What to know about Kentucky basketball's newest incoming transfer Antonio Reeves
LEXINGTON - John Calipari made the first of multiple expected additions to the 2022-23 Kentucky basketball roster through the transfer portal with a commitment from former Illinois State guard Antonio Reeves Friday.
Reeves represents an important addition to the Wildcat roster with four guards from the 2021-22 team already gone (TyTy Washington, Kellan Grady, Davion Mintz and Dontaie Allen) and freshman Shaedon Sharpe, the former No. 1-ranked prospect in the class of 2022, deciding to start his NBA career before ever playing a game at Kentucky. Reeves is unlikely to be the go-to scorer for Kentucky next season, but he could step into the complementary role vacated by super senior guards Grady and Mintz.
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Here is what you need to know about the Illinois State transfer.
1. Antonio Reeves has developed into a strong 3-point shooter
Reeves averaged 20.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Redbirds last season while starting all 33 games he played in. He shot 39% from 3-point range (76 for 195) and 81.8% from the free-throw line. He ranked 19th nationally in scoring.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound guard has shown steady improvement throughout his college career, improving his scoring average from 7.2 points per game as a freshman to 12.4 points per game as a sophomore to 20.1 points per game as a junior. He shot 31% from 3-point range in his first two seasons at Illinois State before improving that mark by more than eight percentage points last season.
Reeves' 195 3-point attempts last season would have ranked second on Kentucky's team, behind only Grady (212). Between Reeves and former Iowa transfer C.J. Fredrick, a 46.6% career 3-point shooter who missed last season with a hamstring injury, Calipari can feel confident in replacing Grady's production.
Whether Reeves wins a starting job may depend on how much he contributes in areas other than shooting. Reeves has recorded more turnovers than assists in each of his first three seasons of college basketball.
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2. Antonio Reeves' breakout season came after testing NBA draft waters
Little about Reeves screamed NBA draft prospect through two years at Illinois State, but he still declared for the draft last spring after averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 30.6% from 3-point range as a sophomore.
Reeves later indicated he always intended to return to Illinois State, but the experience gained while working out with a trainer in Miami proved invaluable.
"I tried to focus on the business side of the league and have that pro mentality as well," Reeves told The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Illinois. "That's my main focus of why I really did that."
Scouts told Reeves to focus on improving his shooting percentages while adding muscle and improving his defensive work. Reeves certainly addressed the shooting concern. Now, the goal will be to prove those improvements stick for the long term.
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3. Antonio Reeves played for a former Kentucky nemesis in high school
A Chicago native, Reeves spent three of his four high school years in the Windy City, but as a junior, he played for former NBA guard Mike Bibby at Shadow Mountain High School in Arizona after his family moved there.
Bibby spent 14 years in the NBA but might still be remembered more locally for his college career. In 1997, Bibby totaled 19 points to help lead Arizona to an overtime win over Kentucky in the national championship game. Bibby earned first-team All-America honors as a sophomore before being selected No. 2 overall in the 1998 NBA draft.
While playing for Bibby, Reeves helped lead Shadow Mountain to a 25-2 record and state title while averaging 14 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Antonio Reeves: Kentucky basketball transfer brings scoring ability
