Wisconsin Basketball: The Impact of AJ Storr’s Commitment

Madison, Wis. – On Thursday night, the Wisconsin basketball program picked up a former top-100 recruit in the transfer portal. Former St. Johns guard AJ Storr took to Twitter to announce his commitment to the Badgers.

Badger bandit 😤⚪️🔴🦡🦡#commited #badgernation #2 pic.twitter.com/ahf4QiThgw

— Aj storr (@storr_aj) April 14, 2023

Storr is the second portal addition of the offseason, joining former Wyoming guard Noah Reynolds. 

Storr’s recruitment was not easy, as many schools were after him when he entered the transfer portal. However, UW rose to the top and secured the biggest recruiting win under Gard’s direction.

Here’s a look at how Storr’s commitment impacts Wisconsin as we look ahead to the 2023-24 season.

What skills does AJ Storr bring to the Wisconsin basketball program?

Storr is a very physically gifted athlete. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard has a large frame to pair with high-end athleticism that will make him an immediate contributor.

Last season at St. Johns, Storr averaged 8.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game en route to a Big East All-Freshman Team nomination.

Looking at Storr’s tape, the kid can flat-out shoot. In his freshman season at St. Johns, Storr shot 43.4% from the field while hitting 40.4% of his shots from beyond the arc. The weak point of Wisconsin’s team last year was three-point shooting, and Storr fills that need arguably better than any other transfer target UW had on their radar.

Although Storr’s best skill set is his shooting, he’s also a well-rounded finisher. According to BartTrovik, Storr hit 56.1% of his shots at the rim last season. The Florida native’s frame allows him to be a giant slayer in the post, and he has a quick burst to get to the basket. 

The only drawback in his game is his defense; however, he’s by no means a bad defender. What he lacks in skill, he makes up for with his size. Storr won’t be a guy who guards the opposing team’s best defender, but he’ll be serviceable on that end of the court. 

The Badgers needed an athletic guy who could score from multiple levels, and it looks like they found their guy in Storr.

How does AJ Storr’s commitment affect the rotation?

As I said before, Storr will make an immediate impact and be a starter from day one. He’s a perfect fit in the backcourt, and having Chucky Hepburn alongside him will make Wisconsin’s backcourt one of the best in terms of talent. 

Wisconsin is returning all five starters, so it begs the question, who moves to the second unit? I think the clear pick here is Max Klesmit. 

If Klesmit moves to the bench, it’s an absolute luxury. Storr slots in nicely alongside Hepburn, Essegian, Wahl, and Crowl, and moving Klesmit to the bench bolsters the depth. 

If Klesmit moves into a sixth-man role, he’ll come off the bench with players like Kamari McGee, Noah Reynolds, Carter Gilmore, and others. Frankly, that’s a damn good second unit. Pair that with the 2023 class coming in, and Wisconsin will have a deep and exciting team next season.

Storr’s commitment was huge for Wisconsin in every conceivable way. Gard gets a massive win in the portal — a bad look for the “Fire Gard” crowd, but I digress –, and Wisconsin gets an immediate starter who can shoot the lights out AND has three years of remaining eligibility. What a move for Gard and company.

The Wisconsin basketball program might not be done yet in the portal, but they secured one of their biggest recruiting wins under Gard. Is it basketball season yet?