Should KU Jayhawks fans be concerned as Storr & Griffen struggle? Bill Self isn’t
The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team is on a roll.
KU (7-0) has already registered three quality wins in seven games, beating North Carolina, Duke and Michigan State.
Still, there’s a feeling both inside and outside the program that KU hasn’t come close to hitting its ceiling yet. One big reason for that outlook: High-profile transfers Rylan Griffen and AJ Storr are still adjusting to their roles.
Trying to get settled
Griffen has averaged 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.1 minutes through KU’s first seven games. After starting the first five of those, he lost his spot in the starting lineup ... to Storr.
Storr, too, has had an up-and-down early season. He’s averaging 8.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21 minutes per game.
Those figures are a far cry from the 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds he averaged at Wisconsin last season, but Storr also has a much different role now with the Jayhawks.
He’s not the only offensive option at Kansas, which he understands. When asked the most challenging thing about adjusting to playing at KU, he didn’t mince words.
“I think it’s really just contributing towards winning every night,” Storr said in mid-November. “Just playing the right way. Keeping the main thing, the main thing — going out there and trying to get the dub.”
Earlier in that same news conference, Storr said his dream is to play in the NBA and that all the talent KU possesses will help him adjust to (eventually) playing with talented guards at the professional level.
As he tries to find his place among this talented Jayhawks roster, Storr sometimes appears to be overthinking.
KU coach Bill Self has urged Storr to be more aggressive. And Storr seemed to master the balance between aggression and composure against Duke, scoring 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks (and Storr), he hasn’t been able to do that consistently. He dropped just four points on 1-for-4 shooting against Furman on Saturday.
Griffen, like Storr, is still finding his way on Self’s squad. He was a starter for a Final Four team at Alabama, but he said the two programs’ systems are entirely different.
Unlike Storr, Griffen’s issues aren’t stemming from a lack of aggression. Instead, he needs to know when to shoot the ball and do so without hesitation. That’s part of why Self removed him from the starting lineup.
Last season, Griffen averaged 5.3 three-pointers per game while shooting 39.5% from deep. Although he’s playing about five minutes less per game this season, he’s attempting only 4.1 threes per game so far (making them at a 34.5% clip).
“I can get better at reacting instead of thinking ...” he said. “I’ve just got to keep on practicing and keep on playing in games, and then I’ll be really way (more) comfortable. Even at Alabama last year, it was the same type of stuff.
“I didn’t start off that great. (I was) still learning my teammates (and) learning what the coach wanted and all that. Then, later on in the year is when I became my best.”
Hunter Dickinson knows
There’s no doubt adapting to KU’s system and pace of play takes time. Just ask former Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson.
“I would say it’s not difficult to play under Coach Self,” Dickinson said. “I’d say it’s just something you got to get used to. It can be hard at first because you’re not used to his coaching style and stuff like that. But once he believes in you and has that trust in you, I feel like it’s super fun and enjoyable to play under him.
“I think that’s what a lot of guys were struggling with at first. It was kind of just figuring out what he wants, especially offensively ... What’s a good shot and what’s a bad shot.”
Dickinson continued: “I think the transfers are used to playing a certain way. You’ve kind of got to get used to them playing that way because that’s who they are, and that’s what makes them special.”
Dickinson adjusted well after a few initial hiccups last season, his first at KU. He was a consensus All-American second-team selection after averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds in 2023-24.
Griffen and Storr aren’t likely to have that sort of impact here, but each has room to improve. Self understands this team’s ceiling hinges on them feeling comfortable and playing to their full potential.
“I still think that there’s a level that we have to get to, primarily with AJ and Rylan, that they’re comfortable and can play more to their talent level, as opposed to just trying to fit in,” Self said.
He knows there’s a learning curve for all new Jayhawks.
“It takes guys different amounts (of time),” he said. “If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think (Joel) Embiid started here before Christmas or right before Christmas. I don’t think Mario (Chalmers) started here until a certain time.
“We’ve had some guys that maybe took… we’re not talking about longer, we’re talking about weeks. We’re not talking about years or months. So I see everybody being on schedule.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
