Kentucky Wildcats land key player from transfer portal in Antonio Reeves

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, the Kentucky Wildcats have landed Antonio Reeves from Illinois State via the NCAA transfer portal. Reeves instantly becomes a key piece to the roster head coach John Calipari is trying to build.

In an interview with ESPN, Reeves revealed why Kentucky was his selection after having a plethora of schools chasing after him. He said Calipari was a major attraction for what he has done over the years with top players.

“Coach Cal loves his players, he loves the game, has developed pros and won a national championship,” Reeves told ESPN on his move. “That’s what attracted me to Kentucky.”

There were four other schools in the running for Reeves, with DePaul, Nebraska, Oregon, and Xavier ending up on the losing side.

Kentucky will be bringing in one of the top scorers that were left in the transfer portal as Reeves averaged just over 20 points per game last season. Even more eye-popping, the guard shot 39.1% from the three-point line. A sharpshooter is coming to Lexington.

In today’s day and age, NIL can play a huge role in where somebody plays their college basketball, especially in the transfer portal. In the same interview with ESPN, Reeves said NIL had nothing to do with his commitment to Kentucky. The decision was solely made for basketball reasons.

“My decision had nothing to do with NIL. I made my decision based on the basketball and the school I wanted to graduate from,” Reeves said. “Kentucky has a great culture. It’s where I want to be and they are who I want to be with.”

Reeves went on to explain why he thinks he’s ready to play for the Wildcats under Calipari. The Illinois State transfer wants to be a leader for some of the younger guys on the roster.

“I feel my college experience and work habits will have me ready for Kentucky,” Reeves told ESPN. “I realize we are everyone’s big game. At Illinois State, I was one of the leaders and I feel I can lead at Kentucky. I understand the workload, practice, film work and can help explain it to the younger guys.”

With Reeves now in the mix, Kentucky will have one of the best portal players to pair alongside center Oscar Tshiebwe. Calipari will be hoping they can lead the Wildcats further in the NCAA Tournament after suffering an early exit last season.

Expectations were already high in Lexington but the addition of Reeves only adds to the excitement.