Dedric and K.J. Lawson will transfer to Kansas
By Chris Stone
Dedric and K.J. Lawson are headed to Kansas.
Kansas appears to have become the hottest transfer destination in college basketball. After landing former top 10 recruit Malik Newman as a transfer from Mississippi State last summer and former top 50 recruit Sam Cunliffe from Arizona State this winter, head coach Bill Self has picked up two of the biggest names on the transfer market this summer.
According to CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish, Dedric and K.J. Lawson are transferring to the Jayhawks from Memphis. K.J. appeared to confirm the news via his Twitter account. Both players are former four-star recruits. They will sit out a year per NCAA transfer rules before being eligible to play for Kansas in the 2018-19 season.
Dedric, a 6-foot-8 forward, was one of the best players in college basketball last season in terms of statistical output. He averaged 19.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 blocks per game as a sophomore. The only other player to post similar numbers since the 1992-93 season? Tim Duncan in his senior campaign at Wake Forest.
He still has areas to improve, though. Dedric has struggled to score efficiently in his two seasons with Memphis, posting just a 51.7 true shooting percentage. He hoists nearly three 3-pointers per game as well, but has connected on just 30.4 percent of those attempts.
K.J., meanwhile, is a 6-foot-7 forward, who averaged 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season. He also struggles to score efficiently, but should be able to work with the Kansas staff on that during his transfer season.
The move could theoretically have long-term recruiting implications for the Jayhawks. Dedric and K.J. aren’t the only two talented basketball players in the Lawson family tree. Their younger brother, Chandler, is a top 25 recruit in the Class of 2019, their cousin, D.J. Jeffries, is a top 10 recruit in the same class and their youngest brother, Jonathan, is a top 10 recruit in the class of 2021.
The news comes one day after Kansas received word that junior guard Devonte’ Graham would return for his senior season.