Kansas forward KJ Adams Jr. was playing with a heavy heart when the Jayhawks beat fourth-ranked UConn on Friday night.
Adams’ mother, Yvonne, died after a lengthy battle with cancer in November, and her funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
Against the Huskies in Lawrence on Friday night, Adams scored 18 points, including two free throws in the final seconds to cement the 69-65 victory, as the hometown crowd, aware of his personal loss, showered him with raucous ovations.
After the game, Kansas head coach Bill Self was emotional in highlighting Adams’ decision to play for the team amid his personal hardship.
“Imagine the stress he’s been under, and for him to play for you guys the way he did, knowing he’s going to get on a plane to go say goodbye tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. Wow. Stud. Stud,” Self told his team in the locker room.
“So you guys, put your arms around that kid.”
Self heaped praise on Adams for being a “freaking winner” and lauded him for making the clutch free throws despite not typically being great from the charity stripe.
Yvonne Adams (née Hill), who starred on Texas A&M’s women’s basketball team, died on Nov. 17.
Adams has played in each of Kansas’ games since the passing.
After the game, Adams expressed gratitude for the support of his teammates.
“My teammates have helped me a lot. They’ve been here a lot for me,” Adams said, according to the Kansas City Star. “Coach has made stuff easy for me. Having Jayhawk nation in my inner circle means a lot. They especially help me in rough times like these.”
In previous games, Kansas students have held up copies of the student newspaper with a photo of Yvonne and the caption “FOR YVONNE” to express support for KJ.
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