Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves is back on campus and plans to train with the Wildcats for the upcoming 2023-24 season, the university confirmed Wednesday, ending a roller coaster season for the top guard. Reeves, an effective scorer who averaged 14.4 points last season for the Wildcats, made his name for the first time in the NBA Draft before choosing to return to college for another season in order to increase his stock.
Reeves never got his name in the transfer portal, but he reportedly took summer classes at Illinois State, where he began his career. By attending summer classes and graduating, Reeves is eligible to play immediately.
The fifth-year player will be the most experienced player on John Calipari’s roster this season and the only scholarship all-rounder. The Wildcats lost former National Player of the Year Oscar Cheppui, along with Casson Wallace, Jacob Tobin, and Chris Livingston in the draft. Saver Wheeler, CJ Frederick, Damion Collins, and Lance Weir left the team through the transfer portal.
Getting Reeves back into the mix is a huge boost for the show. Kentucky was in danger of entering the season without a single top-class scholarship. Kentucky has recruiting class 1 of 2023. According to 247Sports, but the flip side is that it will also have one of the smallest starting teams in college basketball. The Wildcats have four five-star prospects: Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards, DJ Wagner, and Robert Dillingham. All four players are expected to play big roles right away because the Wildcats currently only have nine players on scholarship.
Complicating the problem Foot fracture injury to Bradshaw, which may affect whether he plays in the early season. The 7-foot freshman was expected to receive important minutes right away and is expected to be selected in the first round in the 2024 NBA Draft.