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Kentucky Basketball: Wildcats salvage offseason with Antonio Reeves return

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 17, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves (12) celebrates in the first half against the Providence Friars at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves (12) celebrates in the first half against the Providence Friars at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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After an offseason of misfortune, Kentucky Basketball finally gets some good news as senior guard and sharpshooter Antonio Reeves is back for another year.

Entering this week, it was hard to pick another program that was a bigger “loser” this offseason than Kentucky Basketball. They lost former National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, several outgoing transfers, and missed out on a few offseason transfer targets.

The one potential bright spot was the “return” of Antonio Reeves, who was the lone upperclassman on the roster. However, after coming back from the NBA Draft, the 6’4 guard and SEC 6th Man of the Year never announced his intentions to return to the Wildcats.

In fact, Reeves was reportedly back at his old school (Illinois State) to take Summer classes with the ability to graduate. In that circumstance, he could’ve qualified as a grad transfer and enter the portal, able to play for any other team in the country. Yet after a couple of weeks of rumors and reports, it looks as if a decision has finally been made.

It’s a loss for teams that still needed a veteran shooter but a massive win for Kentucky Basketball. Reeves was second on the team last season with 14.4 ppg, including nearly putting up 20 ppg in the last month of the season as a starter. The guard shot 40% from three-point range and dropped a season-high 37 points against Arkansas.

The Wildcats would normally need someone like Reeves but this roster especially needed his services. Only Adou Thiero and Ugonna Onyenso are the lone non-freshmen also on the roster, with the rest all being true freshmen. It’s the clear-cut No. 1 incoming recruiting class, including five-star guards, DJ Wagner and Robert Dillingham.

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Yet none of these guys are proven at the D-I and SEC level, giving Kentucky Basketball both a high ceiling and low floor. Having a guy like Reeves back gives them a proven a capable go-to option for the offense. Now, they need one more veteran frontcourt piece to help wrap up the roster for the 2023-24 campaign.

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