How Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards performed in NBA Draft Combine scrimmages

We already know what’s going to happen with Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham during next month’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn. The two are guaranteed lottery picks, near-locks to go in the Top 10, and there’s a chance one of them even sneaks into the top overall spot. This week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago is more of a formality for them compared to most of the draft hopefuls.

But for the likes of Antonio Reeves and Justin Edwards, this week is an important one. Both of the former Wildcats could easily get drafted, just as easily as they could miss out on the second round entirely. Mock drafts are all over the place with both — Reeves projected as a mid-to-late second-rounder and Edwards knocking on the door of a possible first-round selection, although a second-round projection feels more likely at this stage.

After going through Combine measurements on Monday, the two hit the hardwood on Tuesday and Wednesday for the scrimmage portion of the event. It was a mixed bag of results but filled with plenty of optimism for both. Before we dive into their performances from earlier this week, let’s quickly list their official measurements from Monday.

Antonio Reeves:

• Hand Length: 9 inches
• Hand Width: 10 inches
• Height (w/o shoes): 6-foot-4.5
• Standing Reach: 8-foot-4.5
• Weight: 186.6 pounds
• Wingspan: 6-foot-8.25

Justin Edwards:

• Hand Length: 8.75 inches
• Hand Width: 8.75 inches
• Height (w/o shoes): 6-foot-6
• Standing Reach: 8-foot-6.5
• Weight: 209.4 pounds
• Wingspan: 6-foot-10

Tuesday (May 14) scrimmages

Day one of Combine scrimmages was much better than day two for the pair of former Wildcats. Both scored at least 14 points while making impacts outside of scoring. Reeves and Edwards actually went head-to-head in this matchup, although the two weren’t matched up against each other all that often. Reeves was even playing point guard at times.

Antonio Reeves: 17 points, four assists, one steal, one block, and one turnover in 28 minutes. He shot 5-14 overall, 1-7 from deep, and a perfect 6-6 from the line. Reeves posted a -10 in the box score during an 89-81 win for Team St. Andrews.

Antonio Reeves in the 1st game of the NBA Combine Scrimmage today..

17 PTS
4 AST
28 mins

We think he could be one of the biggest draft steals this year?? pic.twitter.com/IwqN1weTWf

— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) May 14, 2024

Justin Edwards: 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and two turnovers in 24 minutes. He shot 6-11 overall and 2-5 from deep. Edwards posted a -12 in the box score during an 89-81 loss for Team Forehan-Kelly.

For their efforts on Tuesday, Reeves and Edwards were listed by several outlets as standout performers from the first of two scrimmages. ESPN’s Bobby Marks highlighted Edwards’ game afterward, saying he had one of the best two-minute stretches (which came near the end) of the entire scrimmage. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie said that Reeves is “inching closer” to being a top 40 guy on his Big Board.

Wednesday (May 15) scrimmages

Day two was not nearly as production for either of the one-time ‘Cats. Although both wound up coming away with the win, neither scored in double-figures. That being said, Reeves and Edwards were able to make impacts in other ways — playmaking, rebounding, defense, etc. The counting stats won’t stick out as much compared to Tuesday, but neither player did anything to severely hurt their stock on Wednesday.

Antonio Reeves: Nine points, two assists, two steals, and three turnovers in 17 minutes. He shot 3-9 overall, 1-3 from deep, and 2-2 from the line. Reeves posted a +4 in the box score during a 90-83 win for Team St. Andrews.

Justin Edwards: Five points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one turnover in 17 minutes. He shot 2-6 overall, 0-4 from deep, and 1-1 from the line. Edwards posted a -16 in the box score during a 91-80 win for Team Forehan-Kelly.

Even with a worse showing on Wednesday, chatter surrounding Reeves in the NBA Draft world continues to make the rounds. There is plenty of optimism right now with the fifth-year college guard. He has plenty of tools that should translate quickly to the next level: elite-level shooting, a dangerous floater, and size at the two-guard spot.

Will it be enough to land him a spot in the Draft? We’ll find out June 26-27. But Reeves has made a solid case for himself already.