MACON, Ga. — Arguably the best high school basketball player in Central Georgia, Kowacie Reeves Jr. announced where he'll be playing his college basketball. The high flying junior for the Westside Seminoles committed his talents to Gainesville to play for the Florida Gators.
Reeves announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday. Known for jaw-dropping dunks, acrobatic finishes, and area code three-pointers, Reeves has been a star in the making for the Westside Seminoles.
"As you get older, you see the progress you've made and you really don't know what you're playing for until it's times like these that shows it pays off," Reeves said of his decision.
The star forward is largely known for his shooting ability, but said a pep talk he received as a sophomore sparked a fire to sharpen other skills.
"Gerald Fitz, an alumni at Westside, came in and just told us how important defense was on the next level and that talk really just stuck with me. Ever since then I've worked on every aspect of my game," Reeves said.
Reeves first started attracting eyes as a freshman, drawing his first offer from the Florida Gators. As the #35 overall prospect in the class of 2021 by Rivals.com and Top-40 by multiple recruiting sites, he'd narrowed his choices down to three schools - Florida, Stanford, and Georgia Tech. Ultimately, the Gators consistency won out.
"The same boxes that checked off for them, checked off at other schools, but ultimately the it came down to the consistency of the recruitment," Reeves said. "It's gonna be a surreal feeling, and the gators are going to get the best out of me and I'll earn everything I get."
The junior averaged 21 points per game and grabbed nearly seven rebounds while leading the Seminoles to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2020. He said now that he's committed he can cut loose and enjoy his senior year.
"It frees me up a lot. It renews my focus. I can focus on school, basketball and interacting with people and living outside life," he said.
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