KU Jayhawks’ KJ Adams will miss playing time with shoulder injury. Evaluation is ongoing
Kansas Jayhawks forward KJ Adams will miss an undetermined amount of playing time because of a shoulder injury he suffered in Tuesday’s loss at Iowa State, KU men’s basketball coach Bill Self said Friday.
It is unclear how long Adams will be out of action, but he will definitely miss Saturday’s game against Kansas State.
“He will play moving forward, but he won’t tomorrow,” Self said. “He had a separated shoulder that at this time we feel is week-to-week.”
Self said Adams will be reevaluated next week. Adams was injured during the second half of KU’s midweek loss in Ames, Iowa. He had four points and six rebounds in 19 minutes against the host Cyclones.
Adams has had an up-and-down season so far. He’s averaging 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.7 minutes per game.
His absence will be significant for the Jayhawks. Since the 2022-23 season, he has been a mainstay in the starting lineup.
KU will likely turn to AJ Storr or Rylan Griffen to replace Adams in the starting lineup. According to Self, Storr, Griffen, Flory Bidunga and Rakease Passmore will all play more significant roles going forward.
Storr, a former Wisconsin transfer, and Griffen, a transfer from Alabama, have struggled at times this season.
Griffen has looked better in conference play. He scored seven points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field vs. Iowa State. He’s averaging 6.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game.
“We have to pick up for his energy,” Griffen said. “He (Adams) always has great energy. … He always makes his presence known with energy plays and stuff like that.”
The Jayhawks play host to K-State at noon on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 11:23 AM.
