‘Big bro’ of Kentucky basketball shows how much the Cats need him. ‘It all worked out.’

There was plenty of talk about the young guys after Kentucky’s first two games at the GLOBL JAM in Toronto.

Whether it be D.J. Wagner’s electric style with the ball, Reed Sheppard’s star turn in his second appearance as a Wildcat, or Adou Thiero’s transformation into a physical force all over the court, there was ample opportunity for UK fans to get excited about the program’s burgeoning youth movement.

Through those first two games filled with youthful energy, however, Antonio Reeves was old reliable, leading the Wildcats in scoring both times, getting most of his points in an unassuming manner.

If it’s possible to average a “quiet” 23.5 points per game, Reeves did it in those first two games.

His performance in Kentucky’s 104-92 victory over Africa on Saturday was plenty loud.

Reeves didn’t even start — UK Coach John Calipari has been rotating his first five on this trip in hopes of seeing more lineup combinations — but he could hardly miss once he got onto the court.

The fifth-year college player scored 18 points in the first half alone and started the second half on the bench once again before hitting some big shots down the stretch — as the game got close — to end the day with 27 points. He was 9-for-14 from the field and made eight of 11 three-point attempts.

Without Reeves, the Wildcats might not have won Saturday afternoon.

This time last month, it looked like a real possibility that the 22-year-old might not return for a final season at Kentucky.

Reeves took his NBA Draft decision down to the final day, ultimately deciding on that May 31 deadline that he would remove his name from consideration. Another three weeks passed — with Reeves mulling other options; an alternative pro route or perhaps even a late transfer to another school? — before the 6-foot-5 guard was back on UK’s campus for good, committed to playing the 2023-24 season as a Wildcat.

Reeves hasn’t yet gone into detail about what exactly he was thinking during those three weeks on the fence, but he’s made it clear in his public comments over the past week that he’s all in with this Kentucky team. And it should be apparent to anyone who watched the Wildcats’ first three games at the GLOBL JAM that Kentucky could’ve been in a difficult place without him.

“I had a couple (weeks) where I wasn’t there with the guys, but it all worked out,” Reeves said from Toronto. “I’m here now, and everything is falling into place. And I’m happy to be here.”

In those three games — wins over Germany, Canada and Africa — Reeves has now scored 24, 23 and 27 points, respectively. He’s combined to go 27-for-45 from the field (60.0 percent) and 14-for-24 from three-point range (58.3 percent).

There are plenty of other players on this Kentucky team who can score.

Wagner and Sheppard each had 18 points Saturday, and they both look like they’ll be able to fill it up on a regular basis. Fellow McDonald’s All-American freshman Justin Edwards has started a bit slow — relative to his NBA lottery pick expectations — but he had nine points in the first quarter alone against Africa, and it’s apparent the tools for a great college scorer are there. Fifth-year transfer Tre Mitchell is steady offensively, Thiero’s game is growing as he enters year two of college, and freshman Rob Dillingham’s reputation as an electric offensive player precedes him.

But no one on this Kentucky team can score quite like Reeves. At least, not yet.

Give him an opportunity with the ball, and he often finds a way to get a good look. Give him any space at all off the ball — especially around the perimeter — and he’s likely to make you pay.

Coach John Calipari confirmed earlier in the week that Reeves has the “green light” to shoot it whenever he wants. With that power comes the responsibility to play within the game, not get too selfish with the ball.

“And he doesn’t,” Calipari said. “He’s taken all open shots. He’s not gonna make every one.”

Maybe not, but he could hardly miss Saturday afternoon.

After hitting his eighth and final three-pointer of the game — one last dagger to make it 102-83 with 1:20 left, after Africa had narrowed the gap to six points earlier in the fourth quarter — Reeves skipped down the court, slapping hands with teammates and coaches. Following an offseason of indecision, it certainly looks like Reeves is having a good time now that he’s back.

And he’s embraced the role of elder statesman, a year after coming in as a transfer from Illinois State, joining a roster that, at the time, was filled with UK basketball veterans. Reeves sees himself as an “older brother” figure on this team, a guy with experience playing under Calipari and someone younger players can come to with questions.

“It’s been fun so far. I can tell you that right now,” he said. “Those guys are playful. I enjoy being around them. They play a lot sometimes, but that’s what I’m here for — to be big bro. It’s definitely been fun, just being with them all the time and just being able to vibe with them.”

Reeves said the freshmen on this team — a group that makes up the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class — reached out to him on a daily basis before his final decision, conveying their collective hope that he would return to add a veteran presence to UK’s talented but young backcourt. Reeves said that meant a lot, and he added that the early contact — much of it coming via chat while the Cats were playing video games — helped form an early bond.

Once he actually got on the court with the new guys, that bond was strengthened. The unselfish nature that this team has shown in Canada — 77 assists in three games — is testament to that.

“It’s incredible,” Reeves said. “We got a good group of guys that hang out with each other, vibe with each other, stick with each other. All day, every day. And that’s how that confidence comes in — that unselfishness comes in — and that’s how we are able to show it on the floor.”

Reeves said that togetherness wasn’t lacking with last season’s team — “I’m not saying we didn’t have fun last year, because we definitely did” — but that group, especially in the backcourt, was a shell of itself by the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Sahvir Wheeler was out with an injury. Cason Wallace and CJ Fredrick played down the stretch, but both guards were badly hobbled, nowhere near 100 percent. That left much of the scoring burden on Reeves, who turned in some star performances — the 37-point day at Arkansas chief among them — before his atrocious 1-for-15 shooting night against Kansas State to end the season.

With young playmakers like Wagner, Sheppard and Dillingham sharing the backcourt this season, Reeves already sees a difference. The veteran used words like “quick” and “fast” and “high IQ” to describe UK’s new guards. Those abilities, Reeves said, lead to opposing defenses getting scrambled, which leads to more space for others, like him, to operate.

Having those guys on the team — all players with high-volume scoring potential on any given night, to go along with the unselfishness ingrained in their games — should also take much of the load off Reeves as the 2023-24 season gets going.

And that could be a very good development for the Wildcats.

“Yeah, it definitely takes pressure off,” he said. “I don’t have to try and make a play every time. I got guards that can facilitate already, so I’m not worried about that at all. I’m just worried about trying to win a game at the end of the day. And trying to win a national championship. That’s my main focus.”

GLOBL JAM

Men’s games in the GLOBL JAM, an international basketball showcase in Toronto featuring Kentucky as the USA representative:

Wednesday

United States 81, Germany 73

Canada 88, Africa 62

Thursday

Germany 88, Africa 79

United States 93, Canada 69

Saturday

United States 104, Africa 92

Canada 84, Germany 81 (OT)

Sunday

1:30 p.m.: Bronze medal game: Africa vs. Germany

8 p.m.: Gold medal game: Kentucky vs. Canada (CBS Sports Network)

Kentucky basketball sets tone early, beats Africa to go perfect in GLOBL JAM pool play

Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s win over Africa in GLOBL JAM 2023

Box score from Kentucky basketball’s victory over Africa in 2023 GLOBL JAM

Where to watch, how to follow Sunday’s Kentucky game vs. Canada for GLOBL JAM gold

Kentucky basketball trip gives Calipari an opening to boast. The Cats are big in Canada.

A new Adou for Kentucky basketball? Bulked-up Thiero ready for a bigger role in year two.

Reed Sheppard starred for Kentucky. His family was there to see it. ‘It means everything.’

Kentucky dominates Canada in GLOBL JAM. Cats qualify for gold medal game with the victory.