Kansas transfer, former four-star recruit Marcus Adams Jr. commits to Gonzaga

In the span of the seven days, Marcus Adams Jr. went from an incoming freshman at Kansas, to one of the most interesting names in the NCAA transfer portal, to the newest member of Mark Few’s 2023-24 Gonzaga roster.

One week after splitting from the Jayhawks and requesting a release from his National Letter of Intent, Adams , a 6-foot-8 guard/wing and former four-star prospect, announced a commitment to Gonzaga on Saturday through his social media channels.

Adams posted a photo on Twitter of himself wearing a white No. 21 Zags jersey with the caption, “A fresh start,” along with a praying hands emoji.

“I just posted (the commitment) and the players are already reaching out,” Adams told The Kansas City Star. “That’s what I see as key. The players are welcoming, friendly and all that. So I really appreciate that. I feel like we are going to have a great connection and have a great season next year.”

A native of Harbor City, California, Adams heard from a variety of high-major programs within days of entering the transfer portal, including Gonzaga, West Virginia, BYU, Oregon, Missouri, Boston College, Mississippi State and UC Santa Barbara .

Adams’ process went quicker than many expected, considering he wasn’t scheduled to take an official visit to Spokane until next weekend.

He enrolled at Kansas on June 12 and went through preseason workouts for approximately one month before opting to reopen his recruitment. The Jayhawks granted Adams a release from his NLI, but he told the Kansas City Star he’ll have to a one-time free transfer and obtain a NCAA waiver in order to play during the 2023-24 season.

During an interview with the Kansas City Star, Adams said Kansas “wasn’t a place for me,” when discussing his reasons for leaving the Jayhawks.

“I see everybody in the (online) comments and some reporters saying it was about playing time … it’s not,” Adams said. “I felt like I would have been good there if I stayed, but I had a gut and heart feeling.”

Adams also clarified his decision was unrelated to whether he’d be able to get on the court as a freshman at Kansas.

“It’s not (about) playing time,” Adams told the newspaper. “I could have got a good amount of play-time and done well my first year at KU. It was just more than that. It was the area, the city, the team, the bond and the chemistry. It wasn’t really there. It wasn’t really aligned for me.”

It’s unclear what Adams’ role will look like at Gonzaga in 2023-24, given his late arrival to the team and the Bulldogs’ depth at the wing position. Eastern Washington transfer and Big Sky Player of the Year Steele Venters projects to be the top option to fill the spot vacated by first-round NBA draft pick Julian Strawther, but the Bulldogs have other possibilities in South Korean prospect Jun Seok Yeo and incoming four-star freshman Dusty Stromer.

Adams was initially part of the 2024 recruiting class but reclassified so he’d be able to start his college career this fall. Recruiting website 247Sports.com considers him the 48th-best recruit in the nation, the country’s eighth-best small forward and the No. 11 overall recruit in California.

Coming out of Narbonne High School, Adams had offers from UCLA, Arkansas, Indiana, Nebraska, Oregon, Mississippi State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Washington and Washington State. He trimmed that list down to three finalists – Kansas, UCLA and Syracuse – and was leaning toward UCLA before a phone conversation with Jayhawks coach Bill Self convinced him to change his mind, according to the Kansas City Star.

“He’s 6-foot-8 and can shoot the basketball,” Self said of Adams in a school release. “He had two games this year, one in which he made 11 3s and the other which he made 13 3s. He’s good with the ball in his hands and can make plays for others as well.”

Adams averaged 28.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 2022-23 . He scored 40 points on three occasions and had a 50-point, 21-rebound game against San Pedro in Marine League play. Adams also had seven assists, six steals and five blocks in the game.

“I like how coach Mark Few reached out to me. It looked like a good fit for me,” Adams told The Star. “They said they needed me. I was (at the) right spot (as) a 3-and-D wing. They needed a guy that could shoot the rock, make plays and facilitate. I was that guy. They reached out and showed a lot of interest.”

There’s a chance Adams will collide with his old school this fall at the Maui Invitational. The tournament field includes Gonzaga and Kansas, but opening-day matchups haven’t been set.