Kentucky coach Mark Pope welcomed back to Rupp Arena by Wildcats fans
Former Kentucky basketball player and new head coach Mark Pope is announced at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Sam Upshaw Jr.
LEXINGTON — Antonio Reeves ended his college career with one of the best seasons an individual had at Kentucky during John Calipari‘s 15 seasons guiding the program. And it was a campaign good enough it might have helped Reeves earn a spot in this year’s NBA draft, which begins Wednesday night.
Reeves averaged a team-best 20.2 points per game for the Wildcats during the 2023-24 campaign. It was the best average by any UK player during Calipari’s tenure. And it was the best per-game figure for a Wildcat since Jodie Meeks averaged 23.7 in 2008-09.
Reeves was one of just two Kentucky players to appear in all 33 games last season. (Reed Sheppard was the other.) And he didn’t miss a game in 2022-23, either, playing in every contest (34 games) that season after joining UK as a transfer from Illinois State.
Reeves was ultra-efficient offensively in 2023-24, making 55.7% of his 2-point attempts, 44.7% of his 3s and 86.3% of his opportunities at the free-throw line.
He left Lexington as the top scorer of the Calipari era in terms of total points, finishing with 1,155 — 38 ahead of former teammate Oscar Tshiebwe (1,117).
NBA draft projections for former Kentucky basketball player Antonio Reeves
Here’s where Reeves might be selected, based on the latest mock draft projections.
- The Athletic: 53rd, Detroit Pistons (Updated June 20)
- Bleacher Report: 53rd, Detroit Pistons (Updated June 19)
- CBS Sports: N/A (Updated June 21)
- ESPN: 54th, Boston Celtics (Updated June 20)
- The Ringer: N/A (Updated June 17)
- SB Nation: N/A (Updated June 18; mock draft only included 30 picks in first round)
- USA TODAY: N/A (Updated June 20; mock draft only included 30 picks in first round)
- Yahoo! Sports: N/A (Updated June 17)
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.