The writing was on the wall that changes were coming for Kansas just moments after the Jayhawks got rocked by Gonzaga in the Round of 32 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament to mercifully end a season that started with them named the preseason’s No. 1 team and deteriorated in a hurry during Big 12 play. A season-ending knee injury for All-American wing Kevin McCullar was the final straw, but Kansas was leaking oil well before that.
“I think for the last month, I’ve been thinking about next season, to be honest,” coach Bill Self said. “Not in the moments during the game, but obviously, we played — we had eight guys on scholarship that were healthy there late. Injuries are part of the game. That’s not an excuse. But we could have done a much better job as a staff of putting more guys out there that we could play. And so that’s something that I’ve thought about for a long time. The thing about it is, in basketball, early on you can play through some things. But the course of a season, there’s a grind that goes with it and bodies get run down, injuries occur. It’s all part of it. When you don’t have as much firepower or that maybe you’ve had in past years, it certainly showed this year.”
Self took responsibility for building a top-heavy roster and vowed to be different. It wasn’t just lip service, either. Self backed it up by accruing one of the best transfer hauls in the country. Even after a devastating season-ending injury to sophomore Elmarko Jackson, Kansas will enter 2024-25 with a fierce nine-man rotation … on paper.
Let’s dive into the scouting reports and realistic expectations for each of KU’s transfer additions.
Rylan Griffen, from Alabama
Expected role: Starting shooting guard
Griffen has turned himself into a high-level role player. He shot over 39% on 146 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season at Alabama, and Griffen became comfortable with the rock in his hands. If his defender went under the screen, Griffen could step back behind his big man and pop the trey. If he couldn’t get all the way to the rim, Griffen could settle for a nifty floater. He didn’t get to the rim a ton but he shot 64% amidst the trees. He’s not just a scorer, either. Griffen is a willing ball-mover who improved as the season progressed with his reads.
He gives Kansas the elite floor-spacer it desperately needed, and Griffen can improve his NBA Draft stock with his defense. Griffen could be an elite 3-and-D option once the D catches up to the 3. He’s shown flashes on that end but it’s time to level up.
Zeke Mayo, from South Dakota State
Expected role: Guard rotation
Mayo is just a bucket, but his shots will come in different spots at Kansas than they did at South Dakota State. Mayo is expected to move into more of an off-ball role which should unlock more catch-and-shoot opportunities. Mayo drilled 43% of his 96 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last year. He’s a good shooter and KU should generate some easy looks. He’ll shoot way more catch-and-shoot 3s next season. Can he stay in that 40% range? But, Mayo is a midrange maestro and that ability to go get a bucket should be a huge stress reliever for a KU offense that needed an extra jolt.
Mayo is probably closer to a two-level scorer than a true three-level scorer, but his comfort as a primary scorer/creator at South Dakota State should help him ace a scaled-down role for Kansas. Mayo projects as KU’s sixth man. Kansas didn’t have enough guards who could handle it last year. Mayo is a big help in that regard.
AJ Storr, from Wisconsin
Expected role: Starting wing
Storr has all the physical tools to be one of the best players in the Big 12. The 6-foot-7, 205-pound wing is such a tough cover when he gets the rock on the empty side and can get downhill. He’s a very good slasher with both hands. Wisconsin ran numerous pindowns to get to his left hand. He also proved he can be a post-up weapon and handle a fair share of pick-and-rolls.
Storr is a tried and true scorer. He’s on the floor to get buckets. He has more than two assists in just four of 69 career games. Improving his decision-making could help Storr elevate into a potential NBA Draft pick. Storr could carry Wisconsin and kill ’em too. He terrified both coaching staffs, at times. Storr’s fearlessness can get him in (and out) of trouble. Storr can be a bit of a bull in the china shop on his drives, and he shot just 55% at the rim. That number can and should be so much higher. If Storr embraces cutting with a purpose, Bill Self could spoon-feed him four points a game with brilliant half court sets. If he embraces running the floor hard in transition, that’s another easy six points a game. Storr can get 20 on any given night for Kansas without even trying.
Can he make others better? Can he eliminate the negative plays defensively? Can he double down on getting to the free-throw line and limit some of the heaves from downtown? If so, Storr is a First Team, All-Big 12 guy and one of the top players in the country.
Shakeel Moore, from Mississippi State
Expected role: Backcourt depth
If Shak Moore is Kansas’ fifth guard, that’s a very good thing. The veteran is who he is at this point. Moore is a solid shooter. He’s a career 31% from downtown, but he shot a career-best 36% last season (albeit on just 2.4 attempts per game). Moore’s game is catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and drives. He had a 45% rim rate last season. For a 6-foot-1 guard, Moore finishes through traffic at a high level (59%) and he can play above the rim. But, Moore does not have much of a midrange game and his decision-making is merely OK.
Defensively, Moore is reliable and pesky. He should be able to guard point guards and shooters. Making 3s, attacking long closeouts, running in transition and defending his butt off is Moore’s path to playing time for this loaded roster.
Kansas also added Rice transfer Noah Shelby, but he’s expected to redshirt the 2024-25 season and is not included in this exercise.
