KJ Lawson: Five Good Fits for the Kansas Transfer
By Liam McKeone
KJ Lawson, brother of NBA prospect Dedric Lawson, has offically declared his intention to transfer from Kansas. This seems to indicate his brother is declaring for the draft, and Lawson likely wants more playing time than he received with the Jayhawks this season (9.9 minutes per game). With all of that in mind, here are five good fits for Lawson.
Memphis
Lawson transferred from his hometown school of Memphis before this season in order to play with his brother at Kansas. Now his brother is gone, and Penny Hardaway is the new coach at Memphis, as well as an old family friend of the Lawsons. Sure, it might be a little awkward, but it’s a natural landing spot for Lawson.
North Carolina
UNC’s season ended with a whimper at the hands of Auburn in the Sweet 16 this year. Their two best wings in Coby White and Nassir Little have already declared for the draft, and their senior leader in Luke Maye is graduating. Lawson is likely looking for playing time above almost everything else, and while the Tarheels usually have a good grouping of incoming freshmen each year, Lawson could easily carve out a starting spot and gain the exposure and stage he desires.
Tennessee
Similar to UNC, Tennessee’s season didn’t end the way they wanted to, and surely they’d welcome reinforcements in their effort to run it back next season. Lawson, at the very least, will provide quality backcourt depth for the Volunteers.
Villanova
Nova had a down year after appearing in the national championship game two of the previous three years, and Lawson could provide the boost Jay Wright needs to get the program back on track. Wright likes to have “his guys”, but Lawson could be another big contributor to Villanova’s recent history of successful transfers.
Indiana
Indiana will be looking for reinforcements with Romeo Langford declaring for the draft. They had high expectations coming into the year but ended up having a disappointing year, and Lawson could help them bounce back. He won’t be an impact player, but he’ll get the chance to make a difference.