Tag: Kansas

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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How Wisconsin transfer A.J. Storr performed in No. 7 Kansas’ loss to No. 2 Iowa State

How Wisconsin transfer A.J. Storr performed in No. 7 Kansas’ loss to No. 2 Iowa State

Wisconsin transfer guard A.J. Storr saw increased playing time in No. 7 Kansas’ 74-57 loss to No. 2 Iowa State on Wednesday.

The former Badger saw 10 minutes of action and totaled five points, two rebounds, two assists and a block on 2-of-6 shooting and 0-of-2 from 3.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s narrow win over Ohio State

The performance is a step forward for Storr, whose role had dwindled significantly over the last several weeks. Coach Bill Self called him out publicly after a Dec. 31 loss to West Virginia, which preceded the star transfer playing just four minutes in the Jayhawks’ 19-point win over Arizona State on Jan. 8.

Those minute totals are back in double digits, first in a Jan. 11 win over Cincinnati and now against the Cyclones. He played well in the 10 minutes of action, even igniting a mini-run that cut Kansas’ deficit from 11 to five late in the second half. In succession, Storr blocked a layup attempt, grabbed the defensive rebound and collected the assist on a layup on the other end. One minute later, he missed a 3-pointer that would have brought Kansas within three points.

Storr stayed on the court for the last seven minutes of the game as Kansas dealt with foul trouble to its big men. In the end, his contributions weren’t enough to keep pace with an Iowa State team that seems poised for a deep run in March.

The former Badger’s performance, while a step in the right direction, did not help his season averages: 17.7 minutes, 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 39.8% shooting and 29.7% from 3. They are all lower than his production as a freshman at St. John’s, let alone his outputs from a stellar 2023-24 campaign with the Badgers.

Storr and the Jayhawks are back on the court on Jan. 18 against Kansas State. He’ll look to carry momentum from this performance, continuing to battle for a consistent role in Kansas’ deep lineup.

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Former Wisconsin star’s role with new program continues to shrink

Former Wisconsin star’s role continues to shrink with new program

Former Wisconsin star wing A.J. Storr saw just four minutes of playing time during Kansas’ 74-55 win over Arizona State on Wednesday.

Storr checked in near the eight-minute mark of the first half with Kansas leading 23-22. In three-plus minutes of action, he turned the ball over twice, grabbed a defensive rebound, committed a foul, and missed a three-pointer, exiting with the Jayhawks down 33-27. He sat on the bench for the remainder of the contest.

Related: Updated win-loss predictions for Wisconsin basketball schedule after win over Rutgers

Storr’s minutes were part of a first half that saw Kansas trail 42-36 against the visiting Sun Devils. The Jayhawks quickly turned the game around in the second half, outscoring their opponent 38-13 en route to a 19-point victory. According to Kansas Stats & Info, the 13 second-half points were the fewest the Jayhawks have allowed in a half since Feb. 23, 2013 (nine points vs. TCU).

Storr’s quiet performance dropped his season-long averages to career-lows of 18.8 minutes and seven points on 41.3% shooting. He also averages 2.1 rebounds and one assist in that limited action.

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self was recently critical of Storr’s performance after a recent home loss to West Virginia, during which Storr was scoreless in 15 minutes of action.

While Storr bounced back with 11 points and five rebounds on five-of-eight shooting in a 99-48 win over UCF, the larger trends point toward diminishing playing time and production. The high-profile transfer commit is averaging just 14.8 minutes per game, four points and 2.6 rebounds on 34% shooting during Kansas’ last six games — the last three against conference opponents.

The Jayhawks maintain a No. 11 ranking in the latest AP Poll, second-best in the Big 12 behind Iowa State (No. 3). Self cannot afford growing pains with conference play now underway and high-profile games upcoming. As the games pass, Storr appears to fall further from the Jayhawks’ top lineup.

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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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Texans odds: Houston opens as slight road underdog against Kansas City

The Houston Texans hit the road as an underdog against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16.

Fresh off securing a second consecutive AFC South division title, the Houston Texans hit the road on a short week to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16.

With a win, Houston would inch closer to securing the No. 3 seed in the AFC postseason picture.

Houston (9-5) enters Saturday’s showdown a 3-point road underdog against Kansas City (13-1) according to odds from BetMGM. The over/under for points is currently set at 42. 

The Texans are preparing for two different quarterbacks as they begin prep. Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns and is expected to be listed as “week-to-week.”

“I want to be able to move. I want to be able to get out of the way. [Houston’s] is a good pass rush, a good defense. They fly around,” Mahomes said Tuesday. “You don’t want to go out there and put yourself in harm’s way. Obviously, it’s football and you’re going to take hits, but you want to be able to protect yourself. So that’ll be where I’m at and I don’t want to limit the game plan.

“It’s about me finding that balance and seeing where I’m at … I won’t know until kind of close to the end of this week.”

Should the Texans win, they would hold head-to-head victories over Kansas City and Buffalo should the records be the same. On Wednesday, the Texans face off against Baltimore, which could win the AFC North with victories over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. 

If Houston were to win all three outings, it would at worst, be the No. 3 seed in the playoff, thus leading to a potential second game at NRG Stadium in the AFC Divsional Round.

Kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.  The game will be nationally televised on NBC. 

Wisconsin transfers A.J. Storr, Chucky Hepburn quiet as Kansas, Louisville face losing skids

Wisconsin transfers A.J. Storr, Chucky Hepburn quiet as Kansas, Louisville face losing skids

The week of Dec. 2 was not kind to the Wisconsin Badgers. The team began the week ranked 11th but dropped two high-profile matchups, one to Big Ten rival Michigan and one to in-state rival No. 5 Marquette.

The team is 8-2 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play entering the heart of December.

Related: Updated Big Ten basketball power rankings (Dec. 9): Wisconsin slides, Michigan surges

While the Badgers struggled on the court, so did the program’s former transfers and their respective new programs. Chucky Hepburn and the Louisville Cardinals went 0-2 against No. 23 Ole Miss and No. 9 Duke last week. A.J. Storr and No. 1 Kansas fell to Creighton and Missouri.

Here is how the two former Badgers performed in each of those mentioned losses, plus their updated season averages:

Chucky Hepburn:

  • vs. Ole Miss (86-63 loss): 36 minutes, 19 points, four assists, two rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting, 7-of-9 from the free-throw line
  • vs. Duke (76-65 loss): 37 minutes, eight points, five assists, three rebounds on 2-of-11 shooting, 2-of-7 from 3
  • Season averages: 31.4 minutes, 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.2 steals on 48.8% shooting and 33% from 3

AJ Storr:

  • vs. Creighton (76-63 loss): 27 minutes, 12 points, three rebounds on 4-of-13 shooting
  • vs. Missouri (76-67 loss): 18 minutes, two points, three rebounds on 1-of-7 shooting, 0-of-3 from 3
  • Season averages: 21.3 minutes, 8.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 41% shooting and 36% from 3

Hepburn and Storr transferred after leading the 2023-24 Badgers in nearly every category. Hepburn did so after starting at point guard for three seasons.

The ebbs and flows of the basketball season affect individuals and teams. Hepburn started hot, including a statement performance in Louisville’s win over West Virginia at the Battle 4 Atlantis. He and the Cardinals have taken a step back of late. They’re still looking to establish position in a tough ACC.

Storr, meanwhile, plays a reserve role for a Kansas team that is set to fall from its previous No. 1 ranking. He’s had strong outings, including 11 key points in the Jayhawks’ Nov. 26 win over Duke. But his numbers are down across the board after operating as Wisconsin’s primary offensive option last season.

The Badgers did well in finding transfer John Tonje this offseason. The former Colorado State and Missouri wing is averaging 21.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists through 10 games. But he, like both Hepburn and Storr, has taken a slight step back during Wisconsin’s recent losing skid.

Wisconsin is back on the court on Tuesday night on the road at No. 19 Illinois. Hepburn and Louisville host UTEP before a big game at No. 4 Kentucky, and Storr and Kansas host NC State and Brown before the holiday break.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Kansas star quarterback will not be following Jeff Grimes to Wisconsin

Kansas star quarterback will not be following Jeff Grimes to Wisconsin

Wisconsin is reportedly closing in on hiring Kansas’ Jeff Grimes as its new offensive coordinator. All signs point toward the hire becoming a reality, signs such as Kansas hiring Grimes’ replacement.

The next storyline to follow is what the program does at quarterback. Veteran Tyler Van Dyke’s return is up in the air as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in mid-September. It’s likely that Wisconsin will enter the third consecutive season with a new veteran transfer under center.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

That veteran will not be Kansas star quarterback Jalon Daniels, who recently announced on X his intention to return to the Jayhawks for his final season of eligibility.

“Kansas has been my home, my family, and my foundation,” Daniels wrote. “The work continues, and the best is still ahead. I’m ready to lead the Kansas Jayhawks into the 2025 season and fully focused on becoming the best QB possible.”

The update is noteworthy given the mentioned context. Wisconsin likely needs a quarterback, and just hired Daniels’ offensive coordinator to the same position. Kansas, meanwhile, promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski to its vacant OC position.

Thamel specifically reported that ‘Daniels has agreed to a new deal to stay with the Jayhawks for 2025.’ NIL can be added to the coaching continuity as reasons for his decision to remain with the Jayhawks.

Daniels has played in 37 career games for Kansas dating back to 2020. He’s completed 61.3% of his passes for totals of 6,751 yards, 45 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, in addition to 303 carries for 1,041 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.

The dual-threat quarterback had his best season in 2022 under former OC Andy Kotelnicki, who has since moved over to Penn State. He finished that year with a 66.1 completion percentage, 2,014 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions.

His one year under Grimes (2024) was a minor step back. The veteran completed just 57% of his passes for 2,454 yards, 14 touchdowns and a league-leading 12 interceptions.

Grimes will not get a further chance to help Daniels back to his top-end 2022 form, as Wisconsin will have to look elsewhere for its starting quarterback in 2025.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Kansas hires replacement for Wisconsin’s reported new offensive coordinator

Kansas hires replacement for Wisconsin’s reported new offensive coordinator

More and more signs point toward Wisconsin officially hiring Kansas’ Jeff Grimes for its vacant offensive coordinator position.

First, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Friday that Wisconsin was ‘targeting’ Grimes, with talks ‘expected to intensify in the near future.’ Now, Kansas has officially promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski to its offensive coordinator position, further signaling Grimes’ move to the Badgers.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

Kansas officially announced Zebrowski’s promotion on Saturday afternoon. He has previously served as the team’s quarterbacks coach from 2021-24, and co-offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024. He’s previously coached quarterbacks at Southern Illinois (1999), D-III Millikin (2000-02), UW-Whitewater (2007-09), Northern Illinois (2010), Minnesota (2011-15), D-III Hamline (2016) and Buffalo (2017-20).

It was also announced on Friday that Kansas QB Jalon Daniels would remain with the program for his final collegiate season.

Wisconsin has apparently closed in on Grimes as its next offensive coordinator. The veteran assistant was Kansas’ offensive coordinator in 2024, after holding the same position at Baylor (2021-23) and BYU (2018-20). His hire indicates Wisconsin’s movement back to a pro-style, power-run-centric offense, a move that head coach Luke Fickell has hinted toward in recent press conferences.

We now await official word on Wisconsin’s hire of Grimes. After that, it’s all systems go as he works to rebuild a struggling offensive unit.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Report: Wisconsin closing in on offensive coordinator hire

Report: Wisconsin close to hiring Kansas offensive coordinator as its next OC

Wisconsin is closing in on hiring Kansas offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes as its next OC, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“A deal is not complete,” Thamel wrote on X. “But the sides are talking and those talks are expected to intensify in the near future.”

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

Wisconsin is looking to fill a position that became vacant when the program fired Phil Longo in November. Grimes is an experienced assistant with extensive roots coaching the offensive line and a power-run scheme.

The veteran assistant has coached offense at the college level since 1998. His notable stops include Arizona State (OL, 2001-03), BYU (OL, 2004-06), Colorado (OL, 2007-08), Auburn (OL, 2009-12), Virginia Tech (OL, 2013), LSU (OL, 2014-17), BYU (OC, 2018-20), Baylor (OC/TEs coach, 2021-23), Kansas (OC, 2024).

He does not have any prior connection to either Luke Fickell or the Wisconsin program — aside from coaching the BYU team that upset the Badgers in 2018.

Grimes’ Kansas offense finished the 2024 regular season ranked No. 53 in scoring offense (29.7 points per game), No. 13 in rush offense (211.4 yards per game) and No. 88 in pass offense (208.8 yards per game).

His potential hire reflects Luke Fickell’s recent comments about the Badgers returning to a more pro-style offense. At the least, Fickell has expressed a desire to build an offensive identity around the program’s classic calling card — the offensive line and the run game. Grimes fits that mold directly.

He also has extensive experience as an offensive coordinator, though hasn’t risen far since starting as BYU’s OC in 2018. That lack of trajectory could be good news for the Badgers, as Grimes may be more likely to stay around if he finds success. It does also signal the difference between him and some of the other top coordinator candidates.

We now await confirmation on if the reported ‘talks’ reach a deal.

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The Champions Classic apparently featured a basketball the players don’t usually play with

This would explain a lot of the poor shooting we saw in the Champions Classic

Last night in the Champions Classic, we saw Michigan State shoot 12-percent from three, Duke shoot 17-percent, and Kansas shoot 29-percent. According to Matt Jones of Ky Sports Radio, this could have been due to the use of a Spalding basketball in the games that teams don’t usually play with.

Even more interesting, Jones said that Kansas, who shot 40-percent from three last night, practiced with the Spalding ball all week. It seems like that foresight and practice paid off.

So, for Michigan State fans who are doom and gloom after watching the team shoot so poorly from three, there may have been some other factors in that. That being said, MSU hasn’t really shot well in any of their games this year, so take it with a grain of salt.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.