AJ Storr struggles could hinder Kansas basketball's long-term potential

For the second straight season, the Kansas basketball team looks extremely flawed early in conference play. The Jayhawks followed a loss in the Big 12 opener to West Virginia at home with three straight victories, only to make tons of frustrating mistakes in a loss to No. 2 Iowa State on Wednesday.

While there are still plenty of games to be played, there seems to be a recurring theme with KU's transfer additions. It has taken lots of time for head coach Bill Self to believe in some of his newcomers, as he continues to rely heavily on returning homegrown players like KJ Adams and Dajuan Harris. One player who has really struggled to find his footing is AJ Storr, who has been completely ineffective since arriving in Lawrence.

Kansas basketball may not reach its ceiling without an effective AJ Storr

Coming into the season, Storr was arguably the best NBA prospect on the team. He was coming off a year in which he led Wisconsin to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, averaging a team-high 16.8 points in a featured role. His usage was expected to reduce considering he would be sharing the floor with Hunter Dickinson, but

Storr has been one of, if not the worst player on the Jayhawks. He reached an all-time low against Arizona State, playing a season-low three minutes and turning the ball over twice while missing his only shot attempt. In addition to a 39.8% field goal percentage, Self has criticized his performances multiple times, showing that he doesn't feel it's necessary to make an effort to get him going.

Even though Kansas has enough depth to get through games with its current rotation, the problem is that Storr was supposed to be one of the leaders on this squad. He came from a respected program and offered shot-creating, which KU desperately needed.

Storr got to the charity stripe 4.3 times per game last year. That number isn't exactly staggering, but it would easily be the most by any Jayhawk this year. Hunter Dickinson leads the team in free throw attempts, averaging a measly 2.8 per game. Storr's best quality is his ability to get downhill and finish around the basket.

It's worth noting that Storr arguably has the quickest hook on the team, primarily for his defensive struggles. But what he doesn't bring on the defensive end can be offset by positive offensive outings, if they were to ever come. That brings us to our next point — since the beginning of conference play, Adams is averaging 5.4 points and 6.0 rebounds on 32.3% field goal shooting. KU's struggles to put points on the board can certainly be attributed to Self's trust in Adams.

Kansas basketball is more than halfway through the regular season, yet the offseason's highest-rated transfer addition is in the doghouse. If fans have learned anything from this season, it's that Self won't change his ways unless Storr improves. Until Storr and fellow newcomer Rylan Griffen truly get it going, it will be difficult to buy into this team as a championship contender.