Kentucky coach John Calipari said again this week that the graduate transfer rule that could bring Stanford graduate Reid Travis, a 6-8 power forward, to Kentucky.
Calipari was at a UK satellite camp in Elizabethtown Monday when he talked about the graduate transfer rule that he has criticized in the past when players left smaller schools to join Power Five teams. However, he said he also has to do what is best for his team even if it might not be in line with his personal view.
“I have a responsibility to this team and university and it’s not a rule I developed. If we take advantage of it, then it will be a rule I developed, but it’s not a rule I’m even in favor of. But my job is to make sure that this program is in the best position that it can be in,” Calipari said.
Adding Travis, a two-time all-Pac 12 player who averaged almost a double-double last season, would definitely make UK better. He’s started 82 games and would be the most experienced player on Kentucky’s team if he did transfer.
CBSSports.com reported he will visit both Kentucky and Villanova after Stanford ends classes in mid-June.
Calipari said would be “easier for me to swallow” to have Travis transfer from a major university to another major university but it would not make him change his mind about the rule.
“I’ve seen the coach at Drexel get fired. I’ve seen the coach at Cleveland State get fired. And I’ve said that this isn’t right. It’s not right for the game, and it’s not right for those coaches,” Calipari said.
(STORY BY LARRY VAUGHT)