STANFORD, Calif. – Reid Travis is strong and physical on the basketball court as befitting a first-team all-conference player and the Pac-12's leading returning scorer and rebounder.
Recovered after off-season shoulder surgery and past the leg issues that plagued him for his first two seasons, health alone is reason enough to expect something intriguing from the 6-foot-8 redshirt junior. But Travis has much more to offer going into the new season, which begins Friday at 4 p.m. against Cal Poly at Maples Pavilion.
It seems safe to say that the real Reid Travis – with versatile skills and a perimeter game – finally is here.
.@2ReidTravis2 earns the Preseason All-American nod from ESPN.
— Stanford Men's Hoops (@StanfordMBB) October 23, 2017
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"I think that's accurate," said Travis, who averaged 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds last season. "This is the best I've felt health-wise and I definitely feel like a lot of things are coming together."
Travis immediately made an impression at Stanford as a skilled post player. But his free-throw shooting -- 46 percent as a freshman and 48 percent as a sophomore -- undid much of his impact. Teams could sag, hack, put him on the line and collect rebounds. Travis couldn't be fully entrusted with the ball at crunch time because he immediately would become a target.
"Right or wrong, everyone wanted to help me," Travis said. "You field a lot of suggestions, but once that gets in your mind, it's very difficult to be a good shooter."
When Jerod Haase took over as Stanford's Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men's Basketball in 2016, one focus was improving Travis' performance from the line. Jeff Wulbrun, Haase's James C. Gaither Assistant Coach, made Travis his project.
"He wasn't comfortable with his shot, but my plan was not to change it until he was willing to do so," Haase said. "You can't make changes like that unless the person making the change is willing to make the change. He has worked and has been willing to listen."
Travis didn't want to try something and give it up if it didn't feel right. He wanted a long-term commitment. Under Wulbrun's eye, the process took six months. It evolved from trying different techniques two feet from the basket, to settling on a comfortable routine, to repeating it as he moved slowly away from the basket.
The improvement was evident when he went 19-for-22 at the line in a loss at Kansas on Dec. 3. He went on to shoot 65 percent during the season and changed the way teams could defense Stanford. Defenders now had to move their feet to guard Travis and open up the floor for teammates.
More preseason love for R2T2.
— Stanford Men's Hoops (@StanfordMBB) November 6, 2017
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His goal this season is to reach the line 10 times a game, a figure he reached only once in Pac-12 play last season. Not only will this set a personal tone for aggressiveness, but it can get the opposing bigs in foul trouble, get Stanford into the bonus, and change the substitution patterns and gameplans of opponents.
It's one example of how Travis' role continues to expand this season. In addition to normal task of posting up, Travis will move farther away from the basket. They tried it late last season, but this time he will stretch all the way to the 3-point line. From there, he can take a deep shot, draw his man out and take him on, penetrate on the dribble, and play off ball-screens from teammates to create a mismatch.
"I feel comfortable out there now," Travis said. "I've put in a lot of reps to feel comfortable in my shot. I feel comfortable dribbling the ball out there and making plays. Let's make some of these guys come out and guard me out there, and really see how that effects their game plan."
Haase said he won't take away Travis' strengths, just enhance them.
"He's best around the rim and making tough plays and getting fouled," Haase said. "We want to make sure that's still the end goal for the most part. But when he can balance that with some jump shots, some dribble penetration, he'll become even better. I don't think anybody ever thought that was going to be a part of his game, and now it may be the best part."
Said Travis, "I feel like a totally different player. A lot more confident."