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It’s almost easy to take what Antonio Reeves does for Kentucky because he’s made scoring look so easy. He’s been Kentucky’s leading scorer and had 15 points — about five below his average — in Tuesday’s 75-63 victory over Ole Miss to snap a three-game Rupp Arena losing streak.
Reeves was just 1-for-5 from 3-point range Tuesday but the growth in his game continued to show. He was 5-for-7 on 2-point tries and his floater is getting more and more difficult to stop. He also made both free throws he attempted.
“Take away his perimeter shot now and he has that weapon (floater),” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said.
“I definitely worked on it during the summer to get better at floaters and pull-up jumpers. Every team knows I am a 3-point shooter, so I try to be a facilitator and find other ways to score,” Reeves said.
He was not happy that UK had a season-high 15 turnovers, including two for him, that led to 21 points for Ole Miss. “We have good ball handlers, good passers but it happens sometimes. We were a little careless early.”
“We started the game off with a lot of turnovers. We are so used to 11 or less (turnovers per game),” Reeves said.
However, what Reeves can also do way better this year is play defense and rebound. He had a team-high seven rebounds in his 28 minutes and helped UK play perhaps its best defensive game of the season as Ole Miss shot 38 percent overall from the field.
Reeves was especially proud that UK got five kills — a kill is three defensive stops in a row — in the first half. My guess is that UK has not had five in many games all season.
“We had five kills and were just locked in. We were communicating and talking and everybody was connected,” Reeves said. “That (defense) is something I have worked on. We have good guards on the team and you have to guard. I am trying to improve.”
15 Responses
While Sheppard was +19, which is 7 points higher than the final margin and the best +/- on the team again last night, the focus on who helps UK win is on Reeves, who ended +8, 4 points under the final margin, and 5th best on the team last night.
Reeves scored 15 points but he consumed 15 possessions to post his points, had no steals, and no assists.
Sheppard had 13 points on a net 7 possessions consumed, and 5 assists. He also had an additional basket taken down during a video review.
Yes, Reeves scored a team high 15 points, but playing the game well encompasses so much more than scoring. How many of his points resulted from assists by Sheppard?
Yet, this Fraud refuses to start Reed unless one of his PETS decides not to play in the game.
But he probably gets as many minutes coming off the bench as he would
as a starter. So what’s the problem? Just curious.
Seems like your a Reed fan and not a Kentucky fan.
Astute observation Terry.
Reed is doing fine regardless he starts or not.
You got that right. Reed is Reed no matter what his role needs to be
This team started the game like they hadn’t seen a court before. I couldn’t believe all the forced passes when no one clearly open. Still hard to understand how they start every game with the same apathy. The D did play much better in the first half but why now and so late in the season? Still afflicted with the same problems of missing too many shots at the rim, not good spacing or passing, and giving up too many cripples inside. We closed the first half with good execution but failed to hold that lead the 2nd half. I am not sure we will have much of a chance at Auburn. Yes, I would be ok with Pearl being out next coach. Something about a bare chest and bold K on it that can trip some triggers. May Cal R.I.P.
Pearl has wanted the UK head coaching job for years and would accept it if offered.
He will probably not be offered because he has had problems with the NCAA every
place he has coached.
Seems like every year since Cal has been here UK has had the problem of starting
the game slow and getting behind early. Have had some fast starts, but not many.
He has had some NCAA problems, but I would still take him as a step up from Cal by most measuring standards. He not as concerned with OND, not the drama queen Cal is, is a good recruiter, seems to get more out of his talent, more sincere passion than Cal, and more of what you see is what you get.
Always been a Pearl fan here
Remember him coaching just across the river at USI Evansville,ind led them to the championship game in there division twice. Won one and loss the other one
I’m happy the defense played better. Reeves is about 46 points from being a 1,000 point scorer at 2 different schools not alot of other players can say that.
We need to do more pick and roll with Ugo. He and Dilly connected a couple of times, but we should do that a dozen times. We could switch it up with Bradshaw and Z by having them step back for a 3. We will need to play a half court zone press in the first half and then switch to a 2-3 zone in the second half and not just on out of bound plays. Pearl knows Calipari only plays man to man and he will have his team ready for that. A good coach switches things up unless he is winning every game and that’s not the case with the fraud.
In any world other than Bizarro Calipari Fraud World, earning a starting position on a basketball team is significant, desired, and used by coaches as an incentive for each player on the team to be their best.
This fraud starts his favorites, as defined by his and their NBA Dreamin’. That is wrong. It has been wrong since he arrived and showed his hand.
Reed Sheppard is the best Freshman on this team!!!! He is one of the best freshmen in the nation. He would start on for any real coach in America, but not for UK (when his blood has always bled blue) with this fraud at the helm.
My argument has nothing to do with the fact that when asked about not starting, Reed politely responds with the politically correct answer that it does not matter to him. It is undeniable that UK has started slowly without him and when he enters the game, the team instantly gets a spark.
No respectful player, who is not recognized as a starter by his coach when he should be starting, will respond to the rude question about how he feels about coming off the bench by saying, "I should be starting" because that player will sustain a negative reaction from his coach AND it will create dissension within the team among the players.
Therefore, this debate cannot hinge on Reed’s public comments but must be decided based on objective facts. Reed is the most efficient player on this team with over 500 minutes of playing time. His game is complete with great shooting, rebounding, assists, steals, and great basketball IQ.
Yes, I am a Reed Sheppard fan. I have been an advocate for UK recruiting Reed since before the time that the Fraud reluctantly recruited this UK Legacy, this natural UK fit, this Kentucky boy to play for the fraud in UK. I am now an advocate for acknowledging Reed’s basketball acumen and his relative value to this team as compared to the PETS who the fraud does reward with starting spots, specifically Ball Hog #1 Wagner, and a total bust still waiting for that "Break Out" game Edwards, among others.
This fraud’s mismanagement of players has cost this program dearly during the fraud’s tenure, including a national championship and an undefeated 40-0 season in 2015 when he sat his best two guards to allow the Harrison twins to win or lose the game (THEIR TEAM per THE FRAUD) and they did.
So, what are the arguments against starting Reed?
1) He’s OK with it. BS
2) He gives the team a badly needed boost when he enter. That is usually due to the starters not being as competitive as UK needs to be at the start of games.
I would be interested in cogent arguments that support Reed’s not starting rather than personal insults that are the most common way the fraud’s supporters respond to these issues.
Not arguing with you, Professor. Was just curious as to why you think he should be
a "starter" when he still gets a lot of playing time and is on the floor at "crunch" time.
I agree with a lot of what you say. Especially about the Wisconsin game and the fact
that he kept Booker and Ulis on the bench and made us all watch while the Harrisons
were mostly responsible for losing the game. It was obvious the game plan in the last
6 to 8 minutes of the game was to go to KAT. The twins were, somehow, unable to do
so. This failure cost the Cats a National Title. Tyler Ulis would have found a way to get the ball to him.
Until this game l was a Calipari fan, but since then UK Basketball has gone downhill due
to lack of coaching.
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