Anthony Davis, Tyler Ulis give Kentucky’s latest ‘Chicago guy’ tough acts to follow
Kentucky basketball’s transfer from Illinois State, Antonio Reeves, identifies as a “Chicago guy.”
That means “play hard, play tough,” he said Friday.
And, yes, he’s aware of two Chicago guys who recently starred for Kentucky: Anthony Davis, who led UK to the 2012 national championship, and Tyler Ulis, the winner of the 2016 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year award.
“I know they’re Chicago guys,” he said before adding, “I’m a big fan of those guys.”
The Chicago connection extends to UK assistant coach Ron “Chin” Coleman.
Reeves, a graduate of Simeon High School, said he was aware that Coleman was an assistant coach at Illinois before coming to UK last year and that he previously was a high school coach in Chicago.
“My dad was really close to him as well,” Reeves said of his father, who is known as Big Tone. “He’s known him for a very long time.”
For Reeves to continue UK’s profitable connection to Chicago, he sees providing reliable perimeter shooting as essential.
“I’m definitely going to be counted on” to shoot well, he said. “I’m not really pressured about it because the last school I came from, that was my role on the team: to make perimeter shots. I’m comfortable with the situation I’m in right now.”
Reeves shot three-pointers dramatically better in the third of his three seasons for Illinois State. After making 31.4 percent and 30.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc as a freshman and sophomore, he shot with 39-percent accuracy last season (76 of 195).
Why the improvement?
“Just working hard every day,” he said. “Being in the gym every day in the summertime.”
Reeves said he aimed to be in the gym at least two or three times a day and take some 500 to 1,000 shots a day.
“I’m very confident in my shot,” he said. “I work on it all day every day and I just know I can shoot the ball at a high clip.”
His father, who played on the high school level, introduced his son to basketball at an early age. Reeves said he was 7 years old when his father set up a goal about 7 1/2 or 8 feet high in the backyard.
Reeves said he “got up shots day and night. That’s when I started taking basketball seriously.”
Rivals labeled Reeves a three-star prospect as he finished his high school career at Simeon. As a senior, he averaged 21.7 points and made the all-city second team.
In addition to Illinois State, he said his college options coming out of high school were Chicago State, Detroit Mercy and DePaul. Wisconsin “recruited me a little bit,” he said.
The comfort level he felt made Illinois State the choice.
His numbers improved each of three seasons with the Redbirds: three starts and 7.2 points per game as a freshman, 24 starts in 25 games and 12.4 points per game as a sophomore and then starting all 33 games and averaging a team-leading 20.1 points as a junior.
Reeves also grew an inch each season at Illinois State: from 6-foot-4 as a freshman to 6-5 as a sophomore to 6-6 as a junior.
“A true inch, too,” Illinois State basketball Sports Information Director Bill Salyer wrote in an email. “Not a ‘roster’ inch.”
Reeves’ increasing height was noticed.
“People have been telling me, are you taller?” he said. “I’m, like, oh wow.”
Reeves entered his name in the 2021 NBA Draft. He said he benefited from being in the NBA atmosphere.
After this past season, he also considered Nebraska, Xavier, DePaul and Oregon before deciding to transfer to Kentucky. He cited the chance to win a national championship and play with “really good players” as deciding factors.
As first impressions go, Reeves has made a good one.
“Antonio is a great teammate,” Sahvir Wheeler said. “He’s pretty goofy (and) kind of funny. He’s always a joy to be around for sure.
“On the court, he’s a really good player. (He) can do everything on the offensive end.. And he’s really unselfish. He can shoot the ball.”
When asked how UK Coach John Calipari expects him to contribute, Reeves said, “He knows I can shoot. He knows I can facilitate for the team and be a leader. I’m going into my senior year, so I’ve really got to step up.”
