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Kansas is crushing the portal
AJ Storr heads to Lawrence, which means the Jayhawks are loaded with scoring options for next season. Plus, Xavier adds a starting guard, Reed Sheppard says farewell, Wisconsin's tough day, and much more.
Tristan Freeman
April 19, 2024
A programming note: The Daily will be on hiatus all next week so we can recharge a bit. The transfer list will continue to be updated, but otherwise we’ll be back on April 29.
Let's get to Thursday’s news.
1. Kansas add yet another scoring option
Remember when Kansas coach Bill Self said he’d been thinking next season? He wasn’t kidding.
Kansas bolstered its scoring options for next season by adding former Florida guard Riley Kugel (9.2 ppg), and South Dakota State transfer, Zeke Mayo (18.8 ppg and 3.5 apg). Thursday marked the biggest impact player yet in Wisconsin wing AJ Storr.
AJ Storr. Jayhawk. 🎯
#RockChalk x @storr_aj
📰
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops)
Apr 18, 2024
Storr’s career progression has gone from 8.8 ppg in 21 mpg as a freshman at St. John’s, then to an All-Big Ten player as a sophomore. He led Wisconsin with 16.8 ppg, including 10 games with at least 20 points. His highlight was a 30-point effort vs. Northwestern in the Big Ten tourney.
He was one of the transfer portal’s top targets. Now that he’s headed to Lawrence, he put another target on Kansas as a team to beat next season.
And Kansas might not even be done yet.
The Jayhawks reportedly are the leader for Alabama wing Rylan Griffen. He averaged 11.2 ppg on 39% shooting from deep as a freshman. That would ease the depth and scoring woes Kansas faced this season. And make for a loaded roster.
Kevin McCullar Jr. and Nick Timberlaker exhausted their eligibility. Johnny Furphy seems likely to stay in the NBA Draft. That leaves a likely starting five of:
Dajuan Harris
Zeke Mayo
AJ Storr
KJ Adams
Hunter Dickinson
With a bench of Kugel, returning guards Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell, incoming freshmen Flory Budinga, Labaron Philon and Rakease Passmore, plus redshirt big man Zach Clemence.
That’s a top 5 group, even if some of the bench players decide to go elsewhere (they have until May 1).
2. Xavier’s latest addition + more transfer news
One of the top-10 scorers in MAC last season was Dante Maddox, who led Toledo with 15.6 ppg this past season. The 6-2 guard shot 40% from 3-point range and had 10 games with at least 20 points, including 26 points and seven rebounds in a win over Bowling Green.