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J.R. Reynolds

J.R. Reynolds profile
RCSI: 61 (2003)
Height: 6'3" (191 cm)
Weight: 188 lbs (85 kg)
Position: PG/SG
High School: Oak Hill Academy (Virginia)
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
College: Virginia
Current Team: Poitiers
Win - Loss: 0 - 1

Articles

East Coast Workout Swing: Day 8 (Zabian Dowdell, J.R. Reynolds, etc)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
May 29, 2007, 02:31 am
Reynolds is an impressive guy to watch in a workout setting, as he has smooth athleticism, an excellent array of moves from the triple-threat position, and beautiful shooting mechanics featuring a quick, effortless release. He's in great shape at the moment, with a build like an NFL running back, although he doesn't have an incredibly impressive wingspan. He knocked down shot after shot in the 3-point drills, looking particularly good pulling up off the dribble.

In the five on five, Reynolds played the point and clearly showed a scoring mentality. He took some early shots that looked a bit ill-advised at times, and the fact that they weren't falling for him didn't really help matters much. Later on in the scrimmage when he committed himself to being more patient creating his own shot and reading what the defense threw at him, he had more success finding his way into the paint and putting the ball in the net. When playing off the ball, he looked very good coming off screens, knocking down some impressive shots with a hand in his face. Defensively, he struggled at times trying to keep up with the screens that were set on him while guarding Zabian Dowdell. Reynolds will be playing at the Orlando pre-draft camp and will definitely be a name to keep an eye on. The NBA is moving more and more in the direction of smooth combo guards in his mold, so it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see him find a niche somewhere in the league.

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 32, Sunday)--Stock Down/Neutral

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Mar 19, 2007, 05:01 am
It was a tale of two halves for Dave Leitao’s explosive combo guard, following up a brilliant first round performance with a first half for the ages against Tennessee. Using a formidable mix of explosiveness and shooting prowess, Reynolds traded shots with Volunteer scorer Chris Lofton early on. He hit pull-up 3-pointers, runners in the lane, and quick-fire spot up shots in transition. It didn’t appear that Tennessee had anyone capable of slowing him down, but lady luck stepped in a provided Bruce Pearl an answer.

Reynolds landed awkwardly on his ankle late in the first half, and never recovered the shooting touch or assertiveness that spearheaded Virginia’s mid-first half run. After pouring in 22 points in the first half, he scored just 6 on 2-6 shooting in the second. The outside jumpers stopped falling, and Tennessee eventually regained control of the game.

In the end, Reynolds has to be disappointed that he couldn’t make the most of an opportunity to make what could have been an incredible mark on this year’s NCAA Tournament and gain a bit of momentum heading into the draft process, but the bad ankle doesn’t change what he did in the first half of this game. If he can convince an NBA team that scoring explosions such as this afternoon’s will come a bit more frequently than they did at the NCAA level, Reynolds could have a long career ahead of him at the next level.

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 64, Friday games)--Stock Up

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Kristian Hohnjec
Kristian Hohnjec
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Mar 17, 2007, 04:57 am
Virginia’s senior combo guard had everything going for him in the first half of Friday’s win over Albany, knocking down his first 7 shots en route to 23 points by halftime. Reynolds scored in a variety of ways, and at points looked nearly unstoppable as he almost outscored the Great Danes by himself early on.

Reynolds was on fire from outside, knocking down 4 shots from beyond the arc in the first half, to go along with a nice fade away jumper along the baseline and a soft leaner in the lane. Relying on his quickness and quick release, Reynolds made his offensive production look effortless, especially in transition where he is always a threat to score. He got to the line several times as well, relying on his ability to get in the lane and draw contact with defenders.

In the second half Reynolds showed why he is so appealing to pro scouts, as he was able to defer the scoring to his teammates and influence the game in other ways. He dished out several nice assists and played aggressive defense, helping to keep Albany in check most of the game. Of course, like any top flight scorer, when given a good look at the basket he was able to convert and score, which he did a few more times in the second half.

Having already helped himself in round one, especially to those who weren’t too familiar with his scoring prowess previously, Reynolds has a chance to really improve his draft stock with another good performance in the second round, especially if it comes against a tough Tennessee team. Reynolds was inconsistent down the stretch of the regular season, but at a time when plenty of NBA decision makers will be watching, the already appealing combo guard can really get himself noticed with a solid post-season run.

NCAA Weekly Performers, 1/24/07-- Part Two

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Jan 25, 2007, 03:32 am
The ACC’s 2nd leading scorer J.R. Reynolds put together one of the most impressive individual offensive performances we’ve seen since J.J. Redick’s incredible senior season, leading Virginia to a blowout victory and reminding us exactly why we decided to name him the top non-freshman guard prospect in the ACC over the summer.

Reynolds was unconscious all game along, knocking down shots in every way possible and from everywhere on the floor. Whether it was coming off screens from mid-range or behind the 3-point line, draining deep, contested shots from 30 feet and beyond, pulling up smoothly off the dribble after taking his man off the dribble, or getting to the basket and finishing with either hand, Reynolds could not be guarded by anyone on Saturday. His outstanding shooting mechanics were on display throughout, creating separation from his defender instantaneously with his excellent body control and quick release, and just elevating off the floor thanks to his exceptional strength and footwork.

Being more than just a perimeter threat, Reynolds looked like a prototypical NBA combo guard with the way he mixed up his slashing game beautifully with his deadly stroke. He moves off the ball intelligently and has more than enough athleticism to get or create his own shot. Putting the ball on the floor, he can go either left or right and change gears nicely to shake his man before exploding to the basket. His mid-range game helps him out greatly in this area, and he already understands the nuances of using the threat of his shot to mix things up off the dribble. Once he gets into the lane, he’s tough and athletic enough to know how to get the job done, being capable of finishing with either hand and draw contact, as his impressive 6.5 free throw per game average would attest.

What’s even more impressive is the fact that he does all this playing next to another terrific guard in Sean Singletary, a player who really dominates the ball, making you wonder just how much more (or less?) effective he would be on a team that had a little bit more balance than Virginia does. While he doesn’t look like a pure point guard by any stretch, Reynolds shows very nice potential with the way he’s improving his passing skills, dishing out 4.2 assists per game on the year (compared with 3.1 last season playing almost 3 more minutes a game). His partner in crime and starting point guard Singletary (who is having a fantastic season in his own right) is averaging just one assist more per game than him despite clearly being Virginia’s offensive catalyst. Reynolds makes the correct reads, passes at the right time and is a solid ball-handler, which leads you to believe that he might be capable of handling spot minutes at the backup point guard position in the NBA, ala Bobby Jackson or Randy Foye. If he were able to show that at one of the NBA pre-draft camps (Portsmouth or Orlando), that’s something that would greatly improve his draft stock, but it could also completely sabotage his chances if he can’t and looks very bad in the process. Regardless, as we’re finding out over the past few years with the rules the NBA has implemented regarding hand-checking on the perimeter, being considered a combo guard isn’t so much of an insult anymore.

Something that he will have to show is the ability to guard an NBA position, though, because right now he just doesn’t defend anyone, not the one or the two. He lets guys get by him way too easily, as he completely lacks focus on this end of the court. Ken Pomeroy ranks Virginia as the 105th best defense in the country, and Reynolds has no small part in that. Looking beyond his 40-point night to his season as a whole, improving his shot selection probably wouldn’t be that bad of an idea either, although some of this is a product of his team’s offense, which isn’t the most disciplined in the ACC to say the least. Making the NCAA tournament will be essential for his stock—5 more wins or so in the ACC should do—but the Cavaliers are the type of team that is capable of making a bit of a run in the tournament as well thanks to their phenomenal backcourt. They need to get there first, though.

Virginia Guards Will Cavaliers Past Arizona

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Nov 13, 2006, 01:51 am
Reynolds came off the bench tonight after not having practiced for the past four days. He was poked in the eye in a Wednesday practice and started the game off with goggles before deciding that he was not comfortable with them. His eye looked like it was in terrible shape and it definitely seemed like he should not have been playing with the way he looked. In spite of that, you have to admire the toughness and heart he showed with the way he drove down the paint fearlessly with no regard for his own personal safety. He was clearly not himself, but still managed to impress with his explosiveness, tough defense and by dishing off a couple of beautiful passes. He finished the game with 10 points and 2 assists in just 21 minutes. We can only imagine how we’ll look once he has the services of both of his eyes at his disposal.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the ACC (Part Two: #6-#10)

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Wojciech Malinowski
Wojciech Malinowski
Oct 13, 2006, 06:06 pm
Reynolds is a perfect example of your prototypical combo guard that has grown in popularity amongst NBA scouts over the past few years. He’s an excellent athlete, blessed with a great first step, exceptional quickness and nice fluidity in the half-court, making him incredibly difficult to keep out of the paint in isolation situations. He attacks the basket with great tenacity, and will use his solid leaping ability and strength to hang in the air and finish creatively even in the toughest of situations, never shying away from contact.

Reynolds is more than just a slashing threat, though, as he has the talent and scoring instincts to put the ball in the net from almost anywhere on the floor. Possessing terrific ball-handling skills, he has no problem creating shots for himself from the perimeter. If the lane is a bit too crowded, he is very fond of pulling up off the dribble for a mid-range jumper, whether it’s from just inside the paint, from the baseline, or anywhere around the 3-point arc, even going glass at times. At times he’ll show a very pretty one-handed floater that he uses effectively to compliment the shiftiness of his movements and the way he gets defenders off balance.

As a shooter, Reynolds can be deadly when given an opportunity to really heat up. Playing mostly off the ball for Virginia, he is terrific at coming off screens and firing away with little to no hesitation with his feet set or off a short set-up dribble. Reynolds has deep range on his jumper and a very quick, pretty stroke. With that said, he has a tendency to abuse it far too often, as him and his counterpart Sean Singletary are often expected to shoulder their team’s entire scoring load. Reynolds can hit tough shots with a hand in his face, but he’s extremely streaky. He shows concerning shot-selection at times and is not the best decision maker you’ll find, overpenetrating in the paint, running into brick walls and turning the ball over far too often.

Playing next to arguably the top point guard in the conference, he’ll have to prove to scouts and GMs over the next 8 months that he has an NBA position every opportunity that he has. As mentioned, his ball-handling is very solid, and his court vision not bad at all. He does not seem to be a selfish player, as it’s not rare to see him put his teammates in a position to score.

Defensively is another story altogether, although he does have fairly quick hands and feet. He has a tendency to give up on plays at times and conserve his energy more for the offensive end. Combo guards in the NBA are expected to be able to guard both 1’s and 2’s in the league, which means this is yet another area he’ll be tested at repeatedly both over his college career as well as private individual workouts or camps

Watching him play and to a lesser extent looking at his near identical numbers, its hard not to be reminded at times of the player Randy Foye was going into his senior year, although he’s not quite as explosive. Reynolds has his work cut out for himself to make the NCAA tournament, but if his team gets hot, it wouldn’t be a shock to see his stock take off as well, possibly into the first round. Most people don’t even know his name at this point, but we’ve got a hunch that he’s a name to keep an eye on.

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