LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Between the two of them, No. 9 Kansas and No. 8 Kentucky played eight top-30 recruits from ESPN's 2018 class in their Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup on Saturday.
Yet the crux of the battle, won 71-63 by Kentucky, was staged in the paint, where Dedric Lawson (20 points, 15 rebounds) and Reid Travis (18 points, 12 rebounds) fueled their respective squads.
They're two of the best big men in America. They're also both transfers who sought -- and found -- greener pastures after they left their former schools.
"It was a big decision," Lawson said of his choice to leave Memphis in 2017 before sitting out last season due to NCAA rules.