T.J's Player Preview: Reid Travis

Kentucky Sports Radio will preview every player heading into UK's Bahamas trip starting on August 8th. The complete schedule can be found here and all games are on SEC Network. Basics: Travis is a 6-foot-8, 245-pound power forward from Minneapolis, Minn. (where the 2019 Final Four will be played). Travis played four seasons at Stanford and opted to transfer to Kentucky this summer. Because Travis had graduated and Stanford didn't offer the grad-program he wanted to enroll in, he was immediately eligible to play at Kentucky. Travis originally picked Stanford over Duke, Minnesota, Gonzaga, Arizona and Notre Dame. It will make you realize how old Travis is by knowing he took some of those official visits back in 2013. 2017-2018: Playing for Stanford last season Travis had his best season yet. He averaged 19.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Travis hit zero threes in his first three seasons, but hit 18 last year and was a 29.5 percent three-point shooter. He's likely to improve those numbers this season. Travis averaged seven free-throw attempts per game last season and was a 67.5 percent free throw shooter. Not superb, but he's ever-improving from the line. His first season he was just under a 46 percent shooter from the stripe. He's come a long way. Bahamas Expectations: Many UK fans have never seen some of the freshmen play, but there are plenty that have never watched a Stanford basketball game. Folks want to see what this experienced, powerful big will bring to the table and UK fans won't have to wait until November. Travis is a more versatile four than many fans think. He can extend the floor and he's not just a brute inside. He is powerful and a great rebounder. He lives on the glass for putback points, but he has a solid post game. Don't be surprised to see Travis play more on the perimeter than he ever did at Stanford. No, he won't be a three for UK, but the Cats will likely pull him away from the basket to create lanes for the guards and at times allow P.J. Washington to post up on the block. What I'm most excited about is watch Travis play with other great players. His freshman season Stanford won the NIT. He played 24.4 minutes per game during that run and averaged 6.4 points to go with 6.6 rebounds per game. Besides an NIT run he's never played in the postseason and for the last few seasons he's always been the first option on Stanford. I can't wait to see how he adapts to other stars in the Bahamas and everything I'm hearing would indicate he's a selfless player that will thrive when he's not the focal point for opponents. Another thing UK will consider is Travis' durability. He's missed 35 games during his career at Stanford and only had one season where he didn't miss time (last year). He missed 22 games in 2015-2016, but also missed time the year before and after. The Cats may want to be cautious having him play four games in four days. Plus, he's an old man (he'll be 23 in November). Highlights: (note: while most will find the music bad in the video blow, some will find the language offensive. You probably just want to mute the sound) https://vimeo.com/274978436 T.J.'s Player Preview Schedule: July 24th: Reid Travis July 25th: P.J. Washington July 26th: Jemarl Baker July 27th: Nick Richards July 30th: Quade Green July 31st: E.J. Montgomery August 1st: Tyler Herro August 2nd: Immanuel Quickley August 3rd: Keldon Johnson August: 6th: Ashton Hagans August 7th: Walk-ons