Skilled freshmen lift weight off of Antonio Reeves' shoulders

John Calipari didn’t like how long it took Antonio Reeves to get his first shot off in Kentucky’s season-opening victory over New Mexico State: 13:44 to go in the first half.

The reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year came back as a preseason First Team All-SEC selection, expected to emerge as the Wildcats’ go-to scoring threat in his fifth and final season of eligibility. He’d finish as the team’s fourth-leading shot-taker and fifth-overall scorer in the opener.

“Antonio didn’t get any looks for six minutes, five minutes. He can’t,” Calipari said. “He is too good a shooter. That means, someone drive down and find him. We don’t have to run plays. He’ll move to get free, but you have got to keep an eye on him.”

Reeves still finished in double figures, knocking down a pair of big 3-pointers midway through the first half to give the Wildcats some breathing room before taking the game over in the second. He just wasn’t the make-or-break scoring option he was forced to be at times last season.

Some would sulk in Reeves’ shoes, not getting the touches or shots they probably deserved. In his mind, though, it can actually be viewed as a positive. Why? It makes his life easier when his time to shine inevitably comes. And it makes life miserable for opposing teams.

“We’re really good. I don’t have a lot of pressure on me, just have to play in the flow of the game,” Reeves said Thursday. “I have to be ready to create or shoot whenever the time comes. I was actually glad with how they played in the first game, they played really well. There were no nerves.

“… It puts a lot of pressure on the defense. When one guy gets it going, we can keep going to him. It takes a lot of pressure off of me too. Another guy gets double-teamed, then I’m wide open. It can really benefit my game and their games.”

Rob Dillingham led the way with 17 points in the win, followed by D.J. Wagner with 13, Reed Sheppard and Justin Edwards with 12 and Jordan Burks with seven — five freshmen among Kentucky’s top seven leading scorers. The Wildcats spread the wealth and everyone got their time in the spotlight, including Reeves, but the newcomers were clear standouts.

That puts Kentucky in a unique position moving forward.

“They’ve adjusted to the pace of the game really well, more than I thought. In transition, those guys are flying down the court. They’re keeping up with me, that has really shocked me, especially going into that first game,” Reeves said. “… The younger guys are finally getting it, playing at the collegiate level. We’re going to be a great team coming into the season.”

They’re also playing with the right mindset, too.

“Hungry mentality, they’re tough. They’ve got a bunch of grit they play with,” Reeves added. “They just focus from the start of the game to the end of the game, that’s what I really like about this team.”

Calipari clearly wants Reeves to do the heavy lifting on offense, giving him the green light to shoot at will. Again, there is a reason he said six minutes without a look is too long for a scorer of his caliber.

He’s not looking for a certain number of shots per game, but when you know you can make them, you want to take them.

“However many shots I take, that’s how many shots I take. It doesn’t make a difference,” Reeves said. “It wasn’t about how many shots I should take, it’s just about — I’m a shooter. Look for me. I’m a great three-point shooter, so that’s what it was.”

There is no pressure on Reeves to go out there and get you 20 on any given night. He can, but he doesn’t have to. There are six or seven guys capable of doing that, an entire roster of ‘basketball players,’ as Calipari puts it.

As long as someone steps up, the Wildcats will have a shot.

“We’ve got a lot of players who can — like Coach Cal said — dribble, pass and shoot. We just have to look for each other out there, our offense is based on who can create their own offense, facilitate for someone else. That’s the main goal,” Reeves said. “It makes me feel good having good players around me. … All of the guys can facilitate for one another, can shoot, create their own shots. We’ve got a lot of that this year.”

He’ll be there either way. And that’s a scary predicament for any defense.

“There is nobody on this team I feel you can double. You’re leaving a very lethal weapon open if you do so,” graduate transfer Tre Mitchell said. “That’s just the depth we have, the blessing we have on this roster. That makes things a lot easier for Tone. You have one guy guarding you as opposed to two.

“Whether that be a pindown or a flair, whatever it may be, somebody’s got to make a decision. Either help on you and leave another guy open or let you come out of that screen open and get yourself a shot.”

Good luck with that.