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If you earn it you get it… unless you’re Antonio Reeves.

That is what I heard, as well. Reeves LIKES coming off the bench to provide instant offense and lift the club. It's working well.

He could go down as the best 6th man in Kentucky history ... he's certainly one of them. James Lee was another very good one ... everybody remembers how he lifted the team.
darius miller was pretty good
 
As we all know, Reeves is a volume-shooter and is not bashful about shooting the ball.
He is currently second in the Calipari era for shots per minute, trailing only Malik Monk.
He currently produces the most points per minute played on this year's team.
Tshiebwe's points per field goal attempt leads the team and ranks second on this list of shot-takers.

Total
PlayerGamesMinutesPointsFGAFG %Min/GPTS/MinFGA/MinPTS/FGA
Cousins2009-20103889357536855.98%23.500.6440.4121.563
Murray2015-1636126772053845.35%35.190.5680.4251.338
Monk2016-1738121875455844.98%32.050.6190.4581.351
Fox2016-1736106460144847.77%29.560.5650.4211.342
Wallace2022-20232061422418446.20%30.700.3650.3001.217
Tshiebwe2022-20231858829819658.67%32.670.5070.3331.520
Toppin2022-20231954420918644.09%28.630.3840.3421.124
Wheeler2022-20231852514714141.13%29.170.2800.2691.043
Reeves2022-20232048125721041.90%24.050.5340.4371.224
Fredrick2022-20231740413911540.00%23.760.3440.2851.209
 
Reeves, 27 point game followed by 19 minutes including zero minutes down the stretch when they were fouling. Cal decided to spend the last 5 minutes with non shooting threat Wheeler off the ball, standing in the corner. At the end of the game he left the 53% free throw shooting Wheeler in instead of 83% free throw shooter Antonio Reeves.
 
Reeves, 27 point game followed by 19 minutes including zero minutes down the stretch when they were fouling. Cal decided to spend the last 5 minutes with non shooting threat Wheeler off the ball, standing in the corner. At the end of the game he left the 53% free throw shooting Wheeler in instead of 83% free throw shooter Antonio Reeves.

To be fair to Wheeler, he was 74% on free throws heading into this year, 71% total right now. Reeves is 78% for his career.

I think Reeves should've been in over the second big man, either Toppin/Oscar or Toppin/Collins. You only needed one of them for Castleton.
 
To be fair to Wheeler, he was 74% on free throws heading into this year, 71% total right now. Reeves is 78% for his career.

I think Reeves should've been in over the second big man, either Toppin/Oscar or Toppin/Collins. You only needed one of them for Castleton.
Well congrats on last year but he had him in over a much better shooter this year. There’s never any logic behind his decisions.
 
To be fair to Wheeler, he was 74% on free throws heading into this year, 71% total right now. Reeves is 78% for his career.

I think Reeves should've been in over the second big man, either Toppin/Oscar or Toppin/Collins. You only needed one of them for Castleton.
Wheeler has missed every crucial free throw he has taken this year. Three previous years stats out the window.
 
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To be fair to Wheeler, he was 74% on free throws heading into this year, 71% total right now. Reeves is 78% for his career.

I think Reeves should've been in over the second big man, either Toppin/Oscar or Toppin/Collins. You only needed one of them for Castleton.
Reeves got caught ball watching, and got back doored for an easy layup. That's why he wasn't in.
 
Reeves, 27 point game followed by 19 minutes including zero minutes down the stretch when they were fouling. Cal decided to spend the last 5 minutes with non shooting threat Wheeler off the ball, standing in the corner. At the end of the game he left the 53% free throw shooting Wheeler in instead of 83% free throw shooter Antonio Reeves.
I was screaming at the TV in the final 2 minutes "put in Reeves (83%) and Livingston (88%) , for Wheeler (53%) and Collins (58%)"! AND don't have Fredrick (90%) the one inbounding the ball, unless they are to give it right back to him.
 
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To be fair to Wheeler, he was 74% on free throws heading into this year, 71% total right now. Reeves is 78% for his career.

I think Reeves should've been in over the second big man, either Toppin/Oscar or Toppin/Collins. You only needed one of them for Castleton.
Yeah, but his SPU FT shooting has been in his head all season. You can't play him right now in crunch time.
 
For the last time, Reeves prefers coming off the bench. If he feels more comfortable with it and it's productive, why change it?
And I'm sure Livingston likes to start, as do most players. Do individual players decide who starts?

I'm glad you are promising not to say Reeves prefers coming off the bench anymore because I was getting tired of you saying it.
 
And I'm sure Livingston likes to start, as do most players. Do individual players decide who starts?

I'm glad you are promising not to say Reeves prefers coming off the bench anymore because I was getting tired of you saying it.
Pretty sure the Reeves likes coming off the bench was the typical made up message board “quote”.
 
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LOL at still starting Chris Livingston over Reeves. I guess he loves slow starts for the 4th game in a row.
There is no doubt in my mind that Cal is keeping a promise that he made to the Livingston. Livingston seems to be a very nice young man, but he seems absolutely lost on the court. He brings nothing to the team. There is no way he should be starting in front of Reeves or Adou.
 
I haven't had a chance to talk to Cal personally about this, but I think he wants to give Livingston as much experience as possible. If there are injuries or Refs Gone Wild in March the more confidence and experience Chris has the better off we are.
If Cal wants to develop a player, he should be spending the time he is wasting on Livingston on Onyenso and/or Collins. There is far greater benefit to be gained there than on Livingston. Over half the season is gone and Livingston hasn't shown an improvement.
 
But but but he’s prepping him for the NBA draft. The greatest night in the history of UK basketball. 😉
Livingston will need a ticket if he wants to get anywhere near an NBA team.
 
Said on the pregame that Livingston doesn't want to play the 4.
If Livingston doesn't want to play the 4, give him overtime play on the bench. To be honest, I don't think he can play the 4 either.
 
There's a lot to fault Cal for, but playing freshman players with superior talent and physical skills over other guys early in the season is not one of them IMO. If the Frosh ever hit their stride, our chances to go far in the NCAA tourney rise dramatically.

As we get closer to March, that is when you start sitting the your young players who haven't realized their potential over the course of the season and making sure your best lineup is on the court as much as you possibly can.

JMHO of course.
It sounds like a great strategy to continue wasting time attempting to get a player who hasn't shown any evidence of improving ready for the tourney. That particular strategy is the reason there is uncertainty if Kentucky will get to the tourney. It is also unwise to assume that veteran players don't need court time because they are plug-and-play.
 
And I'm sure Livingston likes to start, as do most players. Do individual players decide who starts?

I'm glad you are promising not to say Reeves prefers coming off the bench anymore because I was getting tired of you saying it.
If a player feels more comfortable coming of the bench, the coach should listen. I have said this ONE time and I couldn't care less what you're tired of.

I never promised I wouldn't say it again so get your facts straight before chirping. And again, I don't care what you're tired of.
 
And I'm sure Livingston likes to start, as do most players. Do individual players decide who starts?

I'm glad you are promising not to say Reeves prefers coming off the bench anymore because I was getting tired of you saying it.
I don't believe for a second that Reeves likes coming off the bench. I wouldn't want a player on my team who wanted to come off the bench. I would want a team full of players who wants to start and are willing to fight their guts out for a starting position. If the player has been out played for the starting position, I would want the player to accept the coach's decision for who starts while still fighting for the possibility of earning a starting spot. This is how teams get better.
 
If a player feels more comfortable coming of the bench, the coach should listen. I have said this ONE time and I couldn't care less what you're tired of.

I never promised I wouldn't say it again so get your facts straight before chirping. And again, I don't care what you're tired of.
Okay, I was being somewhat facetious with that comment and I apologize for that.
But here are two facts:

1. A player being okay coming off the bench is not the same thing as the team being better off for that player coming off the bench.

2. Our most efficient lineups this year have not included Livingston at the small forward.
 
Except that he has said he likes coming off the bench. He’s averaging 28 minutes per game the last 5 games.

People on here have gone into full idiot mode.
Good thing Reeves likes coming off the bench. That will be a selling point in getting him back.
 
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