Photo by Keyli Chisesi | Go Big Blue Country
John Calipari Found Out that Reid Travis wanted to be at Kentucky
Kentucky and John Calipari made a significant splash on Wednesday when Reid Travis announced his commitment to Kentucky.
Travis, a 6-foot-8 grad transfer from Stanford, will have one season of collegiate eligibility remaining and he will be immediately eligible for the 2018-19 season.
Related: Travis Commits to Kentucky
Travis enrolled at Stanford as a member of the 2014 recruiting class, the same class that Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Tyler Ulis, and Trey Lyles were apart of. He was rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports and he played in the McDonald’s All-American game.
He spent four seasons at Stanford after being granted a medical redshirt after suffering an injury during his sophomore season. He averaged 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds in 2016-17 and followed that with 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds as a junior.
“Sunday I had the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream of graduating from Stanford University,” Travis said. “I built relationships and memories at Stanford that will last a lifetime. I’m extremely proud to be able to say that I’m a Stanford alum. I want to thank my friends, coaches, teammates, alumni, professors, administrators and student body for playing such a big role in the man that I’ve become over these past four years.
Related: Travis Committed to Kentucky via a Video to Social Media
“With that being said, I’m looking forward to a fresh start and another year of working towards my dreams. As I move on to the next step of my career, I wanted to find a school that will continue to align with my academic and athletic interests. After getting to know the staff and players on my visit, it became clear to me that there was no better place for me to start this next journey in my life then at the University of Kentucky.
“I’m excited to work hard every day and give everything of myself to the program to compete for a national championship and turn the game I love into a profession. Big Blue Nation, I can’t wait to get started.”
John Calipari makes it sound like Travis wanted to be at Kentucky the entire time and he feels like he can definitely make Kentucky a better team.
“I felt good about where we stood with next year’s team, but when I found out how much Reid wanted to be here, I had to take a look and say, ‘OK, can he help us? Can he help our team become even more potent and can we help him reach his dreams?’ The answers were absolutely,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “You’re talking about a two-time all-conference player who could have very well entered the NBA Draft with what he’s done in his career. He was one of the best big men in the Pac-12 last season, if not the country. Our fans know when it comes to talent and experience, I’m always picking talent, but Reid gives us both.”
