WSOU

2020 Pirate Player Preview: Shavar Reynolds Jr.

Date: June 4, 2020

By: Wilnir Louis

This is an image for the article

Nick Wass/AP Photo

Shavar Reynolds Jr. is poised to have a senior year campaign that would cap off what has been a great college basketball story. Before we get to what we can expect from Reynolds in the 2020-21 season, it’s only right to discuss what makes his story amazing.

A New Jersey native, Reynolds played varsity basketball for Manchester Township High School for four years. In those four years, he would be a three-time All-Conference selection while also being a 1,000-point scorer, becoming Manchester’s all-time leader in single-game, single-season and career assists and helping Manchester to a 54-28 record over his final three seasons.

However, after a senior year where Reynolds averaged 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.6 steals per game, he had no scholarship offers to choose from. He had the option to go to Stockton University and play Division III basketball, but Reynolds had bigger dreams. Instead of settling, Reynolds decided to head to Covenant College Prep to attempt to gain more options for colleges.

The year going prep helped Reynolds, but only slightly in terms of immediate offers. He received some interest from low-major Division 1 teams, but it wasn’t enough. Understanding his determination to play at a major school, Reynolds’ head coach at Covenant College Prep Ian Turbull was able to assist Reynolds and help him get an open gym workout at Seton Hall, which had a walk-on spot open. During the workouts, Reynolds stood out and impressed the players at the time like Angel Delgado, Desi Rodriguez, and Khadeen Carrington with his toughness and grit. After the workout, Reynolds was able to get the walk-on position.

Reynolds’ time his freshman year in games wasn’t significant. He appeared in 19 games for a combined 24 minutes and seven points for the Hall. After that season, the future was looking bleak for Reynolds as he was anticipating transferring out of Seton Hall because of financial issues. Head coach Kevin Willard had other plans for Reynolds though. In Reynolds’ end-of-year meeting with Willard, he received the delightful news that he would be upgraded to a full scholarship player.

This was a rare feat not only nationally, but especially for Seton Hall. This was the first time since 1996 that Seton Hall upgraded a walk-on to a full scholarship, when George Blaney promoted John Yablonski. In the words of Willard, Reynolds earned the scholarship because he works extremely hard and is a “tremendous teammate and student-athlete.”

The decision to give Reynolds a full scholarship began to pay off in the 2018-19 season. In the season opener against Wagner, Reynolds played 16 minutes and tallied seven points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. A month later, he would have a fantastic game against Sacred Heart, where he would not miss a shot in 18 minutes of action, going 3-3 from the field and 4-4 from the line for 10 points to go with three rebounds, two assists and four steals. Those two games were fantastic, but the Big East conference opener that year was the most memorable game of that season.

On December 29, 2018, Seton Hall hosted a St. John’s Red Storm team who went undefeated during non-conference play. The Prudential Center was sold out and fans in attendance were itching to see Seton Hall give their cross-river rivals their first loss of the Seton. It was rough early on as the Pirates found themselves down by as much as 14 in that game, but they were able to crawl their way back and tie the game with over three minutes left. After some back and forth by both teams, the Red Storm had a one-point advantage with under a minute left. Insert Reynolds.

With three seconds left in the game, Seton Hall inbounded the ball from the sideline. Quincy McKnight inbounded the ball to Sandro Mamukelashvili and after dribbling in, Mamukelashvili dished out to Reynolds, where he hit the game-winning three-pointer while getting fouled. That play helped to make Reynolds’ story known, not only to the Pirate family, but on a national stage.

Throughout the rest of conference play, Reynolds appeared in all of the games against Big East opponents which included a start on the road against Georgetown. In those conference games averaging 2.5 points per game in 9.5 minutes of action, but Reynolds continued to put in work in practices and in the gym, and it showed this past season.

During the 2019-20 campaign, Reynolds was Willard’s prized weapon off the bench. His stats of 4.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 steals in an average of 15.9 minutes per game might not completely jump out at you. It was his defensive presence and his hyperactive energy is what made Reynolds so precious off of the bench.

Whenever McKnight needed a blow on the bench, you knew that Reynolds would be able to come on the floor and continue to bring grit on the floor. A perfect example of this was Seton Hall’s Jan. 11 game against Marquette. Markus Howard, the nation’s leading scorer was held to 8-22 shooting in 37 minutes. Reynolds played 18 minutes in that game and was able to finish with a team high +21.

Reynolds was also significant in Seton Hall’s home game against Villanova. While all of the eyes were on the seniors Reynolds had one of his best offensive games as a Pirate. In the second half of that game, Reynolds went perfect once again, going 3-3 from behind the arc and 2-2 on the free throw line for 11 points in the closing half. In the first half, he only had one point after going 1-2 on a free throw trip. The combined 12 points is currently Reynolds career high.

This is an image for the article

John Minchillo/AP Photo

With that recap, looking ahead, Reynolds has the potential to obtain the Sixth Man Award for the Big East at the end of his senior year. With the addition of Bryce Aiken as well as Takal Molson being eligible for competition this year, it looks like Reynolds will be the one of the first players off the bench for Willard. This is not a position that will be foreign for Reynolds, as he was one of the main players in the bench unit for Seton Hall the year prior, behind McKnight and Myles Powell. What will benefit Reynolds is the potential change of play for the coming year.

When talking in front of season ticket holders in a Q&A event, Willard noted that the Pirates can possibly play more aggressive on the defensive end. That style of play is something that Reynolds will thrive in. Last year, Reynolds finished second on the team in steal percentage, which is an estimate of the percentage of opponents’ possessions that would end in a steal.

He also finished fourth on the team in defensive box plus/minus. Because of his energy and tenacity, anytime he would get in a game, you would always see him pressing in the backcourt after a made basket. If he continues to bring the energy that he brought years prior, he will excel on that side of the ball.

On the offensive side of the ball, while Reynolds isn’t a frequent shooter, he is effective when he does shoot the ball. Reynolds averaged a field goal attempt every five minutes of action. For comparison, starting guard McKnight averaged an attempt every three minutes, while Powell averaged an attempt every minute and a half.  While barely shooting, Reynolds finished fifth on the team in true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage, which led all guards on the team.

 You can also count on him on the free throw line as well, where he is shooting 84.7 percent. He’s pretty consistent too in his makes, making 24 free throws in his sophomore and junior year with 28 and 29 attempts respectively. Definitely expect to see an uptick in his scoring to around 8-10 points per game with increased minutes.

The story of Reynolds both on and off the court is one that Seton Hall fans should marvel at. From an underlooked prospect to a significant role player for a top-25 team, Reynolds has been able to excel through the minimal expectations from him. In the coming year, the expectation for Seton Hall is fluctuated depending on who you ask, but there is one thing that is certain, if the Pirates want to have a successful year the play of Reynolds in those moments off the bench and potentially in crunch time of a game will be crucial.

The senior has experience in his expected role as well as on the team, he brings a can-do attitude to the team, and he is a spark plug for the Pirates. Expect him to have a big year in his final go around in a Seton Hall uniform.

Wilnir Louis is the Sport Director at 89.5 FM WSOU and can be reached at wsou.sports@gmail.com.

Posted in: Men's Basketball, Sports, WSOU

Seton Hall

Seton Hall

Merchandise

wsou store