The Kansas basketball team had largely avoided the injury bug through the first half of the regular season, but the Jayhawks received their first blow when senior forward KJ Adams separated his shoulder in the matchup at Iowa State. Head coach Bill Self called the injury "week-to-week" and did not have a timetable for his return.
In KU's first game of the year without Adams, the team took care of K-State 84-74 in the Sunflower Showdown. While he might not be out much longer, the Jayhawks will have to find a way to win without him for at least one more contest.
KJ Adams will miss at least one more game for Kansas
"He's going to be out. I don't want to say significant time, because with KJ, you never know, but he won't play on Wednesday. That's for sure."Bill Self
Granted, the Texas native is having his worst offensive showing since becoming a starter. However, defense is typically Kansas’ forte, and it could not buy itself a stop in the second half of the last game. As 247 Sports’ analyst Michael Swain pointed out, KU allowed 1.1 points per possession vs. K-State, the second-worst mark of the season.
With Adams absent from the lineup, Coach Self needed to make a change in the starting five. Flory Bidunga took the senior’s place, and while he recorded one block, his defensive impact wasn’t quite the same. Adams is a much more switchable defender, whereas Bidunga is dominant in the paint.
Despite criticism from KU fans, Adams does offer positive qualities on the defensive end. The Jayhawks’ other players must step up in his place against the Horned Frogs in a tough road environment.