Deep into preparation for Saturday’s Final Four game against Duke, UNC basketball is already laying some groundwork for 2022-23 by connecting with one of the top scorers in the NCAA transfer portal.
Former Illinois State guard Antonio Reeves has heard from the Tar Heels since entering the portal last week, as first reported on Sunday by Jake Weingarten of stockrisers.com. Reeves averaged 20.1 points per game (19th most among all Division I players), 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in 2021-22.
An All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team pick and All-MVC Most Improved Team pick, Reeves scored 10-plus points in 31 of the Redbirds’ 33 games. He also had 18 games of 20-plus points and finished his junior season shooting 46.9% from the field, 39% on threes and 81.8% on free throws.
Reeves, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound guard with two years of eligibility remaining, will have dozens of new Division I destinations to choose from. Among the many others to reach out to him, per Weingarten: Duke, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Kentucky, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Florida State, LSU and Wake Forest.
Reeves came to Illinois State as an unranked recruit from Simeon High School in Chicago and developed into an all-conference talent who steadily boosted his scoring and shooting percentages each season.
Reeves’ transfer comes amid a coaching change at Illinois State. The school announced in February that it would fire 10th-year coach Dan Muller (who recruited Reeves) at the end of the 2021-22 season. Muller initially said he’d finish out the season but stepped down effectively immediately one day later.
Illinois State (13-20, 5-13 MVC) played out its last five games and conference tournament under an interim coach and hired former Ohio State assistant Ryan Pedon as its new coach earlier this month.
UNC got a big boost from the transfer portal in 2021-22. Though the Tar Heels lost Garrison Brooks to Mississippi State and Walker Kessler to Auburn (where he promptly became one of the best centers and shot blockers in the country), they added three veterans who’ve contributed in varying ways this year.
Marquette’s Dawson Garcia had some big scoring games early but hasn’t been with the team since February while dealing with family medical issues. Virginia’s Justin McKoy has provided some decent spot minutes off the bench, most recently in UNC’s overtime thriller win over Baylor in the round of 32.
And Oklahoma’s Brady Manek has a good case as the Tar Heels’ most important player this season. He’s averaging a career-high 15.2 points, shooting 39.8% on 3-pointers and coming up big in the tournament, boosting those averages to 21.5 points and 47.1% 3-point shooting in wins over Marquette, Baylor, UCLA and Saint Peter’s.
Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.
