Tag: bill self

How Wisconsin transfer A.J. Storr performed in Kansas’ 2OT loss to Houston

Wisconsin transfer A.J. Storr late free-throw misses key to Kansas’ 2OT loss to Houston

Wisconsin transfer guard A.J. Storr was a big story from No. 12 Kansas’ double-overtime loss to No. 7 Houston on Saturday, and not in a good way.

Storr was scoreless during 18 minutes of action, going 0-of-6 from the field, 0-of-3 from 3-point range and 0-of-4 from the free-throw line. His only contributions to the stat sheet were a rebound and an assist.

Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball after UCLA loss

The performance halted Storr’s recent stretch of strong play dating to a Jan. 18 win over Kansas State. It also played an integral role in the outcome of the tightly-contested game.

The Wisconsin transfer was on the court during the closing moments of double overtime. He went to the free-throw line with Kansas trailing 88-84 with 45 seconds remaining. Two makes were critical to the Jayhawks’ chance at a signature victory.

Storr, a career 77% free-throw shooter, missed both. Houston added several makes at the line to ice the game.

Kansas went 17-of-30 from the free-throw line on the evening, including Storr’s four misses. That performance was is punctuated by a 6-of-14 conversion rate during the two overtime periods. Jayhawks coach Bill Self was asked postgame whether fatigue played a role in the team’s heightened late-game struggles in the area.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Self said. “But certainly, you have go to the line and make two, or at least make one. We were 6-of-14 in overtime from the line. So that obviously played a role. We still had our chances to put it away if we just executed better, if I had done a better job.”

Storr wasn’t alone in his struggles at the line. Forward Flory Bidunga missed a pair of key free throws early in the first overtime period. Guard Dajuan Harris Jr.’s two late misses led to a game-deciding sequence. Kansas led 79-73 with 18 seconds remaining in the first overtime. Harris Jr. missed two free throws, and Houston hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to make the score 79-76. Kansas turned the ball over on the inbounds pass, and Houston made another late 3 to tie the game at 79.

According to KenPom, Houston had a 0.4% win probability when Kansas had the ball, a six-point lead and free-throw attempts with 18 seconds remaining in the first overtime. It turned that circumstance into one of the most improbable wins of recent memory.

The result dropped Kansas to 15-4 (5-3 Big 12). Houston is 16-3 (8-0 Big 12).

Storr’s scoreless performance dropped his per-game averages to 17.9 minutes, 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and one assist on 40% shooting and 26.7% from three. Those totals are all far below what was expected when the former Badger made his high-profile transfer move to the Jayhawks.

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Kansas coach Bill Self saw ‘nothing’ from Badgers transfer A.J. Storr in Jayhawks’ upset loss to West Virginia

Kansas coach Bill Self saw ‘nothing’ from Badgers transfer A.J. Storr in Jayhawks’ upset loss to West Virginia

Former Wisconsin star A.J. Storr had a quiet showing in Kansas’ 62-61 loss to West Virginia on Tuesday.

Storr, who played 15 minutes in the contest, finished with zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists and zero steals on 0-for-2 shooting and 0-for-1 from 3.

Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball entering 2025 Big Ten schedule

Both Storr and K.J. Adams Jr. (two points, one rebound in 28 minutes) struggled to make an impact as the seventh-ranked Jayhawks were upset at home. Coach Bill Self shared a blunt evaluation of what he saw from the two players when meeting with the media postgame:

“Nothing,” Self said. “I didn’t really see much. They both had chances. But timid, not aggressive. I didn’t really see much. Our ball screen coverage to start the game, wow, was so bad. … A lot of those were situations where A.J. probably could have done better. But that’s my fault; I just don’t have him quite ready yet in that situation.”

Self elaborated on Storr’s lack of involvement after early defensive woes.

“They’ve had good practices,” the Kansas coach continued. “Sports are strange. You can feel good and have good intentions, then when somebody punches you in the mouth or staggers you, and there’s a screw-up or something like that, all of the sudden you’re not quite as aggressive and you’re not quite as confident, and therefore you’re not near as effective. That’s kind of what happened today with A.J. starting the game.”

Storr has struggled to translate his top-end production at Wisconsin to his new team. His 2023-24 averages of 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds on 43% shooting have dropped to 7.3 and 1.9, respectively. He has a combined 13 points and 10 rebounds on five-for-20 shooting and one-for-eight from 3-point range over the past four games. Kansas is 2-2 during that stretch, falling from its previous spot as the No. 1 team in the nation.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, hasn’t had much trouble replicating Storr’s production. Transfer wing John Tonje is averaging 19.2 points, five rebounds and two assists on 45% shooting, leading a Badgers offense that ranks No. 15 in KenPom.

Storr’s play at Kansas will continue to be a significant story as both the Jayhawks and Badgers look for strong starts to the 2025 calendar year.

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How former Wisconsin transfer fared in No. 1 Kansas’ big win over Duke

How former Wisconsin transfer fared in No. 1 Kansas’ big win over Duke

Former Wisconsin Badgers transfer A.J. Storr played an integral role in No. 1 Kansas’ 75-72 win over No. 11 Duke on Tuesday night.

The former Badger notched 11 points in 28 minutes in his first start with the Jayhawks. Storr also registered a pair of assists and a steal in the three-point win.

Storr’s most memorable moment in the blue-blood bout came within the first five minutes of the opening half. The Rockford, Illinois, native cut backdoor from the right corner, fielded an alley-oop pass from point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. and threw down a thunderous dunk with Duke stars Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg converging at the rim.

Storr scored eight of 11 points in the first half to help Bill Self’s team build a double-digit advantage. The Blue Devils rallied to take the lead in the second half, but Kansas prevailed to remain undefeated.

Individually, Storr is averaging 9.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists to go with 50% shooting and 47% from 3-point range thus far through six games. He has logged at least 23 minutes in three appearances this year and appears to have discovered a clear role for one of the nation’s best teams.

Storr transferred to the Jayhawks this offseason after one year with UW in 2023. As a Badger, he chalked up averages of 28.8 minutes, 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.6 steals per game as Wisconsin’s go-to offensive weapon.

While his departure loomed large, Wisconsin found his replacement, star wing John Tonje. The back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Week has accounted for 23 points and over five rebounds per game off 54.3% from the field, 40.6% from deep and 95.2% from the free-throw line.

Wisconsin and Kansas are two of the undefeated teams remaining at the top of the AP Poll.

Duke finalizing agreement to take on Kansas in Las Vegas for neutral site game, per Jon Rothstein

Duke and Kansas are finalizing an agreement for a non-conference matchup in November.

Duke’s already challenging non-conference schedule for 2024 is about to get even more difficult.

Jon Scheyer and his soon-to-be-revamped Blue Devils team will take on another college basketball blue blood in Kansas this November.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, one of college basketball’s biggest insiders, confirmed that the two legendary programs are in the process of finalizing a November matchup in Las Vegas.

No official announcement is imminent, and a date and time have yet to be decided upon, but things are in motion behind the scenes.

The last time these two titans faced off was in the Champions Classic in 2022, Jon Scheyer’s first season as Duke’s head coach following the departure of Coach K. Kansas went on to win that game 69-64 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks finished the game on a 15-5 run over the final 4:37. In total, Duke is 8-6 all-time against the Jayhawks.

Bill Self will bring a revamped roster as he looks to improve upon a less-than-stellar season by Kansas standards. The Jayhawks made the Sweet 16, but they were often injured and didn’t have the depth necessary to compete.

The Jayhawks have been aggressive and active in the transfer portal, landing new names like AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo, and Michael Ajayi for their roster. They also are returning Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris.

If the two schools reach a final agreement, Duke will play Arizona, Kentucky, and Kansas as part of its non-conference schedule in 2024.

Kansas adds third marquee transfer in former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr

The Kansas Jayhawks added Wisconsin transfer guard AJ Storr to an already elite transfer portal class for Bill Self.

An early exit in the NCAA Tournament, along with a handful of NBA departures, had the Kansas Jayhawks a bit in flux at the conclusion of the 2023-24 college basketball season.

However, the rebuild has swiftly gotten underway. After already securing portal commitments from Florida guard Riley Kugel and South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo, Bill Self’s team landed a huge fish in Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, thought by many to be the top player in the portal, who committed to the Jayhawks on Thursday afternoon.

Storr began his college career at St. John’s in 2022-23, averaging 8.8 points while shooting 40.4% from three, but after a coaching change Storr entered the portal and landed at Wisconsin for his sophomore year – where he exploded as a scorer by averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 48.3% on twos and 32% from the three point line.

The 6’6 wing is now on his third college program after playing at four different high schools, but the talent is undeniable and he should help the Jayhawks replace both Kevin McCullar Jr and Johnny Furphy, who are headed to the NBA.

Bill Self’s admission of looking forward to next season while Kansas was still alive was unfair to this year’s team

Bill Self could have kept this to himself.

Bill Self put his foot in his mouth Saturday after Kansas was eliminated from the second round of the NCAA tournament with a blowout loss to Gonzaga. During his postgame press conference, Self was asked if he was already looking forward to next season and the head coach responded by admitting he was looking ahead even before the tournament started.

“For the last month I’ve been thinking about next season, to be honest,” Self said. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the team he was still coaching just a few moments earlier.

College basketball fans dragged Self for what sounded like an admission of giving up on a season that ended with a top-25 AP ranking and 4-seed in the tournament, disappointing only by Kansas’ own high standards. Sure, the Jayhawks had four losses in their previous five games before the tourney started, including the last two by a combined 50 points, but March is for miracles and a deep Kansas run would have hardly counted as such.

What Self said isn’t actually the problem, though, and shouldn’t be interpreted as him quitting on the season. In fact, him acknowledging he can do better to improve the roster is actually a statement of accountability — an admission of his own failure to put together a team he could believe in this year. Where he went wrong is that he said it out loud. Self should have kept this to himself.

“We could have done a much better job as a staff putting more guys out there that we could play,” Self said. “And so that’s something that I’ve thought about for a long time.”

Every coach is concerned with how they can improve their teams from year to year, and that doesn’t start and end in the offseason. Holes on a roster are never more evident than during the grind of a regular season. Self admitting as much shouldn’t be taken as him giving up, rather it’s a peek into the mind of someone obsessed with winning. There’s no way to prove Self wasn’t giving 100 percent while manning the sidelines for this year’s team, but if anyone deserves the benefit of doubt, it’s a two-time champion and third active career wins leader.

Because a team isn’t good enough doesn’t mean it needs to be said, though. Self admitting his team was short on “firepower” and lacked the depth to overcome injuries didn’t accomplish anything but throw his current players under the bus. Maybe he did it to absolve himself of a sub-par coaching job, or maybe he lacked the awareness to know how it would come across. But it was completely unnecessary and below any coach, particularly one already held in high regards.

Bill Self spoke out about Kevin McCullar Jr. after the Kansas star faced criticism for sitting out March Madness

Self defended his senior star.

The No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks will have a tough road ahead of them in the men’s NCAA tournament after head coach Bill Self announced upon arriving to Salt Lake City that leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. will miss the entire tournament. McCullar had been battling a bone bruise in his knee since January and had been in and out the lineup for months.

But shortly after that announcement, McCullar faced criticism for missing the tourney given Self’s own implication that doctors had cleared the Kansas senior to play. Here’s the clip from Tuesday:

Self said at the time that though McCullar hadn’t injured his knee worse, the pain had not subsided to the point where he can play. So, they decided to shut him down for the entire tournament regardless of any potential tourney run for the Jayhawks. The reaction to those comments and similar remarks from players drew a negative response from Kansas and college basketball fans.

A few hours before Kansas’ game against Samford, Self took to Twitter and spoke out on the situation. He wanted to make it clear that McCullar did not quit on the team and that it was a decision Kansas and the team doctors made.

Self added that McCullar would act as an assistant coach during the tournament. Kansas is expected to have star center Hunter Dickinson available for the game after he suffered a dislocated shoulder against Houston.

Oklahoma runs out of gas in the second half as they fall to No. 6 Kansas 67-57

No. 25 Oklahoma falls 67-57 against No. 6 Kansas as the Jayhawks sweep the season series.

No. 25 Oklahoma entered Saturday with a chance to earn their third win against a top-25 opponent. Instead, they came up short as Bill Self and his sixth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks completed the season sweep of the Oklahoma Sooners 67-57.

Oklahoma entered the day with severe doubt that two trusted rotation members would play. [autotag]Rivaldo Soares[/autotag] twisted his ankle in the second half of the Sooners’ 79-62 loss at Baylor on Tuesday after leading the team in scoring with 17 points.

[autotag]John Hugley[/autotag] IV injured his knee against Oklahoma State last Saturday and didn’t even travel for OU’s game vs. the Bears.

Soares tested his ankle pregame but ended up not playing, and he and Hugley were sorely missed.

Oklahoma started Javian McCollum, Milos Uzan, Otega Oweh, Sam Godwin, and Jalen Moore. They raced out to a double-digit first-half lead behind hot shooting and terrific defense on Kansas forward Kevin McCullar Jr., who was returning from an injury. Jalon Moore led the way with 13 of his team-high 17 points. Milos Uzan was aggressive and added 8 points, while McCollum contributed six.

Kansas pushed back towards the end of the half to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 5 at the break. OU entered the locker room up 34-29 after an excellent all-around first half minus 3/8 free throw shooting in the first half.

The second half started, and Kansas began to find themselves.

Kansa and OU played a close game with the game tied on a number of occasions before Hunter Dickinson found McCullar for a three-pointer that gave KU its first lead since 5-4. Kansas would go on a 14-4 run and would not look back.

Oklahoma continued to fight, but their first-half shooting cooled dramatically as they shot 3 of 19 from the field in the second half. The Sooners’ inability to stop Kansas in the half-court, specifically Hunter Dickinson, doomed the them despite having a five-point halftime lead.

Javian McCollum was 3 of 6 from three and finished with 15 points.

Hunter Dickinson posted a 20-point, 16-rebound double-double to set the tone for the Jayhawks. Freshman Johnny Furphy added 15 points on 5/8 shooting with three makes from distance to help his team.

For Oklahoma, the Sooners will have the week off and not play until next Saturday when they make their final Big 12 visit to Stillwater in basketball to wrap up the Bedlam season series.

Kansas will host Texas next Saturday back home in Allen Fieldhouse.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Kansas coach Bill Self reacts to Sixers’ Joel Embiid scoring 70 points

Kansas coach Bill Self gives his reaction to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid dropping 70 points.

Word of Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid scoring 70 points spread quickly across the basketball world. The Sixers have had some amazing players pass through the City of Brotherly Love, so the fact that Embiid has the franchise record for points is an amazing accomplishment.

Before Embiid became a legitimate superstar in the league, the big fella played his college hoops at Kansas University. He played one season of college ball under the guidance of coach Bill Self, and Self was doing an interview with Scott Van Pelt of ESPN when he learned about Embiid scoring 70 points.

Self had this to say about Embiid:

Hey guys, he learned everything in the eight months he was here in Lawrence, Kansas. Everything!

In his one season at Kansas, Embiid averaged 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds which led to him being the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft. The big fella has had to overcome a number of injuries and significant adversity in his career, but the reigning league MVP is doing some incredible stuff on the basketball court.

[lawrence-related id=89446,89443,89439]

Photos from the Phog: Sooners 2nd half extends drought inside Allen Fieldhouse

After trailing by one at the half, the Sooners couldn’t stay with the Jayhawks, extending their drought inside Allen Fieldhouse.

The Oklahoma Sooners trailed at halftime by one point on the road against the Kansas Jayhawks. In a place the Sooners haven’t won since 1993, OU was off to a good start.

However, Bill Self and the Jayhawks made adjustments in the second half to take away the things that were working for the Sooners. In the end, the Jayhawks pulled away in the second half for a 78-66 win.

The Sooners dropped to 1-2 in Big 12 play and are 0-2 on the road. In both losses to TCU and Kansas, the Sooners weren’t really competitive in the second half.

Javian McCollum, who had 12 points in the first half, was held to five in the second on 1 of 3 shooting and was 0 for 2 from three.

Oklahoma has to figure out a way to win on the road. They’ve been really good at home, but in games against North Carolina, TCU, and now Kansas have struggled in the second half.

Here’s a look at the best photos from Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas.