Antonio Reeves Explained

Antonio Reeves
Position:Shooting guard
Height Ft:6
Height In:4
Weight Lbs:205
League:NBA
Team:New Orleans Pelicans
Number:12
Birth Date:20 November 2000
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
High School:
College:
Draft Year:2024
Draft Round:2
Draft Pick:47
Draft Team:Orlando Magic
Career Start:2024
Years1:–present
Team1:New Orleans Pelicans
Highlights:

Antonio Reeves (born November 20, 2000) is an American basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Illinois State Redbirds and the Kentucky Wildcats.

High school career

After a prep career at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix and Simeon Career Academy in his hometown Chicago, Reeves committed to Illinois State over offers from several other mid-major programs.

College career

Illinois State

Reeves was a key contributor for his first two seasons, earning a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) all-bench team as a sophomore. He declared for the 2021 NBA draft, but ultimately chose to return to the Redbirds for his junior season. In the 2021–22 season, Reeves averaged a career high 20.1 points per game And was named second-team All-MVC, however the team was not successful and coach Dan Muller was fired. With the coaching change, Reeves decided to transfer to a winning program.[1]

Kentucky

Reeves ultimately chose Kentucky and coach John Calipari. [2] [3] As a senior, he mostly came off the bench for the Wildcats and ranked second on the team in scoring behind All-American Oscar Tshiebwe at 14.4 points per game. At the close of the season, Reeves was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) co-Sixth Man of the Year. [4] He again tested the NBA draft waters and considered another transfer, but ultimately chose to return to Kentucky for a fifth year granted to players whose eligibility was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Entering his fifth year, Reeves was named preseason second-team All-SEC.[6] As the season wore in, Reeves emerged as a key player for the Wildcats and senior presence for their talented recruiting class. In January 2024, he was named to the 25-man Wooden Award midseason watch list in recognition of his performance, along with teammate Reed Sheppard.[7]

Professional career

New Orleans Pelicans (2024–present)

On June 27, 2024, Reeves was selected with the 47th overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2024 NBA draft, however, immediately on draft night, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for two second-round pick swaps in 2030 and 2031.[8] On July 23, he signed with the Pelicans.[9]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| style="text-align:left;"| Illinois State| 31 || 3 || 22.4 || .384 || .314 || .659 || 2.5 || .7 || .6 || .1 || 7.2|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21| style="text-align:left;"| Illinois State| 25 || 24 || 29.9 || .425 || .306 || .763 || 3.3 || 1.4 || .4 || .2 || 12.4|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22| style="text-align:left;"| Illinois State| 33 || 33 || 34.9 || .469 || .390 || .818 || 3.5 || 1.8 || 1.1 || .5 || 20.1|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky| 34 || 14 || 27.9 || .416 || .398 || .783 || 2.1 || 1.1 || .4 || .2 || 14.4|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky| 33 || 33 || 31.4 || .512 || .447 || .863 || 4.2 || 1.6 || .7 || .2 || 20.2|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 156 || 107 || 29.3 || .452 || .384 || .801 || 3.1 || 1.3 || .6 || .2 || 15.1

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Isaac. Bourne. Antonio Reeves: From mid-major star to Kentucky Wildcat standout. MidMajorMadness.com. SB Nation. December 22, 2023. January 18, 2024.
  2. Web site: Jeff. Borzello. Paul. Biancardi. Antonio Reeves transfers from Illinois State to play basketball for Kentucky Wildcats. ESPN.com. ESPN. April 27, 2022. January 18, 2024.
  3. Web site: Jon. Hale. What to know about Kentucky basketball's newest incoming transfer Antonio Reeves. Courier-Journal.com. Courier Journal. April 27, 2022. January 18, 2024.
  4. Web site: Antonio Reeves Named Co-Sixth Man of the Year to Lead Wildcat League Honorees. UKAthletics.com. Kentucky Wildcats. March 6, 2023. January 18, 2024.
  5. Web site: Cameron. Salerno. Kentucky: Senior guard expected to rejoin team after rollercoaster offseason. CBSSports.com. CBS Sports. June 21, 2023. January 18, 2024.
  6. Web site: Chris. Fisher. Pair of Wildcats named Coaches Preseason All-SEC. 247sports.com. 247Sports. November 2, 2023. January 18, 2024.
  7. Web site: Armando. Barry. Reeves & Sheppard listed on Midseason Wooden Award watch list. WYMT.com. WYMT. January 11, 2024. January 18, 2024.
  8. Web site: Terry. Kimble. Pelicans Jump Back Into Second-Round; Draft Kentucky Guard Antonio Reeves. SI.com. June 27, 2024. June 28, 2024.
  9. Web site: New Orleans Pelicans sign Antonio Reeves. NBA.com. July 23, 2024. August 2, 2024.