Kentucky basketball: Antonio Reeves is locked in on being a Wildcat

It wasn’t long ago when the future of Antonio Reeves‘ status as a Kentucky basketball player was completely up in the air. Reeves had entered his name into the transfer portal in late June, and according to insider Jeff Goodman, was enrolled in summer classes at his old school, Illinois State.

However, Reeves put any doubt to bed on July 5 when he announced his intent to return for a graduate season with the Wildcats.

It was as mind-boggling an offseason as any player in college basketball, but ultimately Reeves chose to end his career with Kentucky basketball.

It’s fair to question Antonio Reeves’ commitment to Kentucky basketball, but in the GLOBL Jam Tournament, it seems as if he’s all in.

Whenever the transfer portal is brought up, it almost seems like a threat to leave the program. In the simplest form, with how NIL is shaping up, it’s a business decision for each collegiate athlete looking to do what’s right for them.

For Reeves, it was a strange situation and one that will come with some criticism. When it comes down to it, all you can do is look at how he performs on the court, and so far this summer, it’s a good sign.

Through two GLOBL Jam games, Reeves is averaging a team-best 23.5 points per game, leading Team USA, aka the Wildcats, in scoring against Germany and Canada.

Reeves is also scoring at an efficient rate, and seems to have the keys to the offense. He shot 8-of-16 from the field in their first game against Germany. Then on Thursday night, Reeves went 10-for-15 against Team Canada. He’s been looked to as a go-to guy on offense and has taken that role in stride. albeit in mid-July.

In case you need any more proof that Reeves is on the same page as Kentucky basketball heading into the 2023-24 season, coach Calipari named him the captain for both GLOBL Jam games. If Coach Cal can have that sort of trust and confidence in Reeves, there’s no more room for doubting his commitment to being a Wildcat.