By AARON BRACY
April 25, 2024
Big5Hoops.com
Erik Reynolds II is happy and comfortable at Saint Joseph’s, so why leave? Reynolds made it official on Wednesday when he announced that he would be returning to Hawk Hill for his senior season.
“I feel really great,” he told Big5Hoops on Thursday. “I never really thought about leaving in the first place.”
The 6-foot-2 sharpshooter led the Hawks by averaging 17.3 points per contest last season while making 38 percent of his 3-pointers.
He likely could’ve bolted Saint Joseph’s for a larger payday, but he thought playing in coach Billy Lange’s NBA offense with the ultimate green light was the right fit for him for his college career and to attract professional attention.
“A lot of credit goes to Coach Lange and Coach Scott and the rest of the staff,” said Reynolds, who likely is being well-compensated from the Hawks’ NIL fund, which is believed to be among the top-third in the Atlantic 10. “They have shown nothing but love for me and helped me get better, on and off the court.”
“It’s amazing,” he added of playing in Lange’s system. “Play pretty freely. It’s like an NBA-style offense. A lot of movement and screen-setting. I like it because you get to do a lot within it. It’s pretty free.
“Because of Coach Lange’s experience in the NBA, that is attractive as well. That is one of the things that got me to St. Joe’s in the first place. I want to be a sponge in that sense and just soak up a lot of knowledge that knows so he can help me get there.”
Behind Reynolds, Saint Joseph’s finished 21-14 overall and 9-9 in the Atlantic 10, losing in the conference semifinals before bowing out to eventual champion Seton Hall in the first round of the NIT.
“I knew the potential we had going into last season,” he said. “We gelled together really well. We had great chemistry, on and off the court. I think we had a great season. We could’ve done more, yes. But I’m proud of us.”
Now, Reynolds will run it back alongside point guard Xzayvier Brown, the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, and Rutgers transfer Derek Simpson.
“I think we can do a lot of special things together,” Reynolds said. “I’m excited to get in the gym with (Simpson). The sky is the limit for us. I know we’re going to do some great things, especially with (Brown) having a college season under his belt. I know you’re going to see a different player out of him as well.”
Reynolds isn’t settling on his success. He plans to spend the offseason continuing to fine-tune his shooting while improving his ball-handing and packing on some more muscle onto his 180-pound frame.
“There’s always room for improvement,” he said. “I always think there are things I can get better at and sharpen.”
If all goes well, Reynolds will have a good shot of breaking Jameer Nelson’s school record of 2,094 career points. At 1,616 points Reynolds is 478 points shy of the record. He scored 606 total points last season after netting 648 as a sophomore in 2022-23.
“That’s pretty exciting to hear because Jameer Nelson was a legend coming through this school,” Reynolds said. “It means the world to me because I’m in company with a legend. It’s a pretty great feeling. I’m excited for next season. If I get there, it would be amazing. I wouldn’t have any words for it. It’s exciting to be in that company.”
And, for Hawks fans, exciting for him to be back with a chance to break it.
—
Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. His byline regularly appears on Associated Press stories. Big5Hoops.com is his second website dedicated to Philadelphia college basketball. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages.