LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self knows he had options this year, when it came to naming his team’s Danny Manning Mr. Jayhawk award honoree.

Self could have picked senior center Hunter Dickinson, an All-American this season for the Jayhawks. Self could have picked redshirt senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr., their stalwart point guard. But as Self reflected last week after his team’s end-of-season banquet, he noted that without question junior forward KJ Adams Jr. became the choice for the honor.

Adams, a regular starter and a Big 12 Conference standout, went through so much over the course of the season. Adams handled everything, including the death of his mother, with class. Adams played for something that was bigger than both himself and KU, and Self felt Adams deserved the recognition.

RELATED: ‘We don’t want that’: Kansas basketball's Bill Self on potential 20 Big 12-game schedule

RELATED: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self reacts to John Calipari leaving Kentucky for Arkansas

“This year, even though we’ve got a lot of great kids, there’s only one player that in my opinion that deserves to have this award and should always have it,” Self told the crowd at the banquet. “Because no player was — has gone through more. No player was able to compartmentalize a lot of things that was going on in his life to make sure he stayed focused for his teammates. There’s nobody out there that had an attitude every day that was positive when you know that he was broken up inside.”

Self continued: “And we take it for granted, because he’s so big and he’s so strong that we think that he should just be able to do anything. And I’m telling you what he did this last year wasn’t common. It was something that mere mortals don’t do.”

Adams later said it meant a lot to hear Self, a coach he values so much, say such nice things about him. It also meant a lot to Adams that so many people are happy for him. It’s a moment Adams is sure to value for long after his college career comes to an end.

Adams had a limited role off the bench his freshman year, when Kansas won its latest national championship, but he’s continued to develop as his time with the Jayhawks has unfolded. The 2022-23 season saw him emerge as the Big 12’s most improved player. That he remained one of the league’s best this past season, despite what he was going through personally, is remarkable and something that speaks to the young man he is.

Adams started 32 of the 34 games he played during the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Kansas doesn’t beat teams like Kentucky and UConn during the regular season without him, or advance to the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament after a win against Samford either.

“It means a lot,” Adams said about the Mr. Jayhawk award. “Definitely wasn’t expecting that at all. Definitely came as a shock. But I’m really grateful that I was really — I got this award and appreciated what I did this year.”

Adams will be returning to Kansas for his senior season. He already announced the decision on social media, and said after the banquet that it was always his dream to play for the Jayhawks for four years. He’s glad he’s going to be able to do so.

There was speculation on social media about what Adams’ plan might be next season, as Kansas puts together the roster it’ll use to chase more Big 12 and national success. A reporter at the banquet brought up if Adams had ever truly considered leaving KU, and mentioned the possibility of Adams entering the transfer portal. But Adams made it clear that was never the case, and highlighted how hungry he is for what the Jayhawks could accomplish next season.

“It was just definitely rumors, never was even thinking about leaving Kansas,” Adams said. “This is where my heart is at and I’ve been through everything here, so it wasn’t even a thought of ever leaving. I’m always going to be a Kansas Jayhawk.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball KJ Adams Jr. Mr. Jayhawk award Danny Manning 2024