Observations: Wisconsin basketball opens second practice to the media

MADISON - Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program conducted their annual media day interviews before they opened a second practice to reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

During the session, the group spent most of the day running 5-on-5s before working on post offense.

St. John's transfer AJ Storr looked like the best player on the team today. He is, at the very least, the most athletic Badger by a wide margin.

What particularly stood out today was his slashing. Storr’s length, verticality and coordination ensure a quality shot on nearly every drive to the hoop. He even hit a few corner threes, which the Badgers will need.

Storr impressed beyond his skills and athleticism. One of his best plays of the day came on defense. During a scrimmage, the 6-foot-7 Storr leaped into the air for a rebound and came down with it over Steven Crowl and Chris Hodges, who stand at 7-foot and 6-foot-9, respectively.

“The biggest adjustment has probably been… well, there’s been no adjustment for real,” Storr commented.

The only real area of concern for Storr is occasional defensive aggression. There were a few moments during 5-on-5s in which he didn’t guard his man as closely or aggressively as Gard typically expects.

Nonetheless, his offensive prowess alone makes him worthy of the hype. If Storr can consistently give a full effort on defense, he has the talent and potential to be the best Badger since Johnny Davis.