AJ Storr, the incoming Jayhawks guard, chose Kansas over the NBA Draft after hearing numerous stories about playing under Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self before committing to the Jayhawks in April. Storr, a former Wisconsin and St. John’s guard, has now moved to Lawrence and is set to experience Self’s coaching firsthand.
“He (Self) is going to get the best out of you,” Storr said on Sunday. “He’s going to challenge you. He can always motivate you to be the best version of yourself.” Storr’s decision to join Kansas for a year instead of entering the 2024 NBA Draft was influenced by KU’s history of winning, including Self’s two national championships. Now immersed in the KU program, Storr is learning more about its historic traditions.
“I didn’t even know that basketball originated here,” Storr mentioned. “I saw Naismith Drive — I was like, ‘Man, I didn’t know that.’ Just the culture of KU, that’s what stood out to me the most.”
Kansas had previously recruited Storr while he was at IMG Academy in Florida, but he chose St. John’s at the time, later transferring to Wisconsin. This time around, KU’s pitch to him was straightforward: “Come here ready to win,” Storr recalled. “They ended up losing last year and I think they wanted to go further. I mean, any team would want to go further than that. So just come here ready to play and contend for a national championship.”
Storr, who averaged 16.9 points and 3.9 assists per game last season and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors, believes his experience, skill set, and coachability will benefit Self’s program. He participated in the NBA Draft process in March and April before deciding to join the Jayhawks, receiving feedback from NBA evaluators that reinforced his decision.
“’Just to go back there (to college)‘ — they love winning players,” Storr said. “So KU is obviously a winning program and coming here, I’m going to be a winning player.”
During the offseason, Storr is focusing on improving his ball-handling, shot consistency, physical conditioning, and flexibility. His immediate priority, however, is building chemistry with his new Jayhawks teammates.
“I’m just now getting familiar with the guys, but so far they’re welcoming me in (with) open arms,” he said. “Very funny dudes, easy to get along with.”
