Antonio Reeves' 37-Point Performance Among All-Time Kentucky Greats

Antonio Reeves enter rarified air with an unexpected performance of the ages at Arkansas. Playing without starting point guard Cason Wallace, John Calipari needed a big game from the Illinois State transfer. He delivered an historic performance.

Reeves made 12 of 17 shots, only 2 of 4 from three-point land, and knocked down all 11 free throw attempts to score a career-high 37 points. It’s one of the best scoring performances of the John Calipari era and just outside of the Top 25 in Kentucky basketball history.

Earlier this season Oscar Tshiebwe tallied 37 points and 24 rebounds in a victory over Georgia. Reeves is tied with his teammate and Malik Monk (vs. Georgia) with the third-highest scoring game of the Calipari era.

Monk and De’Aaron Fox are responsible for the top two point totals under Calipari’s tutelage. Monk had 47 in the CBS Sports Classic barn-burner against North Carolina and Fox tallied 39 in the Sweet 16 vs. Lonzo Ball and UCLA. Similar to Reeves, Fox didn’t do it by hitting a bunch of threes. He was 0-1 from three-point land in his NCAA Tournament scoring outburst.

The two teams are in rarified air. Fox-Monk in 2017 and Tshiebwe-Reeves in 2023 are the only teammates to score 37+ in a season since Mike Pratt and Dan Issel in 1970. The feat has happened just five times Kentucky basketball history.

Antonio Reeves Among March Heroes

The best Kentucky Wildcats are at their best in March. Antonio Reeves joined an elite company by bringing his A-game in the season finale. It’s the most points by a Wildcat in the final game of the regular season since Johnny Cox posted 38 in a 1959 win at Tennessee. That game was played Feb. 28. Here’s who has scored 37+ points in the month of March:

• Antonio Reeves
• De’Aaron Fox
• Tayshaun Prince
• Melvin Turpin
• Jack Givens
• Dan Issel
• Cliff Hagan
• Bill Spivey
• Alex Groza

Five of those players’ jerseys are in the rafters of Rupp Arena, with more likely to follow. The list of Wildcats that have scored 37+ points in a true SEC road game is even more exclusive.

• Antonio Reeves
• Jodie Meeks
• Melvin Turpin
• Kevin Grevey
• Dan Issel
• Louie Dampier
• Johnny Cox
• Frank Ramsey

Antonio Reeves defied expectations and kept the Kentucky boat afloat. If the Wildcats continue to tread water, he mighty have another opportunity to make history this March.