Texas Tech basketball: 4-star Red Raider target commits to Kansas

Friday, KJ Adams, a 4-star Texas Tech basketball target, committed to the rival Kansas Jayhawks.

Now that Chris Beard and the Texas Tech basketball program are recruiting some of the nation’s top high school targets, it means that the Red Raiders are going to have to go up against the blue-bloods of the sport on the recruiting trail.  On Friday, Tech dropped a recruiting battle to the bluest of those blue-bloods, Kansas, as KJ Adams picked the Jayhawks over the Red Raiders and others.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder from Austin is rated a 4-star player and the No. 6 player in Texas by 247Sports.  In addition to Tech and KU, he held offers from such programs as Baylor, Georgetown, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Ole Miss, and A&M.  He had included Tech in his top 10 but in the end, he decided to play for a Big 12 rival.

In 2019-20, Adams averaged 22.6 points per game while shooting 61.3 percent overall.  He grabbed 6.7 rebounds and dished out 3.5 assists while helping Westlake High School to a 33-2 record.

Adams has held an offer from Tech since 2018.  And given his scouting report, it’s easy to see why Beard thought he would be a great fit on the South Plains.

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"“Extremely strong and powerful athlete,” Writes Jerry Meyer on Adams’ 247Sports profile.  “Not necessarily a fast-twitch high flyer in space, but an athlete who can move bodies and has a feel for the game. Possess functional athleticism. Effective in traffic. Can score through contact. Best in the middle of the court attacking off one or two dribbles. Keeps defense honest with his shooting. Willing and adequate passer. Dangerous on the boards. Has defensive versatility.”"

Versatility is without question something that Beard covets and players of Adams’ size and ability are the type of positionless prospects the Red Raider head coach has built his program around.  Former players like Zhaire Smith and Jarrett Culver and current Red Raiders such as Terrence Shannon Jr., Kevin McCullar, as well as incoming freshman Micah Peavy and Chibuzo Agbo Jr. all fit that mold, as would have Adams.

In fact, Beard already has one such player already committed for the class of 2021.  Jaylon Tyson, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward from Plano, Texas is Tech’s only verbal commit in the current class thus far.  He’s been on board with Beard since the middle of May.

Another player that would be considered a positionless forward is Harrison Ingram and Texas Tech basketball fans will certainly want to keep an eye on his recruitment as well.  The Dallas native is the No. 1 player in Texas and the No. 13 player in America.  He holds an offer from Tech and it is believed that the Red Raiders are heavily in the mix for his services.

Of course, that will mean that Beard will have to beat out more of the game’s heavyweights.  But just like he’s done on the court, Beard has proven on the recruiting trail that he’s not to be counted out.  Even though Tech didn’t land Adams, it’s time for people around the nation to stop counting out the Red Raiders when it comes to the recruiting trail.