Kansas forward KJ Adams (24) is helped off the court by teammates after during the second half, Thursday, March 20, 2025 at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI. The Jayhawks lost to the Razorbacks 79-72. Photo by Nick Krug

Providence, R.I. — It was so far from the way KJ Adams would have wanted to end his Kansas career.

A day earlier, on the podium ahead of KU’s first-round tilt with Arkansas, the senior forward from Austin, Texas, had spoken of excitement within the team and how his teammates were “just ready to play hard and start that new season.”

On Thursday night, though, right as the Jayhawks seemed poised to open that new season — their second or third of the year, by various accounts — with a hard-fought, win-or-go-home victory over the Razorbacks, it took a calamitous turn.

With just over three minutes remaining and the Jayhawks leading 67-64, Adams snagged a defensive rebound. As he began to push the ball up the floor in transition, he abruptly crumpled to the ground. His teammates helped him off the floor shortly afterward, and he made his way to the locker room without putting weight on his left leg.

That was, as it turned out, the anticlimactic end of Adams’ four years playing for Kansas.

“I know how much he put into this program and this team,” center Hunter Dickinson said, “and it’s super tough for him to not be able to finish out his career.”

And from the moment Adams — who for years served as the sparkplug for the Jayhawks — got hurt, KU wasn’t the same. The Jayhawks bungled pass after pass, conceding an immediate 11-2 run and getting outscored 15-5 in total as Arkansas eliminated KU with a 79-72 victory.

“It was huge,” Griffen said of Adams’ early exit. “I mean, he’s the backbone to our team … We need him on the court 80% of the game, and he wasn’t even out there for the most crucial part. If we (would have) had him, we’re probably feeling a little bit different right now.”

Adams, Self said after the game, suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon.

“We’re hoping for the best tomorrow,” Self said. “I’m not sure it’s going to be great news, though.”

Self said the Jayhawks could in theory have committed all their same turnovers, most of which were unforced, even if Adams had still been in the game — he said KU struggled passing over Arkansas’ length all night. He did note, however, that KU might have had numbers going up the floor if Adams had been able to continue his run on the fateful play.

In any event, in the moments following the lackluster conclusion of his 22nd year at the helm, Self’s primary concern seemed to remain with his veteran player. For example, he said in his postgame press conference that “there wasn’t a message tonight” in the locker room after the loss.

“We had a kid in there who was really hurting with his family,” he continued. “I think the message was ‘Guys, proud of your effort. You guys did what we asked you to do. We appreciate everything, but now is not the time to talk about that stuff. Let’s worry about your teammate right now.'”

He noted he had spent a combined 10 years coaching Adams and fellow senior Dajuan Harris Jr., a sixth-year player, both members of the 2022 national title team who saw their careers come to a grim end.

“They’re like sons to me,” Self said.

Adams and Harris aren’t the only Jayhawks concluding their time at KU. Fellow starters Dickinson and Zeke Mayo have also exhausted their eligibility, as has reserve guard Shakeel Moore.

But Adams now faces the most severe prognosis in the immediate aftermath of his college career.

“It’s one thing to lose the game,” Self said, “but to see him potentially lose a year on top of the game, you know, that’s a pretty big blow.”