LEXINGTON — Reece Potter, admittedly, isn’t “big” on social media. When it comes to his personal life, he prefers to keep it low-key. So imagine his surprise earlier this year when his phone was relentlessly pinging with calls and text messages asking about his commitment to Kentucky basketball.
Before he even had announced it.
“It was wild,” Potter told reporters June 30 in his first meeting with media members since joining the Wildcats. “So it was actually the night before it started blowing up. So I don’t know how it got out; if anybody wants to let me know, I’d love to know.”
He named a few possible suspects for the leaked information.
Miller Williams, a UK team manager and one of Potter’s closest friends.
Jasper Johnson, a freshman guard and another confidant.
And Malachi Moreno, a freshman center who had on-court battles with Potter during their decorated high school careers in the Bluegrass State.
Potter, who had entered the transfer portal after two seasons at Miami (Ohio), was in constant contact with his two possible teammates-to-be.
“I told them, ‘I’m coming,'” Potter said. “They were like, ‘Finally.’ Because for like a week, Malachi and Jasper were like, ‘If you don’t commit right now, we’re going to come to your house.’
“And I was like, ‘All right, all right, just give me a minute.'”
And just like that, the 7-foot-1 Potter was heading home.
Potter was a superstar at Lexington Catholic High School. As a senior, he averaged 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds, making more than half of his shots from the field (55.8%) and sinking 76.8% of his free throws. Potter powered Lexington Catholic to a 32-3 overall record in 2022-23, with his individual excellence landing him on The Courier Journal’s Kentucky All-State boys basketball first team.
Yet the college game has been an adjustment: In 56 appearances as a RedHawk, Potter averaged 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per outing.
Not that he let that dissuade him from wanting more.
“I want to compete against the best people,” he said. “So going against some of the teams we were able to go against last year — I played Indiana last year at Indiana, and that was the most fun I’ve ever had. Playing in a packed house, everybody hated us and it was the most fun I’ve ever had. So I was like, ‘I’m just going for that (atmosphere) every time.’
“There’s no better place to do it than the best university in the country.”
Growing up in Lexington, he remembers cheering for the first team of the John Calipari era: the 2009-10 group paced by DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall. Even though his heart and mind always favored UK, Potter said he listened to other schools’ pitches. (He picked Kentucky over North Carolina and Washington.)
Yet the pull of the Wildcats was too strong.
“I always knew I wanted to come here,” he said. “It’s been a blessing, for sure.”
Mark Pope was elated.
“Reece Potter is a Lexington Catholic legend,” Pope said in a statement officially announcing Potter’s signing May 8. “He is a lengthy big who has a unique combination of mobility and skill. Reece can really pass, shoot and protect the rim and fits into what we do exceptionally well.
“Most importantly, he truly understands what it means to wear the Kentucky jersey.”
When Potter reflected on his recruitment, he only could describe it as “surreal.”
Back in Lexington, he was visiting his father. Then Potter saw a message from Cody Fueger, one of UK’s assistant coaches.
“When he reached out, I thought, like — I didn’t believe Kentucky reached out to me,” Potter said. “I showed my dad. … I was like, ‘Dad, I think Kentucky just reached out to me.’ And he was like, ‘Nah, you’re lying.’
“You have all the coaches that reach out to you once you hit the portal. And then I told them I was interested.”
Not long after, Pope FaceTimed Potter. From there, Potter’s commitment only was a matter of time.
As steeped into the UK mythos as he was, Potter quickly has gained an even greater appreciation for college basketball’s winningest program.
“I don’t feel like it’s just a basketball team; it’s more of like a culture surrounding Kentucky basketball,” he said. “We were able to go to London, Kentucky, and some different places and really learn what it meant to be a Kentucky basketball player. … Hearing from different people’s stories just how much they’ve loved Kentucky basketball, for how long — their parents love it and their parents love it.”
As much as he’s enjoyed participating in the program’s summer workouts, Potter is anxious for the season to arrive. Ironically, he’s never played in a game at Rupp Arena. Slipping on a Kentucky jersey for the first time inside that hallowed sanctum, and stepping on the floor in front of an adoring crowd, is “everything you dream of as a kid.” Especially one from Lexington.
Whether seeing his name in the box score becomes a reality next season is uncertain.
His less-than-astounding numbers at Miami (Ohio) give one pause. As does the Wildcats’ roster. He’s part of a frontcourt that includes returnee Brandon Garrison, fellow transfer-portal additions Mouhamed Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance, the aforementioned Moreno and highly touted international big man Andrija Jelavić. On paper, minutes for Potter appear limited — at best — in 2025-26. The possibility of Potter redshirting has been bandied about since the moment he signed.
Potter welcomes the challenge.
“It’s pretty much what you produce. You play the best players on the court,” he said. “It doesn’t matter about anything else. So (I’m) just going on the court every single day and working hard. Whether my role is to just sit or play, I don’t really care either way. My goal here is to win (national title) No. 9 and just try to grow every single day.”
If nothing else, Kentucky is offering him a chance.
It’s a long way from his days at Lexington Catholic.
“Coming out of high school, I thought I knew a lot. … So (I’d tell my high school self), ‘Just put your head down, keep your ears open and know these coaches are here for a reason,'” Potter said. “They get paid a lot of money. They’re here at Kentucky for a good reason so just listen to what they’ve got to say.”
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rb****@*****tt.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball roster 2025-26: Lexington, Ky native Reece Potter
