Kentucky Basketball: Antonio Reeves declares for NBA Draft as he maintains his college eligibility

Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves has just announced he will be testing the waters for the NBA next season, as he’s declared for the draft in June but will maintain his college eligibility for one more year and keep his options open to return to Lexington in case he doesn’t go professional yet.

The Wildcats shooting guard confirmed reports through social media this Tuesday, making his statement via his own Twitter account.

Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, will maintain college eligibility.

More: https://t.co/eNLbcWtc9a pic.twitter.com/rzSRynei2x

— On3 (@On3sports) April 4, 2023

Reeves started by showing gratitude for his family and the religious values he follows. “First of all, I want to thank God because none of this would be possible without Him,” he said. “I also want to thank my family for their unwavering support.”

“My time at Kentucky has been everything I dreamt it would be,” the player said as he still has one more year of college eligibility. “Coach Cal and the staff pushed me to become an all-round player and my teammates and I created Bonds that will last a lifetime. I want to thank Big Blue Nation. You are the best fans in the country and we felt your passion all season long and everywhere we went.”

“I’ve spent time thinking about what’s best for me and my future,” the young athlete continued. “I’ve determined that testing the waters and getting information back from the NBA is the best thing for me at this time. I’ve always dreamt of becoming a professional basketball player, and I am focused on fulfilling that dream but I’m keeping my options open.”

After Reeves transferred to Lexington as a senior guard from Illinois State, his first season in Kentucky started off slow, but gradually caught momentum all the way to achieve the best stats of his young career. By February, he was one of the Wildcats best players, averaging 14.4 points per contest on 41.6% shooting from the field, and 39.8% from beyond the arc.

His amazing shooting run turned sour after losing to Kansas State in last month’s Round of 32

One of his best performances for his team came in at the beginning of March, as he dropped a career-high 37 points as No. 23 Kentucky handed Arkansas its third straight loss with an 88-79 victory. Check out the shooting guard’s highlights from this match:

As he was named the SEC’s Co-Sixth Man of the Year this past season, leading the Wildcats in scoring in 13 contests, his amazing shooting run turned sour, as he was part to blame in Kentucky’s Round of 32 loss to Kansas State, after shooting just 1-15 from the field and 1-10 from the three-point line.

The athlete’s probabilities to make his way back to Lexington are actually pretty high, depending on his which NIL opportunities are presented for Reeves and if he will be awarded a second-round guarantee from an NBA franchise.

Kentucky would become one of the team with the deepest backcourt in the following campaign, if the young shooting guard is to stay one more year with the Wildcats. But if he remains in the NBA Draft, it will be the start of a great career for an player with amazing potential in his hands.