Kansas Basketball: Why AJ Storr is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Unlike in many recent years, Kansas did not add another Big 12 title to trophy case last season. You could easily argue it was an underwhelming season by Kansas standards, though most programs would gladly take 23 win, a 5th place finish, and yet another trip to the NCAA Tournament. As the Big 12 expands and changes around them again, what exactly is in store for the Jayhawks this upcoming season?

While leading scorer Kevin McCullar and talented freshman Johnny Furphy are gone, Kansas does return a very solid core. All-American center Hunter Dickinson returns for one final collegiate campaign while feisty point guard Dajuan Harris and forward KJ Adams Jr. are back in Lawrence as well. There’s a couple other names of note on the roster, but it’s the additions that make things interesting.

Bill Self and his staff did an elite job adding talent by using the Transfer Portal. The Jayhawks grabbed a pair of underrated guards in Shakeel Moore from Mississippi State and Noah Shelby from Rice. Additionally, Kansas managed to grab three of the very best players in the entire Portal. One of those is Rylan Griffen, who as a sophomore just helped lead Alabama to the Final Four. Next up is Zeke Mayo who was a scoring machine with South Dakota State in recent years.

The third among that elite group is AJ Storr, a highly-regarded shooting guard who comes fresh from Wisconsin. A former Top 100 prospect who bounced between prep schools, Storr actually spent his freshman year with St. John’s before bursting onto the scene last season. With the Badgers, Storr’s sophomore season saw him average 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds with impressive shooting figures during a 22-win campaign.

A strong wing who has already shined as an underclassman, Storr opted for Kansas for his third season of collegiate play, bypassing a chance at the NBA Draft to play for Self instead. He brings athleticism and strength at small forward and is fresh off a Second Team All-Big Ten season. Storr can hit shots from outside the arc, something that was sorely lacking at times for the Jayhawks last season. He’s also a dynamic athlete who can make things happen closer to the rim.

Kansas added a lot of talent with Griffen, Mayo, and Storr and let’s not forget the talent already present in Lawrence. We’re talking about a Jayhawks squad that could get comfortable near the top of the national rankings for most of next season, though that’s not exactly unfamiliar ground for this Blue Blood program. Storr in particular helps fill a need that was sorely lacking, especially with McCullar and Furphy not around anymore.

We don’t know the kind of numbers that these new players will put up for the Jayhawks, but Storr can have a successful season even if he isn’t putting up 16 or more points a night. If he grows into an even better scorer and decision-maker then this could be another memorable year for the Jayhawks. Can this team take that step forward with these new additions after last year’s struggles?