After a visit to Georgia Tech last week, home visits with three other schools and time to consider his decision, Florida transfer Kowacie Reeves Jr. was ready to make up his mind and get to work.
“This wasn’t a high-school recruitment,” Kowacie Reeves Sr. told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday evening. “He didn’t want it to be that way. When you know, you know. He just kind of went with it. So (Friday), he was like, ‘Dad, I think it’s going to be Tech.’”
Reeves Jr. announced his decision Friday to transfer to Tech on social media, entrusting his final two seasons of eligibility to new coach Damon Stoudamire. Reeves, a four-star prospect coming out of Westside High in Macon, averaged 8.5 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Gators this past season.
“He saw (Stoudamire’s) vision and he believed in it,” Reeves Sr. said. “He believes in the vision. Fresh start, fresh coach, back home, just ready to start over and get going.”
Reeves, a 6-foot-6 guard, is Stoudamire’s second commitment out of the transfer portal. He follows another transfer returning to his home state, former N.C. State forward Ebenezer Dowuona, a graduate of the Heritage School in Newnan. Four Yellow Jackets scholarship players, forwards Freds Pauls Bagatskis and Jordan Meka and centers Rodney Howard and Cyril Martynov, have left the team via the portal since Stoudamire was hired to replace Josh Pastner.
Reeves went into the portal March 16, three days after Stoudamire was hired at Tech. Reeves’ father said that Stoudamire reached out quickly, identified him as a priority and was consistent in communicating with him. Mississippi State, Boston College and Loyola of Chicago also were in the mix, making in-home visits. Campus visits to Mississippi State and Indiana had been scheduled before Reeves’ commitment, Reeves Sr. said.
Tech had proximity in its favor, as well as Reeves’ academic interest in graphic design and technology. Stoudamire also pitched Reeves on a fast-paced style “where the players have a lot of freedom to go create things in different ways, and I think Kowacie’s skill set fits that,” Reeves Sr. said.
Stoudamire’s background, having played in the NBA for 13 years and then having been an assistant coach for the past two years with the Boston Celtics, didn’t hurt.
“Like my son told me (Friday), he was like, coach Stoudamire has been where he wants to go,” Reeves Sr. said. “That’s what it was – just a combination of all that.”
Reeves played 60 games in two seasons for the Gators, starting 17. Considered athletic and hardworking, Reeves had trouble finding consistency, shooting 37.7% from the field and 29.2% from 3-point range. He played his freshman season for coach Mike White (now at Georgia) and his staff, and this past season for coach Todd Golden.
“He wasn’t really wanting to transfer, so he gave it a shot,” Reeves Sr. said. “He’s just a loyal kid and there were some ups and downs as far as the vision. It was just a new staff. I guess they had a different vision. I’ll say that.”
As a new chapter in Tech’s basketball history begins, a transfer from Florida is ready for his own beginning.
“It’s a fresh start back at home,” Reeves Sr. said. “A lot of people are excited about it.”
