Reynolds helps spark Shaler Area boys to 5-1 start

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, December 20, 2018 | 8:09 PM

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Mekhi Reynolds decided over the summer his before-school routine would be changing.

The 6-foot-3 junior guard for the Shaler boys basketball team wanted to get more work in. Reynolds talked to Titans ninth-grade coach Doug Kepreos putting up more shots before school.

There was no better time than 6 a.m.

Basketball has become a year-round sport for Reynolds.

“I don’t see it as work,” he said.

That extra time has allowed Reynolds to develop into a standout guard during Shaler’s hot start. The Titans (5-1, 1-0) have won five straight games since losing their opener to North Allegheny.

During that stretch, Reynolds has averaged 16 points and 7 assists. Reynolds is shooting 86 percent from the free-throw line and averaging 24 minutes.

Shaler played Indiana in a Section 3-5A contest last Friday, the results of which were too late for this edition.

“We’ve jelled well and are getting used to each other and communicating a lot,” Reynolds said. “We need to work on defending for a full 32 minutes, being vocal and talking to each other.”

What Shaler coach Rob Niederberger has been most impressed with is Reynolds’ court vision. The Titans have been humming offensively so far, putting up 72.0 points per contest.

Reynolds has been the catalyst for their movement with the ball.

“I really think the sky is the limit for him,” Niederberger said. “He can be a really good player when it is all said and done. He’s our catalyst right now. He’s the one that starts our break. He’s pushing guys down the floor. He makes everyone better.”

Getting back to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2011-12 will require the Titans to be tight on defense. Two of Shaler’s new section foes — Mars and Franklin Regional — met for the 5A title last season.

Reynolds said the Titans have focused on communicating better. Shaler has held three of its first six opponents below 50 points.

“I’ve been trying to become the two-way player coach talks about,” Reynolds said. “I want to be as excited as I am on offense on defense.”

It’s all part of the process.

Being an offensive standout won’t be enough for Reynolds.

“He’s become a two-way player,” Niederberger said. “He’s always had the ball on a string. He could handle the ball. He’s a good shooter, and the thing that is his best quality is his court vision. He can see the floor. Whereas what he improved with was his defense, his defense and effort on that side of the court to become a two-way player. It was part of his maturity.”

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

Tags: Shaler