Kowacie Reeves Jr. is the next Florida Gators basketball star
By Ryan Kately
With the basketball postseason in full swing in high school and college, it’s hard to say this is not basketball fans’ favorite time of year. There are many uncertainties with brackets busting, bubbles bursting, upsets, and champions being crowned. One thing I believe will be certain, however, will not take place this tournament season. Instead, it will occur next season, and it is Kowacie Reeves Jr. becoming the next Florida Gators basketball star.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. is a 6’6’’ senior shooting guard out of Macon (Ga.) Westside High School. He is a 5-star recruit on multiple recruiting pages and the only early signee the Gators landed in the early signing period. Just how the Gators landed the Macon-Westside High School product is another reason I am excited for Reeves Jr. to wear the blue and orange.
Reeves’s Jr. high school is located less than 2 hours south of Georgia University’s campus in Athens. However, Florida was the first D-1 school to offer Reeves Jr. all the way back in 2018. That first offer proved to be very important to Reeves Jr. as he pinned Florida’s offer on his Twitter page all through his recruiting process and eventually decided to stay loyal to the school that offered him first. If that does not show you the type of young man Reeves Jr. is off the court, I was even more impressed with his play on the court.
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Over his career at Macon-Westside High School, from his sophomore year to his senior year, Reeves Jr. grew 4 inches, which is when big schools started to notice the Macon-Westside product. After watching his film, I realized Reeves Jr. is the real deal.
He can score from anywhere on the floor. What sets him apart and takes his game to the next level is his shooting ability. He can spot up and shoot from anywhere on the court and shoot off the dribble. His length also works to his strength on the defensive end, and he can guard any position on the court. Reeves Jr.’s defensive game reminds me of Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons on the defensive end. Simmons uses his length and athleticism to guard any position on the court, from point guard to center.
Reeves Jr., who plays AAU basketball for Hype South, was recently named Region 4AAAA Player of the Year as he is averaging 27 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game, and 2.5 steals per game.
Those stats have landed him as a finalist for the Mr. Georgia Basketball award. Kowacie Reeves Jr. is the ideal player anyone would want on their team. He is loyal, humble, and is elite at both ends of the floor. So with all the uncertainty, March brings, one thing is certain; Kowacie Reeves Jr. will be the next Florida Gators basketball star.