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Westlake's Adams Ends Area Trend To UT; Paves Own Path To Kansas
Aug 06, 2020
It's become almost expected to see the best Austin high school boys basketball recruit commit to the hometown University of Texas at Austin. But, that changed with 2021 Westlake prospect KJ Adams, who committed to college basketball power Kansas during his Friday July 31st announcement.
"It would have been easier and predictable for me to stay close to Austin or in Austin," Adams told VYPE Media in an interview. "I hope that others will consider what is right for them and not where everyone thinks they should go."
Adams is the first Austin area high school boys basketball player to commit to The University of Kansas since former Westlake hooper Luke Axtell transferred from The University of Texas after the 1997-1998 collegiate basketball season.
<p>"I didn't know that another Westlake alum had gone before me until the day I committed and the KVUE newscaster mentioned it," said Adams. "For me, it just affirmed my decision knowing that someone before me had done it and been successful."<br></p><p>Separating from the area pack may have been unintentional, but the commitment by the sixth-ranked 2021 high school basketball recruit from Texas definitely followed a great amount of evaluation. That's mainly because he had to find the right fit among his 10 Power Five offers and 13 total collegiate opportunities.</p><p>"The recruitment process has been long and I had thought I would wait until November," said Adams. "[But] I was getting an indication that a visit wasn't going to happen, so I figured I could make the decision based on my own research."</p><p>"All of the schools on my list have great academics, great facilities, great coaching staffs and players," he continued. "What seemed different to me from other places was the winning history of Kansas. In my conversations with Coach [Bill] Self, it was clear that he cares about his players on and off the court. He told me whatever my ceiling is, he is going to help me reach that level and that made me really excited. Also, he talked to me about the academic environment of the school and he had the answers and didn't have to check with others, and that made me know he knows his stuff."<br></p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p>Adams may be a year away from his first visit to KU, but he's ready to call it home.</p><p>"The small campus and the ability to practice against quality players every single day is what excites me, along with the fact that it's a basketball school that sells out every game," said Adams. "Stepping into Allen Fieldhouse is going to be crazy. I can't wait."</p><p>Before Adams heads to Lawrence, Kansas, he has another Texas high school basketball season to prepare for it.</p><p>"I'm really looking forward to my senior season at Westlake," said Adams. "We have a good squad coming back and I'm ready to hit the court with them. Working on the areas of my game that I feel need to be fine tuned is what I will do to prepare for going to Kansas."</p><p>"Having the [commitment] decision already made will allow me some freedoms," he added. "I can enjoy my senior year to the fullest, with the worry of a decision being done. I'm excited to see how my game will translate to the next level, so every day I'm working on my game."</p><p><strong>For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEATX) on Twitter.</strong><br></p><p>Looking to get more involved? Check out ShopVYPE for fresh gear that supports local schools and the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To sign up for the VYPE U Program, apply at VYPEU.com.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><script async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-slot="5921136909" style="display:block; text-align:center;"></ins></p><script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
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San Marcos' Phillips Remains A Rattler In College Commitment
Jul 29, 2020
Everyone deserves a place that they can call home. For San Marcos senior Faith Phillips, she found one for our future college basketball career at St. Mary's University.
"Someone once told me to go to a school where you know you are really wanted," said Phillips. "As soon as I talked to Coach [Jason] Martens, I felt he really wanted me to be a part of his program, so that really excited me. He really gave my family and I the comfort we needed to feel like St. Mary's is the right place for me."
Phillips received the offer a few months ago and announced her commitment on Tuesday night. She's looking forward to experiencing San Antonio and having family nearby.
<p>"San Antonio is such a fun city with so many opportunities, but I think one of my favorite parts is the variety of food," said Phillips. "I was mainly looking for a program where I felt like I could make myself at home. Most of my family does live in San Marcos, so it definitely is a plus that they will get to see me play."<br></p><p>Phillips has enjoyed great success against South Texas high school girls basketball teams in her career, so her future move to the Alamo City makes a lot of sense. She helped San Marcos win 20 games during the 2019-2020 girls basketball season and her play against region teams earned her a UIL 26-6A first-team all-district honor. The team did miss the postseason, so she and her teammates and coaches are chasing a 2020-2021 appearance. The athletes have stayed on track during the offseason by participating in their high school strength and conditioning program this summer and playing for their respective AAU teams.</p><p>"I think last season has ignited a fire in every single member of the Lady Rattler program," said Phillips. "We saw what we could have had, which was a spot in the playoffs, but we just couldn't quite clinch it. So, our goal this year is to take that playoff spot. To do so, we are going to take it game by game and one team at a time."</p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p>San Marcos remains a UIL 26-6A member for the next two school years, but faces a new Austin area slate of district opponents. Even with the change, Phillips feels last year's pool prepares her team for the new road ahead, as well as her personal collegiate challenges in future years.</p><p>"I think the competition level of our new district is about the same as our previous," said Phillips. "Both of the districts are very talented and very respected, but I believe our team has some very talented players on it as well. I think this coming year is going to prepare me for college by increasing my resiliency to not back down in any game and fight till the end."</p><p><strong>For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEATX) on Twitter.</strong><br></p><p>Looking to get more involved? Check out ShopVYPE for fresh gear that supports local schools and the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To sign up for the VYPE U Program, apply at VYPEU.com.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><script async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-slot="5921136909" style="display:block; text-align:center;"></ins></p><script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
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