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Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Lands Commitment From St. Johns Transfer AJ Storr

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2 months ago

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Wisconsin basketball forward AJ Storr
Feb 4, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard AJ Storr (2) shoots against the Xavier Musketeers in the first half at Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Lands Commitment From St. Johns Transfer AJ Storr

Madison, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard dipped back into the transfer portal to make a significant addition to the program for next season. 

On Thursday evening, the Badgers received their second offseason commitment from St. Johns transfer forward AJ Storr. The pledge comes shortly after taking a visit to Madison.

“I committed to Wisconsin because their coaching staff was most involved with me,” Storr told On3Sports. “Coach Gard was always involved, which is important to know the head coach is invested in you. I already know about the Badger Nation, and their fan base is crazy.”

A Rockford, Illinois native, Storr made the Big East All-Freshman team after averaging 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists on an impressive 40.4% shooting from beyond the arc in just over 21 minutes per game for the Red Storm. 

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing and former top-100 recruit chose UW despite receiving interest from schools like Uconn, Bulter, Flordia, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, San Diego State, Miami, Auburn, Memphis, Gonzaga, Creighton, and Xavier.

Storr started 17 of the 33 games he appeared in for St. John’s during his freshman season and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

What AJ Storr Brings to the Wisconsin Badgers

I’ll keep this one short and sweet: AJ Storr is everything Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program were missing last season. 

When UW lost former Big Ten Player of the Year Johnny Davis to the NBA after just two seasons, the Badgers no longer had a true “3” with plus length defensively that could slash/finish around the basket + create for himself, and get out and run in transition. 

Adding a player like Storr checks all of those boxes. 

According to HoopMath, the former four-star recruit took 34.2% of his shots at the rim (55.4% finisher), 27.2% mid-range jumpers (31.8 FG%), and 38.7% from beyond the arc last season (40.4% shooter).

Some areas where Storr could make a noticeable impact for Wisconsin men’s basketball would be: 

  • In transition, he averages 1.31 points per possession, ranking in the 88th percentile per Synergy. 
  • In Isolation, he averages 1.08 points per possession, ranking in the 89th percentile. 
  • As a jump shooter, he averages 1.06 points per possession, ranking in the 78th percentile (1.54 PPP when unguarded, placing him in the 94th percentile). 

Last season, Storr finished with a 104.8 ORTG and a 1.4 PRPG, per Barttorvik, which would have been fifth and sixth on the Badgers in 2022-23, respectively.

He’s a lanky wing with well above-average athleticism that can slash/finish around the rim. Storr can also step out and knockdown three’s at an impressive clip, plus get you a bucket playing iso-ball when the shot clock is winding down.

Wings standing at 6-foot-6 that can score from all three levels don’t exactly grow on trees, so Wisconsin men’s basketball got a damn good one.

Why AJ Storr’s Addition to the Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Program Makes Sense

AJ Storr

Feb 22, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. John’s Red Storm guard AJ Storr (2) dribbles against the Georgetown Hoyas during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Wisconsin men’s basketball is only one season removed from winning a Big Ten regulars season championship. That year the Badgers finished No. 215 in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom, which is must faster than the norm under Greg Gard.

That noticeable change in pace was because the roster warranted it. Now that AJ Storr is in the fold, UW will undoubtedly pick up the pace again because coach Gard has shown a willingness to adjust his approach to accentuate the strengths of his personnel.

Having players like Hepburn to push the ball up the court, a mobile big man like Wahl to run the floor, plus spot-up shooters like Essegian, Klesmit, Reynolds, and now Storr gives Wisconsin myriad options that could help them capitalize in transition.

Another thing is abundantly clear; Coach Gard aggressively pursued talent upgrades for this roster and made sure to seal the deal. Storr will likely be an immediate starter on the wing, presumably shifting Max Klesmit to the bench (talk about a luxury for UW).

Wisconsin men’s basketball just added a high-pedigree wing talent with three years of eligibility and a very high ceiling. Be excited, Badgers fans; this one is big.

Like Ryan Harrings of Locked on Badgers said, if you can’t give Gard credit for landing AJ Storr, then you’ve already written him off, and nothing outside of winning a title would change that.

Contact Info

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Lands Blue Chip Point Guard, Knueppel Update, More

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3 days ago

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June 3, 2023

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Wisconsin Badgers Basketbal target Kon Knueppel
Wisconsin Lutheran guard Kon Knueppel (33) handles the ball against Pewaukee guard Nick Janowski (25) on Tuesday January 3, 2023, at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Pewaukee

It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but you’re in luck because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important Badgers news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Stay Patient, Land Top 10 2024 Point Guard 

On Friday, Greg Gard got arguably the biggest recruiting win of his coaching tenure when he received a verbal commitment from 2024 four-star point guard Daniel Freitag out of Bloomington, Minnesota.

Per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Freitag is the No. 71 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 9 PG in the country.

Not only is Freitag the fifth-highest-rated recruiting in school history, but he’s also the top-rated backcourt player the Badgers have ever landed. The Minnesota native, who held division one offers in basketball and football, chose Wisconsin over a final five, including Minnesota, Baylor, Notre Dame, and Virginia.

Wisconsin basketball was the first program to offer Freitag and never let off in their pursuit. Coach Gard made him a priority, never offering another player at the position despite recruiting Freitag for two years. In the end, his relationship with the top 10 point guard won out.

“The Wisconsin staff has always been great to me; Coach Gard and I are very close,” Freitag told BadgerNotes. “I am also very close to Coach Krabbenhoft and the other UW assistants.”

Wisconsin Basketball Receiving Visit From Top Remaining Target in 2024

According to a report from Mark Miller, Phenom University standout and top 40 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, Kon Knueppel, plans to visit Madison on June 21. 

Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 32 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 11 SF in the country.

The four-star wing has been on a tear this summer, averaging 22.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 50% from the field and 46.7% from beyond the arc. He will also take an unofficial to Marquette and official visits to Louisville and Ohio State. 

Knueppel, a 6-foot-6 marksman from in-state, currently holds offers from Notre Dame, Stanford, Marquette, Virginia, Miami, and several other Power 5 programs.

A trusted source to BadgerNotes has shared that Wisconsin basketball is very much in the mix for his services and is considered to be in Knueppel’s “top 2” at the moment. “I’m very interested,” Knueppel told 247Sports. The hometown aspect is a big appeal. But it’s also been a very successful program for quite a long time. 

If the Badgers could add him to their 2024 recruiting haul, Greg Gard would have a chance to finish with the best class in program history. 

Other Wisconsin Basketball News

Speaking of the 2024 Wisconsin basketball recruiting class, Badgers commit Jack Robison out of Lakeville North HS has put together an impressive summer of his own playing for Howard Pulley in the EYBL. 

The 6-foot-6, top-150 recruit went off during session 4 in Memphis, averaging 22.5 points per game. Per 247Sports, he’s considered the No. 142 player in the country and the No. 3 player in Minnesota. 

Robison is a lanky, gritty wing that can really shoot it from beyond the arc and has the positional versatility as a defender to guard two through-small-ball four that Greg Gard and his staff covet. 

Robison is your prototypical hard-nosed Wisconsin basketball player that is intriguing in his own right and was a nice complimentary pickup by the coaching staff early in the 2024 cycle.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball: Top 2024 In-State Target Taking Second Visit

Published

3 days ago

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June 3, 2023

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Wisconsin Basketball head coach Greg Gard

Madison, Wis. –The Wisconsin basketball staff is expected to host one of the top in-state recruits in the coming days following his impressive Spring season.

Kon Knueppel, a rising Junior at Wisconsin Lutheran, is a 2024 four-star recruit. Knueppel is the top prospect in the state of Wisconsin for the 2024 basketball recruiting class. The small forward also ranks as the No. 11 player at his position and the No. 32 recruit overall in the class.

Knueppel is arguably the best shooter in the class and has recently included the Badgers on his list of unofficial visits.

Wisconsin Badgers Heat-Up Race For Kon Knueppel

The talented small forward Kon Knueppel is by far the best recruit that Wisconsin has tied themselves to in the 2024 recruiting class. The forward is an incredible shooter with a particular interest in shooting long range shots. Knueppel can pull-up from anywhere on the court and threaten the defense with his ability to score. This past season for Wisconsin Lutheran, Knueppel developed into a truly strong shooter as he led his team.

Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard has been eager to make a splash in the recruiting world to help boost the Badgers team. Recently, Gard was successful at landing St. John’s transfer guard AJ Storr. However, he also lost fellow transfer Noah Reynolds to the portal before he officially joined the team. Gard has been heavily scrutinized since taking over as the Wisconsin basketball head coach due to his lack of success in the position. The Badgers have struggled under Gard, but perhaps with the right recruits Wisconsin can turn themselves around.

Now, after shaking up the 2024 recruiting class by landing four-star Daniel Freitag, Gard may continue to set his sights on top recruits. Knueppel is one of the highest rated recruits left on the board for the Badgers. With an upcoming visit at the end of June, Wisconsin expects to make a heavy push for the recruit. Thus far in the Spring EYBL sessions, Knueppel has dominated the competition and put his deep-range shooting on display. Knueppel has shot 47.9% from long range while averaging 28.2 points per game during the most recent session in Memphis. The recruit earned offensive Most Valuable Player honors during this past session.

Another Massive Commitment Could Pull Wisconsin Closer To Top Recruits

There is no doubt that just between Freitag and Storr, Gard has added plenty of future talent in a short period of time. The new additions to the program could also serve as building blocks for Gard as he continues to hunt down top recruits. For Kon Knueppel, coach Gard will certainly try to use the upcoming visit as a major recruiting pitch. New Badger Daniel Freitag cited the environment and experiences that Madison provided contributed to his commitment.

Perhaps the Wisconsin basketball staff will try the same pitch on Knueppel in hopes of adding another star-studded recruit.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jarrett Guerrera on Twitter @JarrettGuerrera.

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Basketball

Twitter Reacts to Wisconsin Basketball Landing 4-Star Point Guard

Published

4 days ago

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June 2, 2023

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Wisconsin Men's Basketball

Madison, Wis. – On Friday afternoon, the Wisconsin basketball program picked up one of its biggest recruiting wins under Greg Gard.

Four-star point guard Daniel Freitag took to Twitter to announce his commitment to Wisconsin.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Freitag is the No. 69 player in the nation, the No. 8 point guard, and the No. 1 player in California. The Badgers beat out Minnesota, Baylor, Virginia, and Notre Dame for the four-star prospect.

The Wisconsin basketball staff made Freitag a priority, as he was the only point guard offered in the 2024 cycle. The risk paid off, and now, the Badgers will have a dynamic floor general headed to Madison in 2024.

Incoming recruits and former players took to social media to celebrate the announcement. Here are some of the best reactions.

Twitter reacts to Wisconsin basketball landing Daniel Freitag

Current teammate and Wisconsin basketball commit Jack Robison congratulates Freitag

2023 Wisconsin basketball commit Nolan Winter chimes in

Wisconsin basketball legend Sam Dekker is pumped up

The Gus Bus welcomes Freitag to Madison

Tough day for the “Gard can’t recruit” crowd

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter. Additionally, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here. Also, like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. Lastly, follow Jake Maier on Twitter @JakeJMaier.

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