Memphis Basketball: Lawson brothers announce transfer plans

The Lawson brothers have opted to leave the Memphis basketball program in order to transfer to another school.

The Memphis Tigers basketball program finds themselves in a tough situation as both Dedric and K.J. Lawson announced Wednesday that they plan to leave the program and transfer.

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Both brothers released a joint statement to ESPN Radio 92.9 FM Memphis on Wednesday as they appear ready for a change in scenery.

Where the brothers will go remains to be seen. There certainly was the possibility that Dedric would enter the NBA Draft. Dedric almost went last year but opted to come back.

Both brothers, according to their statement, are willing to sit out an entire season to play college basketball elsewhere, though.

It’s worth noting the Lawson’s were recruited by previous head coach Josh Pastner. Their father, Keelon Lawson, was the director of player development for Tubby Smith after being an assistant for Pastner the previous two seasons.

Regardless, this loss hurts Memphis. They lose their first and third leading scorers and top two rebounders. Dedric, a sophomore, led the team in scoring with 19.2 points and rebounding with 9.1 board per game. Meanwhile, K.J. played the season as a redshirt freshman. He averaged 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

The tandem faced their fair share of struggles throughout the season. Memphis went 9-9 in the AAC and 19-13 overall.

They got blown out in the AAC Tournament against Central Florida and didn’t get anywhere close to either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.

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The Tigers only lose three seniors during the offseason — none averaging more than five points per game. However, if both Lawson’s are leaving, this could open the door for some of the other players on their roster.