Bill Self compares KJ Adams to Draymond Green

Kansas forward KJ Adams had an outstanding game for the Jayhawks on Saturday in their dominant 95-67 win over Missouri. The sophomore had a career-high 19 points in their most recent matchup, and head coach Bill Self spoke about his performance and why he was so effective.

“We told him before the game this is a perfect game for you, because they didn’t have standing height and we don’t have standing height, so he has an advantage, he’s so athletic,” Self said.

Knox’s performance against the Tigers was just his third career game scoring in double figures, with the previous two coming in Kentucky’s last two prior games. He’s truly playing some of his best basketball, filling up the stat sheet on Saturday with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block to go along with his 19 points.

“You can throw it to him if he’s being guarded by a guy his size and that’s what happened a few times, he got his confidence going a little bit and he’s really good in that short roll setup,” Self explained. “And Juan (Dajuan Harris Jr.) did a good job of getting the hockey assist, the pass to KJ which led to the next pass for a good shot.”

Adams’ career day also couldn’t have come at a better time for him personally, as he was able to play and perform at a high level in front of his family.

“So yeah, KJ was really good today, and I was really happy to see it because his mother had been struggling heath wise a little bit. So having her here behind the bench with Dad, that was great,” Self said.

Adams, a sophomore, is still very early in his career, but his size and skillset reminds Self of a current NBA player and champion that’s no stranger to stuffing stat sheets as well, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.

“I think he’s a good passer, I think he’s good, he’s just not very tall. So you play with Tennessee and they’re putting 6’10, 6’10 out there and everything, it’s a little bit different,” Self said. “But he’s gonna figure out a way how to impact the game, he’s a lot like a young Draymond, there’s a lot of similarities in the game. I’m not saying he is that, but I see a lot of similarities of what Draymond was when he was young.”

Green actually faced Self twice in his college career, both in his freshman year at Michigan State where the Spartans got the best of the Jayhawks in both matchups, most notably in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament in 2009.

Adams has a long way to go before he reaches Green’s level of play, but hopefully, he can continue to be an impact player for the Jayhawks this season as they look to make another National Championship title run.