LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas Jayhawks lost another young player ahead of the 2023-24 college basketball season, with incoming freshman Marcus Adams Jr. announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal on Sunday.
Because Adams enrolled as a student at Kansas he had to enter the portal, rather than just decommitting, which means he will need to obtain a waiver if he wants to play this upcoming season.
Gonzaga is among the many teams who already contacted Adams since he became available, a list that includes Oregon, West Virginia, BYU, Boston College, and Missouri, among others.
Locked on Zags host Andy Patton, speaking on the Locked on College Basketball podcast, discussed the fit for Adams in Spokane, and why potentially having to sit out next year might be an advantage for the Zags.
"Gonzaga does not have a role for Marcus Adams Jr next season," Patton said. "They are looking to replace Alex Toohey who departed the program to stay in Australia. He was probably going to redshirt, and that's what Gonzaga wants out of Adams."
Adams made it clear he has no ill feelings toward the fans or coaching staff at Kansas, but he did admit he never felt comfortable at Kansas or with his teammates, which led to his decision to look elsewhere.
He also said he's looking for a less rural destination, which will certainly play a factor in his future landing spot.
“Probably somewhere I fit, like a good area I would fit in,” Adams said. “I am more of a city kid. I’m not that good in the country.”
Gonzaga has three open scholarships at the moment, and are known to be pursuing veteran guards Jose Perez (West Virginia) and Jeremiah Williams (Iowa State) via the transfer portal. Adams would be a more long term, developmental piece for the Zags, and the track record of developing players behind the scenes is top notch in Spokane.
Whether the city fits Adams' needs will be a big factor, but adding a player with his upside (he is ranked No. 48 in the class of 2023 at 247Sports) at the tail end of the offseason would be a nice feather in the cap for coach Few and his staff.