How AJ Storr performed in Kansas' NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Arkansas
How AJ Storr performed in Kansas' NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Arkansas
Wisconsin transfer guard A.J. Storr and the No. 7-seed Kansas Jayhawks fell 79-72 to the No. 7-seed Arkansas Razorbacks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday evening.
In one of the more thrilling contests of the round of 64, the Jayhawks nearly completed an 11-point second-half comeback against John Calipari's group. Kansas led by as many as three points in the final six minutes of action before the Razorbacks piloted a 7-0 scoring run to establish an edge for the remainder of the contest.
Storr did provide Kansas a valuable boost off the bench throughout the contest. In 28 minutes of action, the veteran guard tallied 15 points, three rebounds, one assist and one block. He did so off 4-of-7 shooting from the floor, 2-of-3 from outside and 5-of-6 from the foul line. All things considered, it was one of his best performances in a Kansas uniform.
That strong performance caps off a disappointing debut season with the Jayhawks. The Wisconsin transfer averaged just 6.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. He started in just four of his 34 appearances, playing on a Kansas team that went from the AP Poll's preseason No. 1 to an NCAA Tournament first-round exit.
Storr initially entered the NBA draft last offseason before turning to the transfer portal, eventually choosing Kansas. Opposite to his highly successful one year with the Badgers, his time with the Jayhawks saw his minutes diminish and productivity shrink.
Notwithstanding his 2024-25 numbers, Storr is certainly talented. The former St. John's transfer averaged 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per appearance as Wisconsin's clear-cut No. 1 offensive option during the 2023-24 season, earning a Second Team All-Big Ten nod in the process.
Storr and the Badgers fell to No. 12-seed James Madison in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He scored 13 points off 5-of-7 from the field in that 11-point loss. Both he and Chucky Hepburn, whose Louisville Cardinals lost to Creighton in Thursday's first round, suffered the same fate with their new programs.
Storr now moves to 0-2 in career NCAA Tournament contests. After spending each of his three collegiate seasons with different programs, the focus now turns to whether he enters the upcoming NBA draft, reenters the portal, or returns to the Jayhawks.
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