AJ Storr is transferring to Kansas after scoring the most points for Wisconsin this season.

Storr announced on Thursday via social media that he was making this move “with great excitement and humility.” Later Thursday, Kansas formally confirmed the signings of Storr and former South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo.

Kansas Adds AJ Storr After He Led Wisconsin In Scoring This Season

“Joining the Jayhawks is a dream realized, and I’m incredibly honored for this opportunity to be a part of the tradition and culture of Kansas Basketball,” Storr wrote on his Facebook page.

It was a busy day for Wisconsin transfer news, as Badgers point guard Chucky Hepburn confirmed on social media that he would also be joining the portal.

Storr, who stands 6-foot-7, averaged 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds for Wisconsin this season, helping the Badgers finish 22-14. Wisconsin received a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but lost 72-61 to James Madison in the first round.

Mayo revealed his commitment to Kansas on social media two weeks ago. This season, he was named Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 18.8 points and helping South Dakota State earn the conference’s automatic NCAA invitation. The Jackrabbits lost 82-65 against Iowa State in the tournament’s first round.

Kansas Adds AJ Storr After He Led Wisconsin In Scoring This Season

Kansas will be Storr’s third school in as many seasons. Storr began his college career at St. John’s, where he averaged 8.8 points during the 2022–2023 season.

While Storr only spent one year at Wisconsin, Hepburn was a three-year starter. As a freshman, he helped Wisconsin win a share of the Big Ten regular-season title in 2022 by hitting a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left in a 70-67 victory over Purdue.

This past season, Hepburn averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals. He averaged 12.2 points per game during the 2022-23 season and 7.9 points per game in 2021-22.

“As I embark on this new chapter and enter the transfer portal, please know that my decision is not a reflection of anything lacking at Wisconsin,” Hepburn wrote in an Instagram post announcing his decision and thanking Wisconsin’s players, coaches, and supporters. “Rather, it is an opportunity for me to explore new alternatives and continue my journey towards my dreams.

Kansas Adds AJ Storr After He Led Wisconsin In Scoring This Season

“I appreciate all Wisconsin has given me. I will take the teachings and memories I learned here with me wherever I go, and I will always be happy to be a Badger.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Few things in professional sports have been as guaranteed as Caitlin Clark’s selection first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes standout, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer in men’s and women’s basketball and holds the women’s record for the most points scored in a single season, will begin her professional career with the Indiana Fever.

Clark, who helped attract record-breaking TV viewership and sellout crowds in venues throughout the country during her final collegiate season, says she is most excited to bring her passing skills to the Fever, a skill she believes “gets overlooked.”

Clark, who helped attract record-breaking TV viewership and sellout crowds in venues throughout the country

The 22-year-old is especially excited about the opportunity to play with Fever forward Aliyah Boston, who was unanimously named the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year after being selected first overall in the draft last year.

“I think the scoring and the long shots is what everybody falls in love with,” Clark said. “Then, moving to an organization with one of the best post players in the world [Boston].

“My point guard eyes lit up at that. Aliyah has previously been one of my colleagues [on the Under-19 Team USA roster]. I’m excited. I can’t wait.

“There’s a lot to say about her: The Rookie of the Year is one of the greatest players in the league, in my opinion. As I already stated, my primary responsibility as a point guard is to pass the ball to Aliyah every day. That is what I am going to do. I’ll go in there and say, ‘Make a layup.’ She is going to make my life easier.

“She’s amazing, but what I love most about her is that she’s a wonderful person. She enjoys the game, is familiar with it, supports it, and has a grin that touches many people and delights them when they see her. “I can’t wait to be her teammate again.”

Clark has had an “insane” time recently.
Clark claims the last few weeks have been “pretty insane.”

She only had two days at home after losing to South Carolina in the NCAA Championship Game, just enough time for a home-cooked lunch from her mother before going to Los Angeles and then New York for the draft on Monday.

“I think the biggest thing is I’m just very lucky to be in this moment, and all these opportunities and things, they’re once in a lifetime,” she adds, reflecting on a hectic few months.

“When things get boring or you have to do something, I believe the most important thing is to look at it as an opportunity. This is not something that everyone gets to do. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m trying to soak up every moment of it because I know how quickly things can change, and I have a lot of people on my side.”

Clark has been filming a documentary for ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, where she also serves as an executive producer, and will appear alongside new Chicago Sky draftee Kamilla Cardoso and UCLA Bruins player Kiki Rice.

“If you’re a women’s basketball fan or not a women’s basketball fan, I encourage you to watch the show when it comes out,” Clark said. “I have seen bits and pieces. It’s simply great.

“It really allows you to understand the student-athlete for way more than just a basketball player, and I think that’s really important.”

Clark has pursued a variety of off-court ventures in addition to her basketball career, including sponsorships, name, image, likeness (NIL) agreements, and business prospects.

She is unquestionably one of the most marketable athletes in the United States, with her new Fever jersey allegedly selling out the instant she was drafted.

Clark has been filming a documentary for ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions

Clark feels her experience juggling numerous aspects of her life and dealing with high pressure and expectations in college will serve her well in the WNBA.

“If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year,” she said.

“Sponsorships remain the same. People around me, including agents, have been able to assist and guide me over the last year. I’m unsure I’d be where I am now if it hadn’t been for several of them.

“My mom and dad have done a lot. That, I believe, is the most significant factor. “My advice is to just lean on the people around you,” Clark continued.

“I do not have to do everything. In college, I always stated that my primary emphasis was basketball. That’s why I’ve had so many other opportunities in my life: it’s because of how I conduct myself and play the game.

“In my professional career, I intend to do the same thing. My main focus is basketball, and I strive to be the best I can.”

Clark will graduate from Iowa on May 14, and she says it’s “pretty exciting” not to have to go to school. She adds that her “110% focus” is now on her professional basketball career.

She joins a squad that hasn’t had much success in recent years. The Fever’s last playoff trip came in 2016 when they fell in the first round to the Phoenix Mercury.

Clark said the team’s major goal is to “get back to championship habits.”

Clark, who helped attract record-breaking TV viewership and sellout crowds in venues throughout the country

“I’m very lucky to be going to an organization that really loves women’s basketball,” she said. You saw it today. I believe they had 17,000 tickets claimed for just watching the draft. That reflects the excitement in Indianapolis. It’s an excellent basketball city.

“Obviously, the Pacers’ postseason performance this year has been exceptional. I suppose I am just excited. As you mentioned, the club has a lot of young potential, and the goal is to get back to the playoffs and win as many basketball games as possible.”

The new WNBA season begins on May 14, with training camps starting on April 28 and preseason games on May 3.

SOURCE – (CNN)