A.J. Storr Shows He Could Be Wisconsin's Missing Piece
MADISON, Wis. – The core part of the 2023-24 Wisconsin Badgers roster remains intact, a mixture of multi-year starters, a swagger-filled sophomore, and role players that all carry a chip on their shoulder after a past season of missed expectations.
The one big difference is sophomore A.J. Storr, who showed he could be the piece to get the Badgers back in the March mix.
The White team’s leading scorer, narrowing beaten out the 16 points from Tyler Wahl for the game-high, Storr delivered the biggest highlights with a couple of rim-rattling dunks in the opening minutes of the annual Red-White Scrimmage that gave a small snapshot of what he’s bringing from St. John’s.
“He can make plays out of nothing,” head coach Greg Gard said of Storr. “He can get to places with his size and athleticism.”
A 6-7, 205-pound guard who can be versatile in Wisconsin’s lineup, Storr got things rocking early by attacking the rim, rewarded with an over-the-shoulder alley-oop from point guard Kamari McGee and another out in the transition.
He was more than just a rim rocker. He took a post feed, made one dribble to his right, and elevated to hit a high jump shot over Wahl. In the second half, still matched up with Wahl, he drilled a three-pointer from the wing and another from the corner, with freshman Jack Janicki defending. Wahl also had to work throughout the second half with Storr on his hip.
“I feel like I’m a versatile defender and kind of big, so I can guard power forwards,” said Storr, who added another transition dunk late in the second half on a cross-court pass from Isaac Lindsey.
Going 6-12 down the stretch to miss the NCAA Tournament, Gard knew upgrades to fortify depth were needed, especially when it came to jumpstarting the offense. Wisconsin finished next-to-last in the conference in scoring and field goal percentage, resulting in the Badgers outscoring its opponents by a razor-thin margin of 1.7 points.
While adding three heralded freshmen could prove helpful, the college experience of a wing like Storr was invaluable.
“AJ brings a ton for us in a ton of good ways,” said freshman forward Nolan Winter, who had the game’s only double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. “Athletically, he can get his head above the rim, all of that, and he has that shot with him. Defensively he’s going to be a big spark plug for us being able to guard one through four. He’s quick, strong, really athletic, can shoot it, and makes good decisions. He’s ready to go.”
A former four-star prospect initially out of Rockford, Ill., who was rated the No.115 player in the country when he committed, Storr averaged 8.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in his true freshman season at St. John’s, shooting 43.4 percent from the floor, 40.4 percent from three-point range (38-for-94), and 75.0 percent (42-for-56) from the free-throw line. Inserted into the starting lineup for the final 17 games, he averaged 11.8 points, reached double figures 11 times, and made the Big East’s All-Freshman Team.
That confidence showed as Storr attempted a game-high 13 shots.
“Shooting it every day,” Storr said of where his confidence comes from. “Trying to make as many shots every day that I can … I just work on my game so much. I’m comfortable everywhere on the floor. If I got an open look, take the open look.”
Of the close to 30 schools that reached out to him once he put his name in the portal, including the reigning national champion (UCONN), the national runner-up (San Diego State), and at least 10 other teams who qualified for the NCAA Tournament, Storr felt he could make the biggest immediate impact with the Badgers.
He admits that learning defensive keys and principles has been an adjustment from what he learned with the Red Storm last season. He also has been growing in the post, which showed with some uneven passing and playing out of the low post.
“He’ll get better with that,” Gard said, “because that will be a non-negotiable.”
Whether Storr cracks the starting lineup when Wisconsin plays its lone exhibition game on November 1, hosting UW-Stevens-Point at the Kohl Center, remains in question. UW returns its whole starting five from last season, but Gard had said on multiple occasions that roles remain undefined. A reason for the uncertainty is the arrival of Storr, who could elevate the Badgers to more than just a high-flying dunk or two.
“He knows where the basket is,” Gard said. “As we help him with all those other parts to make him a more complete player and surround him with guys who have been there and done that … he just brings a dimension that can help us.”
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