Antonio Reeves: "I definitely want to be here for a second year"

Antonio Reeves is back for another year. It’s a big deal. Some of you didn’t sleep for days while worrying about Reeves’ place on Kentucky‘s 2023-24 roster but worry no more. The fifth-year senior announced earlier this week that he is back at the University of Kentucky for his last college basketball season.

So how close was Reeves to transferring elsewhere after returning to college from the NBA’s pre-draft process? Five days before Kentucky’s first exhibition game, Reeves explained his side of the process–or at least the parts he was willing to tell.

To Ben Roberts’ question regarding his options before returning to Kentucky, Reeves replied, “I’ll keep that between me and my family. I don’t want to speak on that type of stuff. But, you know, just going through the process, trying to be a pro.”

He added that “he didn’t have too much in mind,” in terms of other places in college basketball, but always considered Kentucky first as he and his family discussed the next phase of his basketball life.

Reeves then said, “I definitely want to be here for a second year and that’s what I wanted to do.”

New Year, New Reeves

Now that he’s back, Reeves feels a new level of confidence walking the halls of the Joe Craft Center. He’s fresh off of NBA workouts where he held his own against guys who are now pros, and he is Kentucky’s leading returner scorer and oldest player back from last year’s team.

Last week, John Calipari said Reeves doesn’t look like the same guy. “He knows what this is.”

In Reeves’ first interview, he explained that his new attitude came naturally.

“It’s the hunger in me that wants to get better. Being here for one year, I can see the growth I’m already having. My mentality, every day, is coming in and staying focused.”

He’s so focused, his lockdown defense earned a shout-out from one of the freshmen in another summer interview. Defense has been one of the areas Reeves is working hard to improve this offseason; unfortunately, that means no days off for the rookies.

“I gotta get them ready because the league’s getting older,” he explained. “There’s a lot of guys that’s older, like, 23, like my age. So I definitely put that little shoulder on them and that chest on them whenever they go to the rim, just be like, ‘Yeah, it is that when you get out here,’ you know? I’m telling guys all the time. ‘I’m not gonna take it easy’ or ‘whatever it takes to get you better.'”

Hear more from the vet… who may have that dog in him?

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