Signee Reed Expected Miami's Success

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Peter Ariz

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Princeton Day School Shooting Guard Davon Reed signed with Miami on November 15th, something that he was glad to finally do.

“It feels good to finally be signed to a school. It was a long process and it feels great to have it all over with.”

The versatile wingman discussed how his season is going thus far.

“It’s going pretty well, we’re 9-3 right now. We have a big game tomorrow and I’m looking to close in on 2,000 points pretty soon. I just became the all-time leading scorer at my school.”

With the 'Canes sitting at 12-3 (3-0) atop the ACC standings, Reed expected the team to have this type of success.

“I’m not surprised at all. Everybody asks me before every game if I’m nervous, but I’m confident in my team and I know they can go out every night and win, and they’re doing it.”

What does Reed see as the key to the team's success?

“Everybody is playing their role and not playing outside of themselves. They're coming together and playing collectively to get wins.”

His expectations are high for the rest of the season.

“I definitely think they’ll finish in the top four of the ACC and hopefully competing for a conference championship and be right in the NCAA tournament.”

Miami has an extremely veteran squad with sophomore PG Shane Larkin being the only non-senior in the starting lineup. Reed knows he has an opportunity to contribute early on.

“I’m looking to come in and do whatever I can do to contribute, whether that be as a scorer or playmaker.”

Reed has developed a good relationship with two current Hurricanes.

“I talk to Julian (Gamble) and Shane (Larkin) the most. I just wish them good luck before every game and they ask me how the season is going and stuff like that. We really hit it off when I came to visit.”

Miami's basketball program isn't known as a powerhouse, but Reed hopes to help change that perception. He has a message for uncommitted prospects around the country.

“You just have to follow your heart and not get caught up in the name. Go somewhere that will give you the best opportunity to succeed both on-and-off the court. The biggest thing for me was finding that coach that really cares about me and wants to make you a better player.”

The 'Canes have another signee in combo guard DeAndre Burnett, who Reed will get to see up-close in the next week.

“I talk to him from time-to-time on Twitter. We actually play against them at the Big Apple Classic in New York this upcoming Monday so I’m looking forward to seeing him play because I’ve heard good things about him as well.”
 
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Saw this kid play over break in a holiday hoops tourney, will try to post a pretty detailed write up on him tomorrow. Lots of upside.
 
Here's my first ever post trying to give some insight on some recruits, here goes nothing....

Over the break I saw Davon Reed (Princeton, NJ) play The Kent School (half hour North of Newtown, CT) in a holiday tournament located about an hour NW of Philadelphia. I went decked out in my bright orange Miami hoodie and saw Davon point me out to a couple of his teammates during pre-game intros. It wasn't one of his best games, but he had a solid and quiet 18 points, along to go with double digit rebounds against a solidly coached and competitive team.

I've been following him pretty closely since he has committed, and it seems he loves and thrives being in the spotlight. He certainly is not shy to retweet or comment on any canes fan thoughts. Through the course of the season so far, he has completely taken over some games for his team; sometimes scoring more than half the teams point total and finishing the game off with an emphatic dunk. As Pete mentioned, he just took over as PDS all time leading scorer, who plays in a pretty competitive basketball league, as well as the general competition level in NJ and the northeast is very strong. Just from reading articles and his tweets, I really like this kid's attitude and expect him to really work his *** off for Coach L and company.

As for what I saw from the game I attended. First thing I noticed when I entered the gym was Reed's size, he looked tall and athletic, with pretty solid upper body strength for a high schooler. He had ridiculously, brightly colored shoes that didn't match his team colors or teammates, nothing surprising as a lot of top high school players opt for that look. He took the jump for his team and won it with ease, out-jumping a 6'6 commit to Lafayette.

Reed was at his best when he could catch and shoot, I think his shot is definitely a strength in his game. He didn't seem to have the ability to create his own shot off the dribble, and I don't think he is going to be much of an inside scorer unless he is throwing down a jam. Their coach didn't really have a clue how to run an offense as they often spread the floor around the perimeter and tried to get Reed the ball at the high post, which doesn't make much sense with Reed's skill set. What I was most impressed with was his ability to make plays in the open court. I have no doubt with Reed's athleticism as he had a very nice CD block pretty high off the glass, as well as nearly throwing down a monster jam for a three point play. I strongly believe that Reed would struggle with style of ball we currently play. Like I said, he would struggle creating his own shot much like TMJ struggles at creating his own shot in a slowed down style of play.

I was a bit disappointed towards the end of the game when Reed should have demanded the ball as he was easily the best player on the court. Hence, why I believe they lost the game. Maybe it was his coaching or other teammates, but when you're down 6 or so halfway through the fourth and you know you are the guy, you should command the basketball is given to you. He needs to work on attacking the basket and his aggressiveness, but his physical and athletic ability create a very high ceiling for him.

I have read on some other sites that he could potentially play point guard, but I really don't see that at all. He didn't bring the ball down once for his team, and when he handled the ball, he didn't have anywhere close to elite or advanced dribbling skills. Reed would best be suited at the 2 or 3 position. Reed also looked very solid on defense, as he moves his feet very well and makes it extremely tough for the opponent to get past him. Player currently on our team most closest to him would probably be a hybrid version of RB or TMJ, although I think Reed brings more to the table shooting and defense wise. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a couple monster jams from him in a couple of years.

HE IS A GOOD FREE THROW SHOOTER!!! YAY!!!!
 
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Just notched his 2000th point in a performance 21 pts, 11 reb and 4 steals. Congrats Davon.
 
Those looking for updates on basketball recruiting, if you think football recruiting is a headache, that has nothing on the volcanic, vomit inducing migraine that basketball is. But, I digress, and it needs to be reiterated that Coach L has publicly stated that he is looking for JUCO's and in Europe for some bigs help immediately. His recruiting going forward will only get better as Coach L has very good connections and reputation in the AAU and high school powerhouse mafia.
 
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