Quick Facts
Biography
Antonio Reeves (born November 20, 2000) is an American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
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.
Kentucky
Reeves ultimately chose Kentucky and coach John Calipari. 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. 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.
Entering his fifth year, Reeves was named preseason second-team All-SEC. 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.