Evaluating Terrence Edwards Jr. and AJ Storr in the James Madison-Wisconsin Game

March 23^rd, 2024

Yesterday, I took the time to watch James Madison and Wisconsin play against each other in a first round matchup in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. It was an opportunity to watch Wisconsin’s 6-6 sophomore swingman AJ Storr play, as well as to watch other unheralded prospects. In this game, James Madison’s 6-6 junior swingman Terrence Edwards Jr. made a favorable impression as he had a solid all-around showing to lead his team to an upset win over Wisconsin. Here are my thoughts on how he, Storr, and other various prospects fared in this game.

James Madison’s 6-6 junior swingman, Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 14 points, and he had 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block as his solid all-around play helped lead his team to a double-digit win over Wisconsin to help James Madison advance to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images, via WISN)

Terrence Edwards Jr. had a solid showing to help lead his team to a double-digit win over Wisconsin. He is a fairly athletic, skilled swingman that excelled at making plays, especially on offense. Edwards showed a decent ability to score off the dribble. He was able to score on a couple of strong drives to the hoop, and he also would draw fouls upon his opponents to get to the free throw line. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays, as he was able to use a pump fake to score on a quick cut, and he also drew free throws after running the floor to get the ball on the break.

Plus, he also flashed other scoring skills in this game. He was able to make a pull-up mid-range jumper and score on a turnaround jumper out of the post to show his shooting touch, but he struggled to make shots out of the post or mid-range jumpers consistently, as he would tend to miss on tough, contested shots. He also attempted a three, but missed his lone spot-up three-point attempt off the catch.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills. Edwards is an unselfish player that can pass and handle the basketball, and he showed that he can make passes off the dribble and throw accurate, patient passes to find the open man and set up scoring chances for his teammates. He also was able to set a solid off-ball screen and free up a cutter to help set up a score for him. On the downside, he did commit a couple of turnovers in this game. He threw a hasty pass that got intercepted once. Another time, he dribbled and collided into a defender and lost the ball that to another turnover.

Also, he did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. Edwards was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor to help his team on the glass. He also defended well. He would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. Overall, Terrence Edwards Jr. did a good job of making plays on offense, as he excelled at attacking the hoop to help his team score the basketball, and he also made solid decisions with the ball in his hands, as he showed off some point forward skills. He’ll need to improve his outside shot, but his versatility and feel for the game could enable him to make it to the NBA someday.

AJ Storr scored 13 points on just 5 of 14 shooting, as he missed all three of his three-point attempts, and he had 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist in his team’s loss to James Madison. (Photo: Mary Altaffer/Associated Press, via KSTP)

Wisconsin’s 6-6 sophomore, AJ Storr had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to James Madison. He is an athletic, energetic swingman that showed that he can be a downhill driver and score the basketball, but he struggled with his jump shot and shot selection, and he made some questionable decisions on offense in this game. On the other hand, he defended well, especially late in this game, but overall, he turned in a relatively disappointing performance.

Storr showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble. He has a solid first step, and he can finish plays using either hand. He would go hard to the hoop, and he also would draw fouls upon his defenders to get to the free throw line. Plus, he also thrived at scoring quickly on fast breaks. However, he struggled to knock down threes or mid-range jumpers, as he especially struggled to make pull-up jumpers. He also would sometimes take tough, contested shots, which would lead to misses.

He also was quite turnover prone in this game. For the positives, Storr is an unselfish player that will look to make the extra pass, and he was able to throw a patient pocket pass to find a roll man to notch an assist once. However, he tended to over-dribble and either get the ball ripped away from him or lose it to commit turnovers. Another time, he picked up his dribble too early and telegraphed a dribble handoff pass that led to another turnover.

He also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. Storr was active at crashing the glass, and he was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor to get his fair share of boards. Plus, he also defended well. Storr would apply considerable ball pressure and jump quickly on loose balls to get steals due to possessing solid length, athleticism, and instincts.

Overall, this wasn’t Storr’s best game, but he was able to make some solid plays on both ends of the floor. He’ll need to improve his shooting and shot selection, but his ability to create his own shot and play pesky defense combined with having solid athletic gifts could enable him to be an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Julien Wooden also had a strong showing in his team’s stunning win over Wisconsin. The 6-8 senior forward excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor, and he showed off versatile scoring skills to get his team the victory. Wooden generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to score in transition, as well as on a cut and a roll to the rim, as he would score on off-ball motion plays. He was able to throw down a strong dunk off of a cut in this game. Plus, Wooden was also able to make a deep, spot-up three off the catch. On the downside, he would sometimes take tough, contested shots around the basket, which would lead to some misses.

He also is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass, and Wooden was able to throw a long inbounds pass to set up a scoring chance for a teammate down court. Though he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, he was able to get multiple offensive boards in this game. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Wooden would get his hands on passes to get steals. On one play though, he grabbed an opponent off the ball, which led him to commit the foul that time.

Overall, Wooden had a solid showing in this game, and he showed off a variety of skills to help his team on both ends of the floor. He is a fairly athletic, energetic combo forward, and while he will need to be more assertive on offense, his versatile skill set could enable him to carve out a role in the NBA someday.

Wisconsin’s 7-0 center, Steven Crowl also had a solid showing in his team’s loss to James Madison. He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he made sound plays on offense to help his team in this game. Crowl showed a knack for scoring out of the post. He was able to score on a smooth jump hook over a shorter player, and he also would score on strong drop step moves. He also managed to throw down a dunk off of a roll to the rim. Plus, he also made an open, spot-up three off the catch to show his shooting range.

He also passed the ball well. He was able to make a solid pass to find a teammate on the break to notch an assist. He also threw an interior pass to find a cutter another time, and Crowl did a good job of patiently finding open teammates on the move. On the downside, Crowl was quite turnover prone, and there was one play where he was called for setting a moving screen off the ball, which led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover that time.

Also, Crowl did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He also played adequate defense in this game. He would contest shots in the paint to force misses, but sometimes he would be late to rotate at times, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Crowl played fairly well in his team’s loss to James Madison. He excelled as a scorer on the floor, but he also was turnover prone in this game. He’ll need to make smarter decisions on offense, but his ability to make shots combined with his size and athleticism could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.

T.J. Bickerstaff also had a solid showing to help lead James Madison to a win over Wisconsin. He’s a 6-9 senior big man that is the nephew of an NBA coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, and he excelled at making hustle plays to help his team in this game. Bickerstaff thrived at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to drive up court and use an overhead ball fake to score on a runner while getting fouled. He also would score on quick, backdoor cuts, and he was able to throw down a dunk off of a roll to the rim. Plus, he would draw fouls upon his defenders to frequently get to the free throw line. Bickerstaff was able to score around the basket another time. However, he missed on a turnaround jumper out of the post another time, and he also missed a long two from the corner once.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. Bickerstaff was able to throw an outlet pass to help set up a scoring chance for a teammate, but he also committed a pair of turnovers in this game. Bickerstaff did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well, and he would jump passes to get steals.

Overall, Bickerstaff played well, and he is a fairly athletic, high-motor big man that excelled at making hustle plays on both ends of the floor. He will need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal, but his motor, production, and intangibles could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA sometime down the road.

Max Klesmit also played well for Wisconsin in his team’s tough loss to James Madison. He is a sharpshooting combo guard that did a great job of making threes, as he would tend to make open corner threes, and he thrived at making spot-up threes off the catch. He also was able to make a smooth, step-back three, and he also ran quickly off a ball screen to make a corner three another time. He struggled more to score off the dribble, especially when he would look to drive to the basket.

He is also an unselfish player, and Klesmit would make passes off the dribble and find open shooters to set up scoring chances for them. Also, Klesmit was able to get boards on both ends of the floor to help his team on the glass. He also seemed to defend well. Klesmit was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also applied ball pressure to help force a ball-handling turnover another time.

Overall, Klesmit had a solid showing, and he excelled at making outside shots and at moving off the ball to get open to be able to do so. He’s not super quick, so he had some trouble scoring off the bounce. He may need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point at higher levels, but his ability to make outside shots could make him a prospect to watch in the future.

Michael Green III also had a solid showing to help lead his team to a win over Wisconsin. He excelled at knocking down outside shots, as he would make spot-up threes, and he also was able to score on a mid-range floater another time. He didn’t look to take many shots, but he was effective when he would do so. He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. He would throw timely passes to roll men to notch assists, but there was one play where he lost the ball out of bounds when handling it. Green also defended well, and he was able to jump on a loose ball and poke a ball away to help his team get steals. Overall, Green is an agile, skilled playmaker that excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor. He’s an undersized guard that will need to be able to consistently knock down shots at higher levels, but he played well in this game, and he could end up carving out a playing career in professional basketball.

Chucky Hepburn had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to James Madison. Hepburn is an agile, skilled combo guard that excelled at making threes, but he struggled to score consistently on two-point shots. He excelled at knocking down step-back threes to provide some floor spacing for his team. Hepburn was also able to change speeds to score on a strong drive to the hoop once, but he also would tend to miss on aggressive drives to the hoop. He also missed on a fadeaway jumper out of the post, and Hepburn tended to take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses.

Hepburn showed off adequate playmaking skills. He has solid foot speed and quickness, and he would make crisp passes off the dribble to set up scores for his teammates. However, he would sometimes over-dribble and commit ball-handling turnovers, and he also dropped a pass that led to another turnover.

Also, he was able to get several defensive boards to chip in on the glass. He also played perhaps adequate defense in this game. Hepburn was able to deflect a pass, and he also contested a corner three to force a miss. However, he would sometimes foul opponents on jump shots due to over-aggressiveness. Overall, Hepburn had some good moments in his team’s loss to James Madison. He is a fairly athletic, energetic combo guard that can sometimes make some solid plays on the court, but he will need to be a more consistent performer in games. He will need to stay in school to hone his game, but he could be a prospect to watch in the future.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Terrence Edwards Jr., AJ Storr, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.