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Sunday, May 14, 2006

Lofty comparisons don’t faze Reed

High school junior fully aware of his similarities to former KU star Kirk Hinrich

By Jesse Newell

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Tyrel Reed knows what you're thinking.

He's not oblivious to it - nor does he try to dodge it or run away from it.

One look at him and everyone watching this weekend's Jayhawk Invitational thinks the same way. A small-town, shaggy-haired kid playing with tenacious intensity, a deadly shot, and the ability to be the floor general from the point-guard position.

Reed is not only one of the most highly coveted recruits to come out of the state of Kansas since Wayne Simien.

He is also Kirk Hinrich Jr.

"People compare me to Kirk Hinrich just because of my looks, my style of play a little bit," Reed said. "It's a good comparison, I think."

People still wonder if he can play - if all the hype surrounding Reed has been just that.

Local recruiting analyst Eric Bossi - who has watched more than 50 of Reed's games over the past two years - just doesn't understand it.

"There may be some guys that shoot a little bit better, there may be some guys that are more athletic, there may be some guys handle it better," Bossi said, "but there's not many guys that combine the complete package like him."

His skills might be questioned, but they're not going unnoticed by scouting agencies. He is currently in USA Today's top 40 and has also made the top 100 in scout.com's ranking of the 2007 class.

Bossi said that in many ways, Reed could bring to the court much of what Hinrich did. Though not as athletic as the former Kansas guard, Bossi said Reed plays more controlled at his age than Hinrich did.

"He's one of those guys that the first couple of times you watch him, you don't realize how good he is," Bossi said. "Then when you watch him, he's constantly setting up guys for open shots, he knocks down open looks. The more he plays, the more you see the other team expecting it."

Bossi believes by the time he graduates, Reed will have solidified a spot in the top 50 nationally as one of the 10 best point guards in the country.

photo

Photo by Jared Soares

KC Pump-N-Run's Tyrel Reed takes a rest during the second half against Minnesota Magic Elite Friday night. Reed a junior at Burlington High School is receiving attention from Kansas, North Carolina, and Kansas State.

His current list of schools includes Kansas, North Carolina, Stanford, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and others.

"A lot of people want to say he's not that good," Bossi said. "People don't get offers like that for no reasons at all."

Reed himself hasn't gotten caught up in all the hype. That's because he can't.

The junior does not visit any message boards, choosing instead to control only what he can.

"You've just got to keep getting better - that's all that matters," Reed said. "It's not what other people say."

There are many who don't know about Reed yet, and he loves that.

"It's nice being the underdog," Reed said. "Being from a small school, a small state - no one really knows who you are. You've got to prove yourself every time you play."

So far, the 6-foot-3 guard seems to have done that for himself. In the process, he has also put his small hometown of Burlington on the Division I coaching map.

During his team's undefeated regular season, Reed received visits from numerous college coaches, including three from North Carolina's Roy Williams.

Following Jayhawk basketball all his life, Reed admitted that it wasn't unnatural when the former Kansas coach watched him play - especially because his dad, Stacy, has worked as a coach at the Jayhawk summer basketball camps for 17 straight years.

"It's comfortable. I've grown up knowing him," Reed said of Williams. "It's just fun. He's such a big-name coach. He's a great coach, and I feel comfortable playing around him."

Kansas coach Bill Self and most recently Kansas State coach Bob Huggins have also visited with Reed about his future.

photo

Photo by Jared Soares

KC Pump-N-Run's Tyrel Reed attempts to elude Minnesota Magic Elite's Al Nolen during the second the half of their game Friday night. Reed a junior at Burlington High School is receiving attention from Kansas, North Carolina, and Kansas State.

"It's just nice to see the in-state colleges coming after a kid from their state," Reed said. "Sometimes they go out and try to find different players from other states, but being an in-state guy is a good thing."

Another appealing aspect for coaches is that Reed is not just first in his basketball class - he's first in his academic class as well.

Boasting a 4.0 grade-point average, Reed said his parents had helped him to value his work in school.

"Growing up in a family of two teachers, it's always been a priority around our household to get good grades," Reed said. "It's always been pretty normal. Just like basketball, you've got to do your best on the court and your best in school."

He's not Kirk Hinrich - even if Tyrel does look like him, act like him, and even play like him.

"Tyrel and I love Kirk Hinrich, but Tyrel's his own player," Stacy said. "I know he appreciates people giving him some accolades that way, but Kirk Hinrich is Kirk Hinrich. Tyrel just aspires to try to get to that - to try to be that kind of player that can help his team win."

He's getting there. With only two high school losses in his last three seasons, Reed has made a name for himself and is also beginning to gain additional notice at AAU events.

"I think he's proven more and more as he goes out and plays in these tournaments," Bossi said, "that he can play with anybody in country."

He hopes to narrow his schools down by June. Most likely that list will include Kansas.

And what Jayhawk fan would turn down the possibility of another scrappy, shaggy-haired, small-town guard?

"I think they liked Hinrich when he was here," Reed said. "If someone plays like him, I'm sure they'd support him."

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Comments

crooner (anonymous) says...

Darn right we'd support him!

May 14, 2006 at 9:33 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

I've seen this kid play, and trust me people, this kid is going to be special. I've never seen a kid work harder than he does, and he is going to be a great recruit if Kansas can get him!

May 14, 2006 at 11:19 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

tdub (anonymous) says...

I went to school with him, and he started and helped lead Burlington to a state title his freshman year. If you leave him any daylight beyond the arc, he'll hit it. And he can handle the rock too.

May 14, 2006 at 11:35 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

GeorgiaJayhawk (anonymous) says...

Too bad he will be wearing Carolina blue in a couple of years. Williams is going to steal this kid right out of our backyard and everyone is going to get mad at Coach Self for not being able to bring in the local talent.

May 14, 2006 at 12:10 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

truefan (anonymous) says...

It does seem a little shaky that he is so comfortable around Roy Williams, but he ends the interview by talking about how KU fans would appreciate him. He also talks a lot about being an in-state player and how he appreciates the coaches from both KU and K-State coming to look at him. I think those two schools have the best chance and it will come down to which school he is a fan of.

May 14, 2006 at 12:39 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ksbball1 (anonymous) says...

Lets not sell coach Self short just yet. I think everyone would agree that he's a good recruiter. It would be nice to add a local player to the team. Sounds like he's the real deal.

May 14, 2006 at 1:44 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

pjdeanwag (anonymous) says...

Coach Self is a better recruiter than Roy ever was. Hands down. And I think he sells kids on the rich tradition of Kansas Basketball rather than Roy William's basketball. It's hard not to respect that. Surely a smart young man like Mr. Reed will respond favorably to Coach Self and Kansas Basketball when the time is right.

May 14, 2006 at 2:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

tdub (anonymous) says...

I don't doubt Self's recruiting ability, but if you ever heard Reed's dad talk about Roy Williams you would be concerned. The man thinks that Roy is his best buddy (even though I doubt he knows him that well), and I'm sure he would enjoy his son playing for him. Roy could use that "friendship" with his dad to keep his foot in the door. However, I'm not so sure that Reed's allegiance to Roy extends much beyond his dad. It should shape up to be quite a recruiting battle.

May 14, 2006 at 2:16 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jbrownjib (anonymous) says...

It is funny how Roy has always recruited through the Dad. Whereas, Bill is capable of appealing to the kids directly. Roy always claimed that too much competition on the east coast prevented him from ever recruiting the top recruits from that region of the country. Roy was incapable of pulling off two consecuitive years of attracting the top recruits so he settled for alot of role players. Bill has no limits and he is consistantly drawing the attention of the top 50 prospects. I think that Bill is the best recruiter and coach that this University has ever seen.

May 14, 2006 at 3:43 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

what year did you graduate tdub? I hang out with alot of b-ton people......

May 14, 2006 at 3:44 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

tis4tim (anonymous) says...

I agree with jbrownjib that Self is the best recruiter KU has ever seen. When you can get guys like Rush and Arthur, sure NBA bets, to buy into college life for a year or two (hold your breath that we can keep them longer) you've got to be doing something right. Don't forget he got a top guy like Wright to commit...without his setting foot on campus! In this day and age, that is quite an amazing accomplishment.

The jury is still out on best coach. When success these days is measured only in championship rings, Self would rank behind Larry Brown (1988) and, of course, Phog Allen (1952) in that respect. Self was, in his own right, quite the mad professor in the lab last season building that kind of chemistry among all the new faces. The sooner he wins it all, the sooner we can elevate him to that kind of status.

May 14, 2006 at 4:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

brooksmd (anonymous) says...

"Following Jayhawk basketball all his life..." I think that is the key. This kid will be wearing crimson and blue not baby blue. What Kansas kid in his right mind who grew up and dreamed JHawk basketball would pass on the opportunity to run Kansas basketball? BTW, I was right about Arthur. Shoot, after he looked closely at LSU, they weren't even his second choice.

From Bush, Louisiana, the "Bayou JHawk".

May 14, 2006 at 4:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhyphene (anonymous) says...

what's the criteria for "best recruiter KU has ever seen"?

May 14, 2006 at 5 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ku_bringback_danny (anonymous) says...

Basketball needs more caption kirk's

May 14, 2006 at 8:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

blk99stang (anonymous) says...

Ha! Phog youre school would know all about cash gifts wouldnt they? Ask your ex guard Ricky Clemons about it. He can fill you in. He was just the straw that broke the camel's back and put the Mizzou athletic program where it is today, in shambles. Honestly, its pathetic that K-State is now a bigger threat than the tigerlillies in Columbia. Have fun next season when we hoist the Big 12 trophy and then later the NCAA!

May 14, 2006 at 9:51 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

tdub (anonymous) says...

'02

May 15, 2006 at 12:35 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

whats your name, im from olpe......

May 15, 2006 at 12:45 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JBurtin (anonymous) says...

jhyphene,

As rated by rivals.com, our roster is now made up of:

7 five stars players
3 four stars players
2 three stars players and
1 6'-10" 240lb. walk-on

Do you know how many teams would have killed just to get our 6'-10" walk-on.

Self lands talent that no other coach who has ever been here could have dreamed of having all on one team.

They still have yet to prove themselves, but now that Self has "his" team full of experienced players, I'm willing to bet Jayhawk fans are going to be pretty happy with the results.

May 15, 2006 at 1:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Rock_Chalker (anonymous) says...

Its great to see that the small schools are finally getting some love. I'm from a small school in Kansas (actually the same county as Reed) and there can be some great competition (although maybe not Div. 1 talent). So, its great to see a guy from a small school/town see some heavy recruiting. I hope he comes to KU for the mere fact that he is "home grown." Plus, if he is anything like Kirk Hinrich then all the better reason to have him on board. Hinrich is by far my favorite KU player of all-time.

May 15, 2006 at 4:04 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

hewn (anonymous) says...

Self won't be interested in him - he's too smart.

How many players on our roster have a GPA above 2.5? Sasha?

Smart players improve over time - like Kirk Hinrich. Players without much between the ears (Giddens, Rush, Gregory, Chenowith)... well....

As much as it pains me to say it, he'll probably go to UNC and under the guidance of Roy, become another Kirk.

May 15, 2006 at 6:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

lalawguy (anonymous) says...

Phog continues to expose himself and the JW to liability by making defamatory statements without any factual back-up.

May 15, 2006 at 10:29 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

tdub (anonymous) says...

Just ignore the little pi$$ ant, he'll go away and find a 10-year-old to pick on.

May 15, 2006 at 11:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

tdub (anonymous) says...

"Defamactory"... nice. Another thing to do is use words that have more than 2 syllables. His head might explode from sheer confusion.

May 15, 2006 at 5:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JBurtin (anonymous) says...

I found myself a little befuddled at hewn's comments.

I can understand ripping on Giddens. Roy should have taken his scholarship offer away when he got caught stealing from Wal-Mart. Self gave him a chance and had him on a short leash. He failed the test so he was removed from the team.

However, I've seen nothing but positive things about Rush since he got here. Much like Darrell Arthur, most of what has been said about him negatively has been nothing but rumors.

As for Gregory, I don't remember having any ill feelings toward Gregory when he was here. He was a decent player and certainly not an embarrassment to the program.

Finally, Eric Chenowith gets alot of crap because he wasn't the greatest basketball talent. He struck me as the kind of guy who felt obligated to play basketball because that's what you do when you're seven-foot two. Despite his lack on intensity on the court, he does not deserve to be accused of being stupid.

With only those facts in hand, it already seems like a strange list of players. The oddity of the list is further compounded by his/her statement that Reed will go play for Roy because Roy likes smart players. Yet, Hewn's list of players "without much behind the ears" is compiled of three Roy Williams recruits, and only one Bill Self recruit. That would support the notion that it was Williams not Self who favored unintelligent players.

The truth is, under Bill Self the men's basketball team posted and overall 2.82 GPA for the fall 2005 semester. While that may not be an eye-popping number, it's not bad for young men being asked to play at the level of NBA superstars and go to school at the same time.

I guess my point is, if one is going to complain about some aspect of the way Bill Self runs the team, one could at least give a single firm example of what he has done wrong.

May 16, 2006 at 4:58 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Rock_Chalker (anonymous) says...

I have never been a huge fan of Roy Williams' recruiting process. Don't get me wrong, he is a great coach and did a great job while at KU but I honestly believe Bill Self has done a much better job of bringing in the talent. Williams would have never been able to get guys like Rush, Arthur, or Collins.

One more thing, I'm about sick of people busting on Bill Shelf's coaching. The man can coach...he's proven it not only at KU but at Illinois and Tulsa. Give the guy a break and let him run the team the way he knows how. He's NOT Roy Williams and people need to stop expecting him to coach the same way Roy did.

May 16, 2006 at 2:41 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Rock_Chalker (anonymous) says...

How many of the transfers were Bill Self's recruits? Take a hard look at the schools all across the country. Tons of guys are transfering schools once they hear their coach has left.

The bulk of the KU deserters were recruited by Williams NOT by Bill Self. You can't use that as your basis...if so, then the majority of the coaches who are coaching college basketball are a joke.

May 16, 2006 at 7:07 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

WrightOn30 (anonymous) says...

Actually phog, if you are going to critisize players with your "back up", at least get the numbers right- Darnell had about $9000 worth of gifts, not $5000. Come on, if you are going to call out one of the guys, make sure you give him the credit he deserves... That a boy Darnell!

May 16, 2006 at 8:43 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JBurtin (anonymous) says...

To clarify, I never said the guys accomplished the goal of playing like NBA superstars, just that they were being asked to. That's a pretty tall order for an eighteen year old to balance with moving away from home for the first time, handling intense media scrutiny, and upholding a decent GPA in a full load of college classes.

May 17, 2006 at 1:50 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

cobweb (anonymous) says...

What was phog's GPA ?

May 17, 2006 at 9:05 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

cobweb (anonymous) says...

The GPA please. Don't change the subject.

May 17, 2006 at 5:12 p.m. ( | suggest removal )