‘I hate losing’: Why KU freshman Jamari McDowell fits right in with Kansas Jayhawks

Jamari McDowell grew up watching Paul Pierce, the former Kansas Jayhawks and NBA star, thanks to McDowell’s father.

Now, McDowell is a freshman for the Kansas men’s basketball team. And his favorite Jayhawk of all-time?

Pierce, of course.

“My dad likes Paul Pierce a lot, so I’ve seen a lot of Paul Pierce,” McDowell said Sunday. “He didn’t make me watch it, but he would always talk about him. Since I was younger, Paul Pierce was kind of on the down-slope of his career. So, I would go back and watch what he did here and when he first got to the Celtics. The truth.”

There aren’t many similarities between McDowell’s game and Pierce’s.

“He’s a lot bigger than me … The only aspect we have in comparison is the shooting,” McDowell said. “I’m slim. He’s wide. I’m a little more explosive. He used to be. He’s a great player.”

McDowell’s best known for his shooting ability, but he believes he can add a lot more than that to KU’s 2023-24 team.

“I’m definitely defensively minded, but of course I can shoot,” he said. “I can shoot, play-make, get people open — I do a little bit of everything.”

McDowell isn’t guaranteed a rotation role on a loaded Jayhawks team, but he isn’t too worried. He’s excited to learn from the Kansas veterans.

“I think it should be a great freshman year, especially guys like KJ (Adams), Juando (Dajuan Harris) — guys that can help me, mentor me, (including) Arterio Morris,” McDowell said. “It should be great. Just coming in excited, ready to get to work.”

On Wednesday, KU played a scrimmage in front of hundreds of campers at Kansas coach Bill Self’s annual basketball camp. McDowell dropped 11 points.

During the game, McDowell showcased his shooting ability and made great effort on both ends of the court — for example, he got into passing lanes for a steal and turned it into a transition bucket.

Although McDowell held his own against his college teammates, he quickly realized it was very different from high school.

“I need to get stronger for sure (and) get more built,” he said. “I (need) to just get used to it. It kind of reminds me of when I was a freshman in high school. In ninth grade, I played varsity. Those guys are 17-18 and I’m 14, which is a big difference at that age. But once I get the hang of it, it’s all just basketball. It’s what I’ve been doing all my life.”

McDowell stuffed the stat sheet during his senior season at Manvel High in Texas but wasn’t too focused on his numbers. He just wants to win.

“Honestly, I didn’t even keep up with my stats in high school,” he said. “I was just going out trying to win every game. I just wanted to win every game because I hate losing. Like, it does not suit me well, but … it kind of just kind comes with the game. Whatever I have to do win, is what I’m going to do. It (stats) doesn’t mean much.”