Maturation coming at the right time for Reddic

Jim Swing Sports Editor

Shaka Smart was walking down a long hallowed hallway in William & Mary’s Kaplan Arena when he called for Juvonte Reddic, walking about 20 feet ahead of him.

“Ju!” the third-year head coach of VCU yelled up the hall following the Rams 87-78 win over the Tribe. Reddic, the Rams’ lanky sophomore forward, stopped in his tracks, looked back and allowed his 34-year-old coach to catch up.

“You know why I’m so hard on you?” Smart asked as he wrapped his around the towering shoulders next to him. Reddic, typically quiet and shy in context shook his head.

“It’s because you can be so good,” Smart said as the two trailed off into the locker rooms.

Reddic had just walked out of his 12th double-digit scoring performance of the season. He had bumped, bodied and buried William & Mary for the second time in the last two weeks, this one with 20 points and seven rebounds.

“I think after last game playing them it boosted my confidence,” Reddic said, “and helped me play pretty good again.”

Reddic followed up his performance in Williamsburg with a double-double against Northeastern Saturday, recording 11 points and 11 rebounds.

When it comes to press conferences, sometimes Smart can sound a bit repetitive, or a tad like a preacher perhaps. One line he’s dropped over and over this season is how high the ceiling is for Reddic, who has stepped into a much larger role in his second season.

After the graduation of Jamie Skeen, Reddic has transformed into VCU’s premier big-man in the paint, averaging 27.4 minutes per game, over 16 more than last season. He’s not dirty, he’s not nasty and he most definitely isn’t a showboat. If anything Reddic is diffident and reticent in nature; he’d rather let his numbers do the talking.

And they have.

Reddic is VCU’s second-leading scorer, averaging 10.9 points per game to go with his 6.8 rebounds per outing. He’s third in the Colonial Athletic Association in field goal percentage, shooting 54.6 percent, behind the likes of upperclassmen Keith Rendleman and Eric Buckner.

On offense Reddic has all the makings of an NBA power forward. He carries a pure mid-range jumper in the arsenal that’s all but automatic. He has a notable awareness for the basket and a killer hook that’s progressing by the day.

On defense Reddic is solid defender, who is working his way into becoming an dependable shot-blocker in the paint. His 1.4 steals per game make him one of the CAA’s top 15 thieves and one of only three forwards on that list.

And that’s not to say Reddic is perfect – or on the verge of declaring for the NBA Draft – by any means. He’s just a sophomore and sophomores have their moments, just ask Smart or any other coach for that matter. But Smart believes in Reddic and is convinced the sky is the limit for him.

Just how high is the ceiling for Reddic? Only time will tell, but he’s climbing his way to the top. CT