Kansas Adds Anrio Adams to Men's Basketball Team

July 5, 2012

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Explosive combo guard Anrio “Rio” Adams has signed a grant-in-aid agreement to play men’s basketball at the University of Kansas, KU head coach Bill Self announced Thursday.

Described as a quick, strong guard who has a lot of bounce and can blow by opponents with his athleticism, Adams was the Associated Press 3A state player of the year while at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, Wash. The 6-3, 180-pound Adams averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in leading Rainier Beach to a 3A state title with a 27-3 record in 2011-12, including a 15-0 league mark.

“Anrio has been committed to us since the fall,” Self said. “We elected not to sign him until he tightened up everything academically. He has done that and we’re very, very excited about having him here. He’ll take classes this summer session and will be able to participate beginning immediately in all the workouts that will proceed from this point forward.”

“He’s a talented, talented combo guard,” Self added. “He can certainly score. He’s capable of being an elite guard.”

Verbally committing to Kansas in November 2011, Adams is a four-star recruit who is ranked No. 98 overall by rivals.com and No. 91 by ESPN100. For his position he was the No. 22 shooting guard by rivals.com and No. 26 by ESPN100.

“Anrio comes from a program that we are very familiar with in Rainier Beach and coached by Mike Bethea,” Self said. “Mike Bethea has had many division one players and feels that Anrio is one of the very best he has had. We’re excited and he will certainly be an asset to our team and make us better.”

Former Jayhawk guard Rodrick Stewart is also an alum of Rainier Beach High School. Stewart was a senior on Kansas’ 2008 NCAA National Championship team.

“Anrio’s best basketball is ahead of him,” Bethea said. “He has a ton of talent and with him going to KU and listening to Coach Self and the coaching staff, the sky is the limit.”

Adams becomes the eighth freshman on scholarship on the 2012-13 Kansas men’s basketball roster. Other freshmen 2011-12 fall/spring signees on the KU roster include: Milton Doyle (G, Chicago, Ill.), Perry Ellis (F, Wichita, Kan.), Landen Lucas (F, Portland, Ore.), Zach Peters (F, Plano, Texas) and Andrew White (G, Richmond, Va.).

Freshmen Ben McLemore (G, St. Louis, Mo.) and Jamari Traylor (F, Chicago, Ill.) – were redshirts in 2011-12 and practiced with KU starting in the second semester. Additionally, Evan Manning (G, Lawrence, Kan.) and Tyler Self (G, Lawrence, Kan.) will be walk-on freshmen for KU.

“I love the makeup of this team and especially the newcomers,” Self said. “This is going to be a young group that will rely heavily on the senior leadership of Elijah (Johnson), Travis (Releford), Jeff (Withey) and Kevin (Young) since they are the only players back with experience.”