Kentucky is rumored to land stud big man Reid Travis as a grad transfer

Reid Travis has options. The Stanford big man is currently testing the waters of the NBA Draft and weighing a pro career. But Travis could also return to college, either for Stanford or as a grad transfer who would be immediately eligible to play for another school.

Travis is going to be the biggest transfer in the country if he decides to go that route. There are already rumors connecting him to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Travis graduated from Stanford this spring after four years in school, but he still has a year of eligibility left because he took a medical redshirt during the 2015-16 season. He developed into one of the most dependable big men in college basketball during his time with the Cardinal, averaging 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game last season.

Now it appears he’s ready to make the jump to Lexington.

Travis will transfer from Stanford, according to Evan Daniels of 247 Sports. Daniels reports Kentucky is the “strong favorite” to land Travis, though he notes it isn’t a done deal yet. Villanova is also involved, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.

This is a potentially huge move that could make Kentucky the national title favorites if a few other things fall their way.

Kentucky is used to one-and-done players, but those are freshmen, not seasoned veterans like Travis. He’s already proven to be a monster inside scorer and rebounder, leading the Cardinal in both categories each of the last two years.

Travis is considered a “throwback” big man, doing his best work scoring with his back to the basket. Travis did hit 18 three-pointers this past season at a 29 percent clip after only attempting one three-pointer in his previous three years before last season.

His lack of shooting and shot blocking — Travis only blocked nine shots each of the last two years combined — is a major reason why NBA interest in him appears limited. But his game can still be devastating at the college level, which Pac-12 foes can attest to. Watch him drop 29 points on USC this past season to get a good view into his game:

Travis can be a go-to scorer for Kentucky from the moment he walks on campus. Of course, Kentucky still doesn’t know which players are coming back yet for next season.

Jarred Vanderbilt, P.J. Washington, and Wenyen Gabriel are each testing the NBA Draft waters without an agent. If Kentucky gets two of the three to come back, it’s going to have one of the deepest rosters in the country.

John Calipari has always built his teams with strong front courts. This year’s team would be loaded up front once again if Travis transfers in, regardless of who comes back out of the previously mentioned trio testing the draft waters. Kentucky already has versatile freshman forward EJ Montgomery coming in, as well as shot blocking center Nick Richards returning for his sophomore year.

Kentucky is less established on the perimeter, but it did overhaul its guards and wings over the offseason. Freshmen Immanuel Quickley, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson are expected to make an immediate impact, and recruit Ashton Hagans could also reclassify and join the team for next season.

It’s too early to crown a preseason No. 1 before we know who is entering the NBA Draft and who isn’t, but Kentucky will have a strong case with Travis. Veteran big men this dependable as scorers and rebounders rarely become available via transfer. It sounds like Kentucky is on the brink of landing him.