Antonio Reeves (born November 20, 2000) is an American basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Illinois State Redbirds and the Kentucky Wildcats.
| No. 12 – New Orleans Pelicans | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 20, 2000 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2024: 2nd round, 47th overall pick |
| Selected by the Orlando Magic | |
| Playing career | 2024–present |
| Career history | |
| 2024–present | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
editAfter a prep career at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix and Simeon Career Academy in his hometown Chicago, Reeves committed to Illinois State over offers from several other mid-major programs.
College career
editIllinois State
editReeves was a key contributor for his first two seasons, earning a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) all-bench team as a sophomore. He declared for the 2021 NBA draft, but ultimately chose to return to the Redbirds for his junior season. In the 2021–22 season, Reeves averaged a career high 20.1 points per game And was named second-team All-MVC, however the team was not successful and coach Dan Muller was fired. With the coaching change, Reeves decided to transfer to a winning program.[1]
Kentucky
editReeves ultimately chose Kentucky and coach John Calipari.[2][3] As a senior, he mostly came off the bench for the Wildcats and ranked second on the team in scoring behind All-American Oscar Tshiebwe at 14.4 points per game. At the close of the season, Reeves was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) co-Sixth Man of the Year.[4] He again tested the NBA draft waters and considered another transfer, but ultimately chose to return to Kentucky for a fifth year granted to players whose eligibility was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Entering his fifth year, Reeves was named preseason second-team All-SEC.[6] As the season wore in, Reeves emerged as a key player for the Wildcats and senior presence for their talented recruiting class. In January 2024, he was named to the 25-man Wooden Award midseason watch list in recognition of his performance, along with teammate Reed Sheppard.[7]
Professional career
editNew Orleans Pelicans (2024–present)
editOn June 27, 2024, Reeves was selected with the 47th overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2024 NBA draft, however, immediately on draft night, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for two second-round pick swaps in 2030 and 2031.[8] On July 23, he signed with the Pelicans.[9]
Reeves made his NBA debut on October 23, 2024, in a 123-111 win over the Chicago Bulls.[10] On November 20, Reeves put up a career-high 34 points in a 128–100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[11]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Illinois State | 31 | 3 | 22.4 | .384 | .314 | .659 | 2.5 | .7 | .6 | .1 | 7.2 |
| 2020–21 | Illinois State | 25 | 24 | 29.9 | .425 | .306 | .763 | 3.3 | 1.4 | .4 | .2 | 12.4 |
| 2021–22 | Illinois State | 33 | 33 | 34.9 | .469 | .390 | .818 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .5 | 20.1 |
| 2022–23 | Kentucky | 34 | 14 | 27.9 | .416 | .398 | .783 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .4 | .2 | 14.4 |
| 2023–24 | Kentucky | 33 | 33 | 31.4 | .512 | .447 | .863 | 4.2 | 1.6 | .7 | .2 | 20.2 |
| Career | 156 | 107 | 29.3 | .452 | .384 | .801 | 3.1 | 1.3 | .6 | .2 | 15.1 | |
References
edit- ^ Bourne, Isaac (December 22, 2023). "Antonio Reeves: From mid-major star to Kentucky Wildcat standout". MidMajorMadness.com. SB Nation. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (April 27, 2022). "Antonio Reeves transfers from Illinois State to play basketball for Kentucky Wildcats". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Hale, Jon (April 27, 2022). "What to know about Kentucky basketball's newest incoming transfer Antonio Reeves". Courier-Journal.com. Courier Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ "Antonio Reeves Named Co-Sixth Man of the Year to Lead Wildcat League Honorees". UKAthletics.com. Kentucky Wildcats. March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Salerno, Cameron (June 21, 2023). "Kentucky: Senior guard expected to rejoin team after rollercoaster offseason". CBSSports.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Fisher, Chris (November 2, 2023). "Pair of Wildcats named Coaches Preseason All-SEC". 247sports.com. 247Sports. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Barry, Armando (January 11, 2024). "Reeves & Sheppard listed on Midseason Wooden Award watch list". WYMT.com. WYMT. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Kimble, Terry (June 27, 2024). "Pelicans Jump Back Into Second-Round; Draft Kentucky Guard Antonio Reeves". SI.com. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "New Orleans Pelicans sign Antonio Reeves". NBA.com. July 23, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
- ^ "Chicago Bulls at New Orleans Pelicans Box Score, October 23, 2024". BasketballRef. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ Dodson, Chris (November 20, 2024). "Pelicans rookie has 34-point birthday to remember vs. Cavaliers". ClutchPoints. Retrieved November 20, 2024.