Antonio Reeves' return puts Kentucky back in national conversation

It was fair to question the vision as time crept forward with no word from Antonio Reeves regarding a final decision. The longer things dragged on without a commitment to return to Kentucky after withdrawing from the NBA Draft process on May 31, the more it felt like he was simply looking for a reason to leave. Re-enrolling at Illinois State for summer classes only made things more uncomfortable.

And then, the abrupt return this week. He returned to Lexington and moved back into his dorm Tuesday, then returned to practice as a spectator on Wednesday, sources tell KSR. The University of Kentucky has since confirmed he has enrolled in classes, signaling his imminent return.

Travis Branham of 247Sports was the first to report Reeves was expected back for his fifth and final season of eligibility.

Were there questions about the 6-foot-5 guard’s eligibility as a graduate transfer, potentially limiting his options to Kentucky or the pro route? Were NIL and role concerns more about leverage to make a return to Lexington more enticing? And just how serious were back-channel conversations about perceived interest and lucrative financial offers potentially on the table?

Frankly, it doesn’t matter. None of it. At the end of the day, Reeves is back in Lexington, a result that puts Kentucky back in the national conversation.

Why? For starters, the Chicago native is a hooper, plain and simple. Reeves had an exceptional senior year and debut campaign with the Wildcats, averaging 14.4 points per game while shooting 41.6% from the field, 39.8% from three and 78.3% at the line. He finished in double figures a total of 26 times, including 10 games of at least 20 points and a career-high 37 points in a win at Arkansas in the team’s final road game of the year. Prior to his 1-15 shooting performance in the Round of 32 vs. Kansas State, he had scoring outputs of 22, 22, 37, 14, 21 and 16 points in consecutive outings.

Some are quick to point to his season-ending effort in the NCAA Tournament, but the fact of the matter is Reeves was Kentucky’s most consistent and reliable scorer by year’s end. And now, he has the opportunity to build on that end-of-year growth with a complete offseason of training and firm foundation ahead of the 2023-24 season. No adjustment from the Missouri Valley to the SEC, learning how to compete against high-major size, speed, length and athleticism. His focus can be on fixing those year-one mistakes while continuing to do what he does best.

Reeves’ return is also a game-changing help from a personnel perspective. Look, DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham will be the primary ball handlers as John Calipari goes all-in with the freshmen — seven of them (potentially eight if and when reclass candidate Somto Cyril joins the fold down the road). The Kentucky head coach wants to get back to doing what he does best as a master developer of young talent, cashing in on potential set to peak in March rather than high-floor veterans. Justin Edwards and Aaron Bradshaw will have significant roles, and the early returns on Reed Sheppard are overwhelmingly positive. Maybe Jordan Burks is ahead of schedule and continue his productive ways after leading Overtime Elite — the same league with two top-10 NBA Draft picks — in scoring as a senior? Will Joey Hart be asked to knock down shots in year one?

And are Ugonna Onyenso and Adou Thiero that much different than typical freshmen? They combined for 301 minutes in year one, a glorified redshirt season for both. Kentucky is relying on sophomore jumps there, too.

But something had to give. Calipari works best with young talent he can mold, but historically young? That’s where things got tricky leading up to Reeves’ return. This was a group with next to zero experience or leadership. No one who had been thrown into the college basketball fire as a high-impact, high-production piece — again, the 6-foot-5 guard was named Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year in his debut season. That’s someone you can lean on when the going gets tough, especially early. He can be your stable scoring presence as Wagner, Dillingham, Edwards and Bradshaw find their footing to open their careers.

That brings us to what’s next for the program. Cyril remains a strong possibility, if not likely addition. He’s wrapping up the coursework necessary to graduate and reclassify, paving the way for a potential enrollment later this summer. Following Bob Huggins’ departure at West Virginia, there’s also significant buzz regarding a roster shake-up that could see standout forwards Tre Mitchell and/or Jesse Edwards explore their options. Prior connections with the former — a fifth-year senior in his own right — could lead to a pairing in Lexington should Mitchell decide to hit the portal, sources tell KSR.

Kentucky had just seven scholarship players on the roster entering the month of June following the draft withdrawal and undergrad transfer portal deadlines. That number now sits at ten, with a few more additions not only possible, but likely.

It’s a sequence of events that makes the Wildcats one of the more intriguing teams in college basketball. Early adversity is inevitable, but it’s now realistic to think there will be enough veteran help to keep things afloat while the newcomers work toward finding their ceilings. There’s plenty that must fall into place before you can call this team a genuine title contender, sure. It’s a ridiculous number of new faces and they all have to mesh.

The path, though, is now there.