Kansas’ AJ Storr has been working out with Team Bahamas in pursuit of Olympics berth

Kansas newcomer guard AJ Storr, who competed against the Jayhawks with Team Bahamas in a pair of exhibition games last summer in Puerto Rico, is back with the Bahamas National Team this summer.

Storr, a 6-foot-7 junior transfer from the University of Wisconsin, originally from Rockford, Illinois, is eligible to play for the Bahamian team because his father, Ambrozino Storr Sr., was born in Nassau, Bahamas.

First up for AJ Storr, is a pair of exhibition games Wednesday and Thursday at the Greek Basketball Federation’s Acropolis Tournament in Piraeus, Greece. Team Bahamas will meet Montenegro on Wednesday and then Greece on Thursday.

That tourney is a tuneup for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament on July 2-7 in Valencia, Spain. Bahamas, which has never qualified for the Olympics in a team sport, will battle five other countries for a spot in the Olympics. Bahamas, which must win the tourney to advance to the 2024 games, will open with Finland on July 2 and Poland on July 3.

The Star has been told that Storr is in Greece with Team Bahamas, but it should be noted the team has not yet made final cuts for the squad that will compete for a spot in the Olympics qualifying tourney in Spain.

Storr was one of more than 20 players who participated in a team training camp last week in Houston. He was joined by players such as the NBA’s Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon and Klay Thompson. Others at camp included Donnie Freeman, Deyton Albury, Sammy Hunter, Keino Burrows and Lourawls Nairn.

Team Bahamas coach Chris DeMarco, an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, told tribune242.com that 15 players would travel with the team to Greece. In all, 12 will be on the Team Bahamas roster at the qualifying tourney and if it advances, the Olympic squad. The Olympics will run from July 26 to Aug. 11 in Paris.

“Obviously, we know what’s at stake and the challenges ahead of us, but we want to make sure that we put the best 12 players available to us so that they can compete in the qualifier in Valencia,” DeMarco told tribune242.com.

“Our whole goal is building chemistry and be as prepared as possible when the games count. Obviously, we think we can play with anybody. We proved that last summer. But there’s a lot of growth for us. We still have to build chemistry with this new team. We have to make sure we’re sharp defensively and offensively. We still have a lot to cover, but it was great to get everybody in the same place (Houston) and for us to get together and to get to know each other. Now it’s time for us to get to that next step and get ready for Spain.”

Last August, Storr averaged 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in a pair of exhibition games against KU. The Jayhawks and Team Bahamas split the pair of games last summer.

Storr averaged a team-leading 16.8 points per game on 43.4% shooting for the Badgers (22-14) his sophomore season. He averaged 3.9 rebounds per contest with 32 assists to 57 turnovers. He earned second-team all-Big Ten honors.

Storr prior to heading to Houston for camp had been in Lawrence since early June for summer workouts and classes.