"F***in brutal end to his Kansas career", "Absolutely heartbreaking": Fans lament with Kansas after KJ Adams' Achilles injury during Arkansas upset

The No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks suffered a major blow on Monday as they lost 79-72 to the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks in the NCAA Tournament First Round. The Jayhawks also lost their star KJ Adams to an Achilles injury when they were still leading 67-64 late in the fourth quarter.

The double blow came as a shock to Jayhawks fans whose March Madness run ended pretty fast. Moreover, Adams played his last college career game on Thursday as well, driving his situation into an uncertain future.

"KJ Adams deserves so so so much better than that ending," Talkin' Hawks wrote on X. "Everyone else got the ending they’ve deserved all along. Good riddance to one of the worst teams and eras in Kansas Basketball History."

It was a heartbreaking moment for fans to see Adams struggle late in the game when he sustained the injury.

"If you didn't understand how important KJ Adams was to this team, I hope you do now. Absolutely heartbreaking," one fan wrote.

"KJ Adams torn Achilles. F***in brutal way to end his Kansas career. He was playing so well," another added.

"All you need to know is the moment he came out of the game this team lost all the momentum, fire and desire. Absolutely just gave up without KJ. I feel awful for him," another fan wrote.

"He was a great complimentary player who shoulda had far better players around him," another said.

"Great kid. Great role player. Never a scoring forward for a top 10 team. Never," one fan wrote.

"Ngl they probably win the game if he doesn’t get injured," one fan wrote.

What happened to KJ Adams in Kansas' loss?

With 3:14 remaining and Kansas leading 67-64, KJ Adams took control of a loose ball after taking the rebound as he tried driving for a transition. However, before he could even cross the 3-point line, his legs collapsed as he fell to the ground grimacing in pain.

It was when he landed on his left leg after the rebound that he appeared to have sustained the injury.

"We're hopeful for the best tomorrow, but I'm not sure it's going to be great news," coach Bill Self said. "It's one thing to lose the game, but to see him potentially lose a year on top of the game, that's a pretty big blow."

Adams was helped by his teammates Zeke Mayo and AJ Storr to get off the floor. He was then immediately taken to the locker room.

This takes Adams possibly out of next season as he likely ends his college career with an All-Big 12 Honorable mention selection in 2024. Before coming into this game, Adams started 28 games this season, averaging 9.2 points, 5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.