Kansas Jayhawks Number Rankings: Twenty-Four

Let's see how KJ Adams stacks up against the best KU players to ever wear the number 24

A few weeks ago, we started a new series ranking current KU players against other KU stars who have worn the same number. We’ve already seen how Jalen Wilson, Dajuan Harris, Gradey Dick, and Kevin McCullar have fared, and if you haven’t already, click the links to read.

Today, we rate the last starter, KJ Adams, and see how he stacks up against others who have worn the number 24.

The idea behind these lists is as follows: I’ll list the guys who wore the same number, give a few blurbs about each player, and ultimately find a place where the current Jayhawk ranks, and I’ll try to keep recency bias out of it, so these rankings should be as unbiased as possible.

Contents

1. Other recent number 24s:
2. How does KJ Adams stack up?
3. Final Rankings:

Other recent number 24s:

Alonzo Jamison. Three seasons, 1989-1992.

Alonzo Jamison played three stellar seasons for KU at the beginning of the Roy Williams era. He averaged 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest. He also helped Kansas to get to the 1991 Final Four. Pretty good.

CB McGrath. Four years, 1994-1998.

One of the all time favorite KU walk-ons, CB McGrath is currently an assistant coach at Cincinnati (see ya next year CB!) after a disastrous 26-58 three year stint as head coach of UNC Wilmington.

Marlon London. Two seasons, 1998-2000.

Marlon London transferred to DePaul after two seasons on Mount Oread only to average the exact same in points (4.5) and assists (1.6) while playing in 22 less games.

Sasha Kaun. Four seasons, 2004-2008.

With so much talent around him, Sasha Kaun didn’t put up the numbers many might think. Statistically, his best season was his sophomore campaign where he averaged 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds. But let’s not forget, he was an important piece in the 2008 title team, and that counts for something here.

Travis Releford. Four seasons, 2008-2013.

When Travis Releford finally got a chance to play significant minutes, he shined, averaging 11.9 ppg in his final year. He is still the example that everyone uses when talking about patience and Bill Self’s ability to get the most out of players that weren’t necessarily huge prospects coming out of high school. Oh, and Travis was a key component to that 2012 team that played for a championship.

LaGerald Vick wore number 24 in his final season, one that he didn’t finish. He wore number two for each of his first three years.

Bryce Thompson. One season, 2020-2021.

Somehow, and I have no recollection of this, Bryce Thomspon averaged 4.6 points per game in his one season at KU.

How does KJ Adams stack up?

Like Travis Releford, it took KJ a season to get a chance, but when he did, he made a big splash, one that most KU fans wouldn’t have predicted at the beginning of the season. His presence as a small five changed the way that KU and Bill Self traditionally play, but Adams became an essential cog in the Kansas machine. This was most harshly on evidence when he was saddled with foul trouble against Arkansas. 

In 2022-23, KJ averaged 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. His career numbers are obviously much lower because of lack of playing time as a freshman. They currently stand at 5.7 and 2.5.

Final Rankings:

1. Travis Releford
2. Alonzo Jamison
3. Sasha Kaun
4. KJ Adams
5. Marlon London
6. CB McCrath
7. Bryce Thompson

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