A few weeks ago, a friend of mine approached J.R. Reynolds at Jaberwoke and told him that she thought he was a "wuss." Reynolds had been struggling with leg cramps in consecutive games, most notably in possessions that gave the opposing team a four-on-five break in transition that led to a three pointer each time.
"You should drink more Gatorade," she said. "That will keep your legs from cramping up. You should know that by now."
Needless to say, she'd been drinking something a little more potent than Gatorade (and much more dehydrating). And it was all pretty much a joke. Reynolds took it well.
"You shoot your free throws pretty well, though," she said, trying to make amends. He said he was surprised that someone would approach him that way. They laughed. She remembered little from the rest of the night.
I wouldn't say that I thought J.R. Reynolds was a "wuss" before this year, but I certainly had my doubts about his consistency. Pete Gillen used to allude to mechanical problems that Reynolds had when shooting the ball. I tended to believe it was more mental than mechanical.
Either way, we've seen a number of different characters playing the role of J.R. Reynolds during his first three and a half years in Charlottesville.
Sometimes we've had "clutch J.R." The best examples are his impressive performances in every ACC Tournament over the last three years.
Periodically, we saw his evil twin, "erratic J.R." The most obvious examples are found in road games, where J.R.'s inconsistent play frequently mirrored his team.
The result, until this season, has been a schizophrenic J.R. Reynolds. One night, he'd be 7-of-11 for 20 points. That weekend, he would be 3-of-14 for nine with four turnovers.
But now, Reynolds has finally settled on a personality. And without his play during significant stretches of very important games, Virginia would be nowhere near the top half of the ACC.
Is anyone else surprised by this?
I went to media day this year and saw the same soft-spoken kid that I had seen several years ago. He didn't look any different. He answered a number of questions about his ability to play point guard, which was a necessity after the departure of T.J. Bannister.
For the first part of 2007, we saw the same J.R. Reynolds that we've watched since he came to Virginia. In the season opener, he played just 21 minutes due to an injury, similar to other periods in his career. At Purdue, he was 3-of-11 from the field with six turnovers. Against Boston College, Reynolds scored 21 points but canceled out his seven assists with seven turnovers.
Then, there was a change. When ACC play heated up, so did Reynolds, but to a degree far beyond any other point in his career. And as a result, he has stepped out of Sean Singletary's long shadow; a shadow that has covered him more often than not during the last two and a half years.
Reynolds has become a star.
Sure, Singletary is the team's most valuable player. Great point guards tend to claim and deserve that role. Without Singletary, Virginia would not be a very good team.
But for the first time in three years, the same goes for Reynolds. The concern about him has fallen beneath a whisper, it's not even there anymore. There are times when I'd rather he have the ball than Singletary. And I can think of more times when Reynolds has won a game for Virginia this season than when Singletary has.
We'll remember Singletary's last shot against Duke and his rebound at Clemson because they were magnificent plays by an NBA-bound player. But we should also remember that it was Reynolds who almost single-handedly got Virginia back in both of those games -- and did the same against Wake Forest, N.C. State and Maryland.
Unfortunately, Reynolds may well graduate without getting enough credit for all he has contributed in 2007. People will remember him, but not for his entire resume of accomplishments. Regardless of his evident value, we will more easily recall that game-winner from Singletary than the eight-point run earlier by Reynolds that got Virginia back in the game against Duke.
Reynolds has never been a "wuss," that was just an entryway into the story. He has just been inconsistent. Because of that, the best story of 2007 -- and the one that few will likely remember -- has been the contribution of a soft-spoken player who suddenly figured himself out and provided more for his team than just about any other player on the court.
Reynolds is competing right now like he is a first-team All-ACC player. Will he be? Probably not. Should he be? Probably.
But on a more intimate level, can a few special months change the legacy of a senior who was known for his inconsistency throughout the majority of his career?
I certainly hope so.
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