Antonio Reeves admits he is pushing young players on defense

Antonio Reeves is an offensive standout for Kentucky. However, the veteran guard is showing off his defense to UK’s young group.

Last season, Reeves averaged 14.4 points per game, the second-most on the team. Moreover, the Illinois State transfer drained a team-high 80 3-pointers, connecting on 39.8% of his attempts from deep. Despite his success, Reeves wasn’t always a guaranteed returner.

First, the 6-foot-5 guard entered his name into the NBA Draft. After he withdrew his name, he still did not officially announce his return to Kentucky. The painful wait for Kentucky fans finally ended when reports flooded in on June 21 that Reeves was back on campus.

Now, Reeves is ready to provide the leadership only a fifth-year senior can. That leadership starts on defense at practice.

“I gotta get them ready because the league is getting older. There’s a lot of guys older that’s 23 like my age,” Reeves told the media on Friday. “I definitely put that little show on them and test them whenever they go to that rim.”

Kentucky’s roster hardly knows the feeling of collegiate competition. The team boasts seven freshmen. Although John Calipari’s Class of 2023 was the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, they’re still freshmen. With youth comes bumps. Reeves is aiming to smooth those bumps out before an opponent can.

“I tell the guys all the time, I’m not gonna take it easy on you. Whatever it takes to get you better,” Reeves said. “I definitely do those types of things when we play.”

Reeves has the credentials to back up his words. The Chicago native was the SEC Sixth Man of the Year last season. He has more experience than any other Wildcat on the team. Before joining Calipari and Co., Reeves spent three seasons at Illinois State.

He was a star for the Redbirds, averaging 20.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per outing his junior year. Reeves has 1,683 collegiate points. The next closest on Kentucky’s team? Tre Mitchell, with almost 300 points less.

Reeves will soon see if his bright-eyed students of the game soaked in his teaching. On Tuesday, Kentucky begins play at GLOBL JAM, a multiple-game event in Toronto. Kentucky will play a team from Canada, Germany and Africa. Following pool play, the Cats will play again on June 16 to medal.

Watch UK take on Team Germany at 1:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.