Vicky Graff Photo
A few weeks ago when I was talking to Tony Bergeron, Tre Mitchell’s step-father and a former high school and college basketball coach, when he explained how underrated he thought Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves was.
“You look at the mock drafts and it is a joke. If there is a mock draft and it does not have Antonio in there, it’s insane,” Bergeron said. “He is a 6-6 shotmaking player. He’s going to be very good at the next level. Maybe not all-star good, but very good.
“If you can be dominating at the SEC level and shooting at the clip he has, that is not going away because he changes uniforms. The funny thing is NBA scouts know it. He is not being talked about but they know about him.”
Too bad more All-America voters apparently don’t know enough about him.
The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced its John R. Wooden Award All American Team Tuesday and Reeves was not on the 10-player team of RJ Davis (North Carolina), Hunter Dickinson (Kansas), Zach Edey (Purdue), Kyle Filipowski (Duke), Dalton Knecht (Tennessee), Tyler Kolek (Marquette), Jaedon LeDee (San Diego State), Caleb Love (Arizona), Tristen Newton (Connecticut), and Jamal Shead (Houston).
Reeves made 84 3-pointers and hit 44.7 percent from 3 while averaging 20.2 points per game for UK last season. He was picked to compete in the Hanes Men’s 3-Point Championship as part of the State Farm Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championship at the Final Four at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix on Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN.
In 156 career games at Illinois State and Kentucky, he made 306 3-pointers and scored 2,350 points. He made 165 3-pointers in two years at UK.
Reeves shot 51.2 percent from the field, 44.7 percent from 3 and 86.3 percent from the free-throw line this season and was the only Power 5 player to average at least 1.5 made 3-pointers per game and hit at least .49 percent from the field, .435 from 3-point range and .865 at the foul line during these season.
However, Kentucky not winning the SEC regular season or tournament titles and then losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament probably hurt Reeves’ chances in a big way of being on the Wooden team even though it’s hard to imagine a player having a better season for John Calipari than what Reeves did.
9 Responses
Cal’s underachievement continues to get exposed almost on a daily basis. Is he now the least trusted, least liked coach in all of UK sports? It would be hard to find a 2nd choice.
I don’t like Calturd or Bitch Marnhart.
A Shame the high winds couldn’t have carried both far far away from KY yesterday.
Cal has done more for the people of Kentucky when "high winds" hit their community than any crybaby like you. Now you wish harm on him. Wishing harm on anyone is a Punk Bitch move.
You have no clue what I’ve done for KY. A lot more than you have I’m sure.
Cal has stolen a lot more from the state at 9 million per year than he’s given to it.
Cal and his dog can be carried away unharmed like Dorothy and Toto in the wizard of oz.
He walk out out of KY for all I care. He just needs to get OUT!!
While all the other college basketball teams are looking for the transfer additions we still don’t have a clue who’s staying or going. This has killed us the last 4 years. I think Kansas just signed a big transfer is what I’m hearing. Instead of reloading with 22 and 23 year olds we have a 16 year old center coming in to be excited about. Transfers don’t want to come to Kentucky because they don’t know if they will get playing time over a 16 year old. Its almost comical. 2 players that we have contacted have signed to other schools. By the time we know who’s staying or going usually the best players in the portal have already found new homes. Just more chaos created by the bone head coach that we have. I don’t know why it takes Kentucky players so long to say if they are staying or leaving. What is sad about the situation is that we could be plugging our roster with players who already have d1 experience and have thrived in d1. With freshman you never know what your going to get. I wish Dillingham Edwards and Bradshaw would all bolt and we could retain Sheppard Wagner Big z Ugo and Burks. Maybe Hart transfers but I think Burks Hart and someone else will transfer I just don’t know who yet. If we could retain Sheppard and Wagner as the guards with Boogie Fland and Perry we will have 2 shooters and 2 slashers. I would go get a transfer PG who can shoot dribble and pass effectively. Then you have Knox Burks and Richmond at the 3. Which I would still go for a transfer who can defend and shoot the ball. Ugo Big Z Quaintence* and Cyril would be excellent at the 4 and 5 maybe add a senior who is a banger for depth and experience. The more players.that return the easier it is to add pieces to the puzzle. Starting a new puzzle every year is to hard for Calapari but he did this to himself. Come on football season.
We’re supposed to get tougher and older and more experienced next season.
What is the King doing?
Bringing in a 16 year old center.
It’s rare for a player from a OAD tourney team to get recognition.
This is fitting for Cal. His freshmen won awards nationally even though they came off the bench in Sheppard and Dillingham but his Senior got left out.
Seniors and Cal are such a rarity, it’s easy to overlook them.
Reeves is an All American or I’m Elmer Fudd