Antonio Reeves, Ugonna Onyenso shake off first-game jitters in Rupp Arena debut

Antonio Reeves and Ugonna Onyenso each made their Rupp Arena debuts in Kentucky‘s exhibition game vs. Missouri Western on Sunday, a major leap for both coming from their previous locations. The former spent three years at Illinois State to open his career, while the latter just arrived in the United States back in January before reclassifying and enrolling at UK this summer.

As one could imagine, the bright lights and crowd — even a sparse one — were an adjustment for the Wildcat newcomers.

For Reeves, the hot shooting we saw in Kentucky’s four exhibition games in the Bahamas and in the Blue-White Game down in Pikeville cooled off. First-game jitters got the best of him, with the senior guard finishing with just five points on 2-7 shooting, 0-4 from three and 1-2 from the line to go with one steal in 17 minutes.

“There were a little bit of jitters, definitely a bigger crowd than I expected,” Reeves told KSR on Tuesday. “It was my first time playing there, the first real game that we had at Rupp, so I was a little jittery. But it all went away as I was playing.”

That was reflected in his play, with his first make coming late in the first half on a crafty finish at the rim in transition. He followed it up with a filthy mid-range jumper early in the second half, showing off clear confidence in his shot creation and handles in the process.

Reeves knows the Wildcats will need that from him moving forward.

“The jitters, they finally went away,” he added. “It got me feeling more comfortable going into next game, knowing I can just go out there and be me.

As for Onyenso, he spent two-and-a-half years at NBA Academy Africa before enrolling at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut this past January. He led the team to a perfect 20-0 record and a prep school title before making the jump to 2022 and joining the Wildcats in late August. Now, he’s playing college basketball at a blue-blood program with the most passionate fanbase in the nation.

“Playing in an environment like that — I haven’t been in an environment like that, so I was a little bit nervous when I first stepped on the floor,” Onyenso said. “But I said to myself, if you do what you know how to do best, you’ll be fine.”

Reeves’ jitters resulted in a cold shooting night, his first as a Wildcat. Onyenso, though, was a standout on the defensive end of the floor, finishing with five blocks in just 15 minutes to go with four points and three rebounds.

He was nervous, sure, but his instincts kicked in and allowed him to find his footing early.

“Everything about Kentucky is a big stage for me. Playing against that much crowd, I’m gonna be a little nervous when I step on the floor,” Onyenso added. “I just need to calm myself down, tell myself you’ve been doing this for a very long time. You don’t have a reason to be nervous. … I wasn’t expecting to play that well, but as time went by, I put my confidence in the game. I told myself if I do what I do best and just play my game, I’ll be fine.”

After the game, Calipari raved about the 6-foot-11 freshman’s play, specifically on defense.

“Ugonna played like none of us — I knew, but he had five blocks,” he said.

That’s the message Onyenso received privately, as well, adding that Calipari told him he wasn’t expecting him to show out as quickly as he did. The numbers didn’t shock the five-star signee necessarily — he did average 5.7 blocks per game in high school — but his comfort on the floor was a bit of a surprise.

“He was surprised I played like that, he wasn’t expecting me to play like that,” Onyenso said. “I wasn’t really expecting anything, but I was surprised I played like that too. But I can’t say I was surprised I had five blocks in the game. … It’s what I do. I just need to get my confidence, that’s it.”

Will he be able to build on that success going into the team’s final exhibition game vs. Kentucky State on Thursday and the regular season? Can he calm the nerves when the crowds get bigger and rowdier?

“We will see [laughs].”

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