KJ Adams wins 2024 ‘Mr. Jayhawk’ award
LAWRENCE (KSNT) – In a time when awards and honors seem to be growing all over, KU men’s basketball gives out just one at its annual banquet.
There is no ‘Freshman of the Year’, there is no ‘Most Improved’, nor an ‘MVP’ and certainly not ‘Honorable Mention’ honors. KU head coach Bill Self hands out one piece of hardware each year in April, and it’s the ‘Mr. Jayhawk’ award.
The award, notably associated with Danny Manning, is a prestigious annual honor within a basketball program as prestigious any.
Junior forward KJ Adams was given the award at Thursday’s annual post-season banquet.
Adams averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for KU in the 2023-24 season. After being named the Big 12’s Most Improved Player after the 2022-23 season, Bill Self said he would’ve been worthy of the same honor this year.
However, anyone who knows Adams’ story knows he took home the special award not only for his on-court contributions. Adams lost his mother to cancer in November, yet did not miss a single game. Self says his positive attitude throughout the unthinkable adversity was unbelievable.
“There is nobody out there that had an attitude every day that was positive when you know that he was broken up inside,” Self said. “What he did this last year wasn’t common, it was something that mere mortals don’t do.”
Adams and Self spoke with reporters after the banquet, where the hall-of-fame coach said it was an obvious pick.
“This year, to me, without question what he went through pushed him into an area that few people go to,” Self said. “How he handled it with such class is good. He played for something far bigger than KU and himself. We’re all proud of him but he deserves.”
“It means a lot,” Adams told 27 News. “Definitely wasn’t expecting that at all, it came as a shock. But I’m really grateful that I got this award and was appreciated [for] what I did this year.”
Adams confirmed on social media in early April that he will return to KU for his senior campaign. 27 News asked him about that choice after the banquet.
“Never was even thinking about leaving Kansas,” he said. “This is where my heart is at. I’ve been through everything here… I’m always going to be a Kansas Jayhawk.”
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