One thing that is for sure: given Mr. Travis' dedication, strategizing and willingness to take brave steps to broaden and make himself better, wherever and in whatever he ends up, he will be highly successful.
4
Calipari’s delight at being able to discuss the Supreme Court or presidential politics “ after so many years” says it all. If these were really college players, such discussions would be a normal part of the academic day and quite naturally spill over into team downtime. He singularly perpetrated the non- academic “ one and done” mentality that has taken hold of college basketball. It’s more than a bit disingenuous to talk about his enjoyment at encountering a real STUDENT athlete.
Let the NBA run their own farm team and return college athletics to what it is supposed to be. Even Coach Calipari might enjoy the experience
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Here is a young man who is using the system as much as the system is using him. Still it is a system of exploiting the dreams of kids in order to make millions for the schools.
The only thing worse than NCAA basketball is NCAA football. At least if a basketball player doesn't make the NBA he has a chance to play in Europe. Also, he call still walk and his brain won't be damaged.
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This gives Calipari something that has long eluded him -- a player who graduated from college. Congratulations!
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But but but - PJ is in a cast today!!!! :(
1
Wow -- I had no idea our NBA pipeline was so screwed up that aspiring players would continue to pretend to be students into graduate school. Time for reform.
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You might want to read the article with greater care.
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Good for Travis. He is undoubtedly gifted. Not so ironically, here is a piece about UK which doesn't mention what Travis is studying there other than basketball.
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Reid Travis has impressed me since he hit the floor in the Transy game. While I enjoy watching the latest hot shots get a bit of maturity before leaving it is wonderful to see a man take the floor.
The notion of him and Coach Cal discussing politics has me intrigued since I know how difficult that can be in this area if you have any sort of public profile.
His play has been steady, forceful and a delight to watch. I hope he is in good shape for the NCAA tournament. This could be quite the year! Go Cats!
Nice article. This is one case where a player is using the system, openly mind you, instead of the system using the player. Now, America, get over the amateur illusion and start paying them.
1
I hope we bring him back him to play for the wolves y’all’ll be sorry!!
No one has a problem with graduate transfers that are chasing their dream and want to play at a higher level, and for all intensive purposes they are free agents that only once get to transfer without sitting out a year. The program that he transferred to is another story, for all intensive purposes it and a few others are the equivalent of NBA D-league teams or a sports academy where someone stays only until professional teams or an agent calls via the back door. The player even acknowledges the situation at Kentucky when he says “so where can I go where I’m playing against a pro every day in practice?” Kentucky is not the only one running a program for professionals, they have plenty of company in recruiting players that need only to manage to stay eligible for one semester before they bail out. If the NCAA or the Conferences were not such a complete sham, they would take every school that doesn't graduate their players of major sports at the same rate as the rest of their student body and reduce the number of scholarships they can offer by some number until they do.
3