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June 26, 2024. NBA Draft Evening. We’re in NYC, the place else? AJ Storr is on a Zoom from… Athens, Greece!?! We’ll clarify all that in a second. Extra importantly, he is aware of the that means of tonight as a prelude to his future.
“Actually one 12 months from tonight, is it loopy to assume you’ll be up on the stage…” we are saying earlier than Storr interjects excitedly, “…in a swimsuit and tie!”
Ten factors for honesty with this one. Storr, now a rising junior for the world-famous Kansas Jayhawks and a projected 2025 NBA Draft decide, just isn’t dancing round a subject many school gamers with eligibility remaining play sizzling potato with. “Sure,” Storr confirms, “I’m planning to be within the draft subsequent 12 months.”
Now that we have now that very logical enterprise resolution coated, let’s backtrack and share one of the vital distinctive and completely trendy basketball journeys of any high-profile participant on the earth.
We’ll begin with the world enterprise. Storr is in Greece in the mean time as a result of the Bahamian nationwide staff, of which he lately made the roster (pending some lingering paperwork), is enjoying a few exhibition video games earlier than an Olympic qualifying event in Spain that may decide if the small island nation with the more and more outsized basketball expertise advances to Paris.
The 6-7 Storr, a smooth-shooting, scoring guard tied to The Bahamas as a result of his father was born there, is happy to be in Greece. Partly for the expertise of what he calls his “world tour,” however much more so for the possibility to play with of us who’ve gotten the place he needs to go. Bahamas basketball has quietly constructed an explosive roster that includes present NBA gamers Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon, Buddy Hield, Kai Jones and Isaiah Mobley, in addition to different proficient school and professional gamers. The squad is coached by longtime Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco.
“It’s a actually nice expertise to be on the market with all these professionals,” Storr says, a day after scoring 15 factors (on 7-9 capturing) in a 93-80 loss to Montenegro. “I performed a few video games with them final summer time after which we had coaching camp in Houston earlier this month, and now I’m enjoying actual video games with them. It’s nice to be round all this expertise.”
Each time The Bahamas’ run ends, the world is on discover that it’s a program to be careful for sooner or later, after which Storr can have extra time to spend in his newest “dwelling”—Lawrence, KS. And what a house it’s. Maybe essentially the most storied program in all of faculty basketball—“I hadn’t identified that James Naismith based this system right here. That’s who based basketball!” Storr exclaims—and a program with sometimes excessive expectations for the ’24-25 season. As ESPN’s Jeff Borzello put it in his latest “Manner-Too-Early High 25,” the Jayhawks are No. 1 after Invoice Self responded to a disappointing ’23-24 “with essentially the most loaded roster within the nation. He went into the portal and landed AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Rylan Griffen (Alabama); then, All-American huge man Hunter Dickinson opted to return for one more 12 months.”
It says right here that Storr, with a capturing contact that the Jayhawks sorely missed final season, would be the largest piece of the puzzle. As for all of the locations he’s been earlier than Kansas, that unfolds like a little bit of a puzzle in its personal approach.
This younger man is within the candy spot for a correct SLAM profile as a result of he’s “huge” sufficient—because of enjoying one 12 months in New York Metropolis and one other 12 months going viral because the athletic main scorer for B1G energy Wisconsin—to be heard of however with out his full story being identified as a result of he was not a brilliant high-profile recruit. We’ll inform you the story now so that you’ll be within the know when he blows up much more at Kansas after which flies into the NBA in 12 months.
Storr grew up in Rockford, IL, a metropolis of almost 150,000 about 90 minutes west of Chicago. It’s most related in trendy hoops as the house of present Houston Rocket Fred VanVleet. AJ got here up alongside one older sister, Ambranette, who scored greater than 2,900 factors in her highschool profession earlier than enjoying in school, and 5 youthful brothers, raised primarily by his mom, Annette Brandy—a former Chicago highschool star who performed in school as properly—and his stepfather.
AJ attended Rockford Lutheran as a highschool freshman, displaying promise as a hooper who was nonetheless simply 6-1. After that, a journey began that has but to finish. The household moved to the South Chicago suburb of Kankakee when his mother, a trainer, obtained a greater job supply, and AJ spent his sophomore and most of his junior 12 months at Kankakee Excessive. Then Covid hit. As Brandy explains, it was time to make some choices. “The entire state of Illinois shut down. He had some gives—Chicago State, IUPUI—however he nonetheless hadn’t gotten main appears to be like. We knew he was a Energy 5 child, he simply hadn’t been seen,” she says. “His dad lived in Vegas, and AJ was hesitant about it, however I satisfied him to go. Construct a relationship together with your dad and put your self on the market with basketball.”
It labored. Storr began enjoying for Vegas Elite and Bishop Gorman Excessive College and his publicity—and rating—skyrocketed. He was set to play his senior season for Bishop Gorman after which…Clark County, NV (which incorporates Las Vegas) introduced there could be no winter sports activities attributable to Covid. “After Vegas shut down, he transferred to AZ Compass they usually made all of it the best way to the GEICO Nationals,” his mother says. “By then he had gotten a whole lot of gives, however I believed he wanted to mature a bit.”
So it was off to famend IMG Academy in Florida for a post-grad 12 months that went nice. In the long run, AJ had attended 5 excessive faculties in 5 years, albeit for causes that had been outdoors his management. When the time got here to make his official school alternative, Storr enrolled at St. John’s, firmly hitting the (admittedly biased) radar of the #SLAMfam’s school followers by placing collectively a Massive East All-Freshman marketing campaign highlighted by 40 p.c capturing from three-point vary, 9 ppg and an thrilling fashion of play. Alas, the Johnnies fired Mike Anderson and Storr determined to switch again to the Midwest, placing collectively an All-B1G Second Workforce season (17 ppg, 4 rpg, 1 apg) in Madison and establishing himself as a future professional. Storr flirted with getting into this 12 months’s draft earlier than as an alternative deciding to switch another time. To the perfect staff within the county.
“Enjoying for all of the completely different groups has actually helped my IQ. I’ve discovered completely different performs, completely different coaches, completely different cultures,” Storr says, explaining the advantages of his journey. “Off the court docket, each faculty has welcomed me and made it like a household. I’ve obtained pals from each faculty.”
In Storr’s thoughts, the ascension from unknown excessive schooler to doubtless first-round NBA decide just isn’t as a result of he lately obtained good on the sport. For higher or worse, publicity nonetheless issues. “I’ve been fairly good at basketball my entire life, however I needed to get round the correct platform and coaches and reap the benefits of the alternatives,” he says. “St John’s is in an amazing convention. Then I went to the Massive Ten and the Badgers, who’ve made Remaining 4 runs and are identified worldwide. Being there helped me so much. Now I’m trying ahead to taking my recreation to a different degree at Kansas.”
Storr describes himself as very coachable and has discovered bits and items from all of the coaches he’s performed for, however none of them have been round him persistently sufficient to have developed a deep mentorship. For day by day help as he pursues his dream, Storr factors to the individuals who have been across the longest. “I’ve obtained a staff with my mother, my sister, my administration,” he says. “It takes a staff to perform your dream. You might be essentially the most proficient participant, however for those who don’t have the correct folks round you, you’re not going to make it.”
For her half, Mother couldn’t be prouder. “I’m so excited for him,” says Brandy, who lately obtained a brand new job—and purchased a home—again in Rockford. “He has put in a lot work to get right here.”
And to reiterate, Storr himself views his diversified experiences as a optimistic. “My recreation interprets to a whole lot of completely different locations,” he says. “I understand how to purchase right into a program. I respect all my coaches. I’m an amazing teammate. When you step on that court docket or within the weight room, you turn out to be brothers. The place I’m making an attempt to go, you gotta be ready. Within the NBA, guys get traded on a regular basis. So this may very well be a bonus.”
Portraits by way of Missy Minear Kansas Athletics.
