentially join two former Westlake basketball stars, Will Baker and Brock Cunningham, if he were to sign with the Longhorns.
Adams, listed as a power forward, is a four-star prospect and is the 62nd ranked player nationally for the entire 2021 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Junior Season Statistics (Via: MaxPreps)
Per Game: 23.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Player Breakdown:
Playing the forward position, Adams stands at 6’7″ and weighs 200 pounds. Although K.J. is listed as a power forward, his size translates better as a small forward. Of course, Adams could excel in today’s game of basketball playing the four in a small-ball lineup, however I believe that he projects better as a swingman. He possesses great court vision and passing ability, while showcasing a promising jump shot. In addition, Adams also has a decent repertoire of post moves that he uses against smaller defenders. K.J. shows promise on the defensive side of the ball as well, particularly with his instinctive help defense.
What I See:
K.J. is an exciting player to watch and has the right mold to be a terrific college basketball player. However, Adams will have to work to add weight to his frame in order to succeed at the college level. With that said, K.J. would be a tremendous addition to the Longhorns and would add to Smart’s success of recruiting Austin area talent.
