Kentucky shooting guard Antonio Reeves announces decision to withdraw from 2023 NBA Draft

Kentucky shooting guard Antonio Reeves made a big decision, pulling his name out of the 2023 NBA Draft pool and opting to return to college. Reeves was the 2022-23 SEC Sixth Man of the Year coming off the Kentucky bench.

Reeves returning to Kentucky could be a boon for John Calipari, too. Reeves would be a fifth-year player in 2023-24, giving a loaded and young Kentucky squad a veteran presence to start or come off the bench. However, Reeves return from the NBA Draft could also be coupled with entering the transfer portal.

It would be Reeves’ second transfer, requiring him to sit out a year unless he were to be a grad transfer. He played three seasons at Illinois State prior to transferring to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season.

As Kentucky’s sixth man, Reeves played nearly 28 minutes per game while appearing in all 34 of the Wildcats’ games. He averaged 14.4 points while shooting over 40% from the field and clocking in at 38.9% from 3. He has a scoring knack when called upon. He was 19th in Division I in scoring during his final season at Illinois State, scoring 20.1 points per game. And he poured in a career-high 37 points against Arkansas in early March.

An older guard without elite athletic upside, Reeves’ 2023 NBA Draft stock wasn’t enough to merit staying in the pool of available players when college remained an option.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.