Kowacie Reeves Being Mentored by One of the Greatest Shooters Ever
By Will Thomas
As if Gator fans weren’t excited enough about what Kowacie Reeves is going to bring to the hardwood this season, he may become an even better shooter before winter rolls around.
At Hypesouth Skillz Lab, Reeves was able to get some work in with all time great Ray Allen, who would be the most decorated shooter in NBA history if it wasn’t for Steph Curry.
@HypesouthSkillz Lab’er Kowacie Reeves Jr with my @UConn brother Ray Allen.
— Hypesouth Skillz Lab (@HypesouthSkillz) June 3, 2022
Ray mentored me during the summer while I was at Connecticut and now he’s mentoring my guy @wacie_wacie (Florida) … amazing how things come full circle. Make sure to tell him about the feet Ray! pic.twitter.com/B8HbmqBj6D
It’s safe to say that Reeves’ shooting game, which was already great, will benefit from what Allen has to teach him. Last year Reeves shot at a 33.3% mark from deep, and started to heat up later in the season as he got more playing time. One of the biggest shots of the whole season was Kowacie’s 3 pointer against Texas A&M in round one of the SEC Tournament.
The Gators ended up losing the game, but it showed that Reeves is already prepared for the big moment.
Kowacie Reeves (@wacie_wacie) Hits the GAME TYING 3 with 17.1 seconds left and Florida is even with Texas A&M Late in the 2nd Round of the SEC Tournament tied 70-70 (Video via @MrMatthewCFB) https://t.co/4uNpfVDZdw
— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) March 10, 2022
His new mentor also hit a clutch corner three in a big moment when he was still in action…
https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1273601355685511168?s=20&t=vMR7DC0rudNY0Ekzlyu-bg
Believe me I won’t get carried away yet comparing Reeves to Allen from a shooting standpoint. However, Reeves has all the tools necessary to be a great shooter, with his length and athleticism, and his percentage is only 7 points behind what Allen shot throughout his NBA career.
As Kowacie continues to develop, Gator fans won’t just see his shooting game get better. He’s sure to become a better ball handler and defender as well. At 6’6”, he has great length to excel in both of those categories, and will become an elite all around player before we know it.
In general, it doesn’t take a lot to understand that Ray Allen’s advice can make any player better. If Kowacie is able to work with him regularly, it’s gonna be a scary time for UF’s opponents when he’s out on the court.
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