College Basketball Player Finds 9th School In 9 Years After Sabotaging NIL Value

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AJ Storr has committed to UNLV.


AJ Storr has committed to play at UNLV for his final season. The former four-star basketball recruit will suit up for his ninth team in nine years dating back to high school.

The transfer decision represents the beginning of the end of an everchanging saga. Storr has never been one to stay in one place long, which might’ve cost him some NIL opportunities.

Storr’s story has long been publicized. The guard played at four different schools before college, making various stops across the country.

He started at Kankakee High in Illinois as a freshman. He later moved onto Bishop Gorman in Nevada.

The COVID pandemic caused a cancellation of his 2020 season, resulting in another move, this time to AZ Compass Prep. After exhausting his high school eligibility, he played a year at IMG Academy in Florida.

That final move allowed him to showcase his abilities on a national stage. It resulted in major interest from notable college programs.

He signed with St. John’s in 2022, but the nomadic tendencies wouldn’t end at the next level.

AJ Storr has committed to UNLV.

The Runnin’ Rebels will be Storr’s fifth college team.

The guard made an instant impact with St. John’s as a freshman, averaging 8.8 points per night across 17 starts. Despite All-Conference honors, he left New York after one year to transfer to Wisconsin. It was in Madison where he became a household name.

Storr led the team to the NCAA Tournament by scoring 16.8 points a game. He was named second-team All-B10. He averaged 22.5 points per night on the Badgers’ conference championship run.

The following offseason, he looked to capitalize on his name, image, and likeness. He reportedly demanded a $1 million payday in the transfer portal. Eventually, he signed with Kansas.

Production and playing time took an immediate hit. He started just four games compared to his 36 the season prior. He scored 6.1 points a game on career-low shooting (38%).

The inconsistency followed him to his next school, though scoring totals did go up. At Ole Miss, Storr averaged 15.5 points per game, but he was often too inconsistent to be relied upon day in and day out.

There were 10 games with 20 points or more, but there were also seven performances with eight points or less. As a result, he was often in and out of the lineup, making 15 starts across 35 games.

He hopes the move to UNLV results in a career revival and NBA opportunity. You have to wonder what would’ve happened had he stayed put.

AJ Storr’s stock has dipped.

And as a result, so has his NIL value. The guard started his career with a national brand in St. John’s. The Red Storm have since become one of the sport’s top spenders.

In Storr’s defense, there was a coaching change that potentially impacted his transfer. Rick Pitino took over for Mike Anderson, the man that recruited the guard to New York. The move wasn’t necessarily surprising.

Wisconsin, however, is a different story. Greg Gard brought Storr to Madison. The coach will soon begin his 12th season at the helm.

Storr thrived in Gard’s offense becoming one of the league’s top scoring threats. It seems the second transfer was motivated more by money than anything else.

Unfortunately, AJ Storr has been unable to replicate his sophomore numbers, a result that’s tanked his NIL value. He got a payday at Kansas, though it reportedly wasn’t the seven-figure deal he was seeking.

It’s unlikely that he’ll receive top dollar to transfer to UNLV where his new head coach was recently heard begging for NIL support.

Hopefully, Storr is able to rediscover his Wisconsin form and lead UNLV to the NCAA Tournament. The talent is there. It could result in an NBA payday which would make all the movement worth it.