Gators Wing Kowacie Reeves Jr. to Enter Transfer Portal
Photo: Kowacie Reeves Jr.; Credit: Zach Goodall
Florida Gators wing Kowacie Reeves Jr. will enter the transfer portal, he shared with 247Sports following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season on Wednesday.
All Gators can confirm the report.
He accounted for 7.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 60 games played — 17 starts — for UF.
Reeves joins seniors Colin Castleton, Kyle Lofton and Myreon Jones as pieces departing from the program.
CJ Felder and Jason Jitoboh can use the extra year of eligibility granted by COVID to remain with the program in 2023-24 if they choose.
The Florida roster will undergo an extensive overhaul for the third offseason in a row as a result.
Todd Golden and Co. hope Riley Kugel and Will Richard will return to serve as cornerstones to next year’s team.
Reeves’ player arc at the University of Florida initially provided promise for his collegiate career as a former high-caliber prep recruit from Westside High School in Macon, Ga.
His first year in orange and blue was met with mixed reviews, as Reeves showcased the talent needed to be an asset against the daunting SEC slate Florida faced but struggled to adjust to the pace of the collegiate game early on.
Toward the end of the season, Reeves found his rhythm shooting the basketball to post 21 points in Florida’s narrow SEC Tournament loss to Texas A&M. He also discovered an added groove attacking the basket off the dribble.
It set him up to be a crucial piece to the puzzle in Golden’s first campaign.
However, Reeves failed to live up to the expectations he set for himself with a strong run of form to end the 2021-22 season. He never realized his potential as a top-scoring option for the Gators alongside Castleton, with inconsistency shooting from the perimeter plaguing his game-to-game performance.
Reeves shot 37.7% from the field and 26.2% from three during the 2022-23 season, regressing from his already up-and-down nature as a freshman. He averaged 8.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
As a result, the Peach State native will now move on in an attempt to rekindle his career elsewhere next season, looking to regain the NBA Draft buzz he once earned.
As a former top 50 recruit, Reeves' list of suitors will surely be plentiful.
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