Kentucky reaches out to Illinois State transfer wing Antonio Reeves

Add another rangy wing player to the list of transfers that Kentucky has made contact with.

According to multiple reports, the Wildcat coaching staff has reached out to Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves, a 6-foot-6 wing who is a rising senior. He’s the third transfer portal prospect who is familiar with the Chicago area to hear from Kentucky over the last few days, joining LSU transfer Xavier Pinson and Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr.

Kentucky assistant coach Chin Coleman has a significant connection to Chicago, as he was the head coach for the Mac Irvin Fire AAU program from 2005-11. Reeves came out of Chicago’s Simeon High School as a three-star recruit before spending his first three college seasons with the Redbirds. He put his name in the transfer portal on March 21.

Despite coming out of a mid-major, Reeves is garnering plenty of Power 5 interest. Kentucky joins the likes of Duke, Texas Tech, Memphis, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio State, Illinois, Missouri, and plenty of others as teams that have reached out to Reeves.

Antonio Reeves (Illinois State) has talk to FloridaState, Missouri, Arkansas, Wake Forest, Nebraska, Creighton, San Diego State, Arizona State, BYU, Cal Berkeley, Depaul, Kentucky, and Western Kentucky #MacIrvinFire

— Mac Irvin Fire (@TheMacIrvinFire) March 25, 2022

Reeves’ junior season was easily his best. After averaging 7.2 points per game as a freshman and then 12.4 as a sophomore, his production skyrocketed in 2021-22. Reeves led Illinois State (13-20) in scoring at 20.1 points per contest (most in the Missouri Valley Conference and top 20 in all of Divison I), along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He shot the ball at a wildly impressive rate, too: 46.9 percent overall, 39.0 percent from distance on 5.9 attempts per game, and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line in 2021-22.

Kentucky is looking at another wing player who can shoot and play defense? Yes, please.