(Vicky Graff Photo)
Oscar Tshiebwe wasn’t about to let Kentucky teammate Antonio Reeves get the big head just because he scored 37 points in a win at Arkansas Saturday.
“I told Tone, I said, ‘You suck.’ He said, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘Man, you can’t get 40 (points)?’ He was like ‘come on, man!'” Tshiebwe said Wednesday.
Then Tshiebwe turned serious — and honest.
“That boy is good. It’s very tough to stop him right now,” Tshiebwe said.
Kentucky needs that to continue when it starts postseason play in the SEC Tournament Friday night in Nashville. Reeves, who shared the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award, is UK’s only healthy guard in the top four of the playing rotation.
Reeves finished the regular season with 71 3-pointers and eight games with 20 or more points.
“I think later on in the season, it was just more so playing my game, like, off-the-dribble pull-ups and, you know, trying to get to the rim and things like that,” Reeves said Wednesday about his confidence level. “At the beginning of the season, I was still trying to find my role in the team. I wasn’t as confident as I am now.”
Reeves has played in all 31 games, a rarity for a UK player this season. He’s had to play 30 or more minutes in five of the last seven games and went all 40 minutes against Arkansas because coach John Calipari said he could not take him out. He’s been in the training room daily to keep himself healthy.
“It’s very important that after practice, get in the training room for at least two hours just to work on my body,” he said. “Just do some yoga or be in a pool or something, those types of things.”
Reeves did plan to watch some SEC Tournament games to see who UK will play or might play in the semifinals or final.
“I want to actually watch those games and see who we’re gonna play. Whatever happens, happens,” Reeves said.
The good news for Kentucky is that no matter what happens in Nashville, it will be in the NCAA Tournament. That’s what Reeves had in mind when he transferred from Illinois State to UK.
“It’s a dream come true. I always wanted to play in that tournament. I would’ve never thought I’d play in the tournament two or three years ago,” Reeves said. “I’m truly beyond honored and blessed to have the opportunity.”
And Kentucky is really glad to have him.
“Tone is the best right now,” Tshiebwe said. “We just need him to go score 40 every game if he can.”
