Published: November 28, 2009 10:31 pm         

One year after 0-6 beginning, Reed happy in his work for ISU men's basketball

Indiana State guard Rashad Reed is happy in his work as he plies his trade for the men’s basketball team.

He knows his role among ISU’s phalanx of productive guards. He’s confident, though not happy recently, in his 3-point shot. He’s reached a comfort zone.

Reed’s come a long way. One year ago, when ISU was mired in an awful 0-6 start, Reed wondered whether happiness was something he’d ever experience in an ISU uniform.

“It’s easier than last year and it’s funner than last year. With these new guys, we have good team chemistry off the court,” Reed said. “I feel like I can focus on what I know I can do instead of having so much weight on me to do everything.”

Having “to do everything” was a situation foisted upon Reed last season. It wasn’t part of the plan when Reed was brought in as a junior college transfer from Vincennes University.

With Marico Stinson’s preseason departure and Harry Marshall’s academic ineligibility for last season’s first semester games, and with few other options on a Sycamore team that is much thinner then than now, Reed was the starting point guard for the first eight games last season.

Reed may have been a junior by eligibility, but he might as well have been a freshman in practice.

Having to play major minutes at arguably the most important position on the floor in a spread offense that’s hard to master proved to be the biggest challenge Reed has faced in his career.

And it showed. Statistically, Reed averaged 12.5 points per game in ISU’s 0-6 skid, but he had more turnovers than assists and was streaky from the field and in his decision-making.

“It was tough. Ever since I had been playing basketball, every team I had been on had won at least 20 games in a season. Losing six in a row, at times, I couldn’t believe it. I had never been in that situation before,” Reed said.

Marshall’s return heralded better times for Reed as he moved from point guard to a shooting guard spot where he was more effective. Marshall was injured in January and Reed returned to point guard and ISU’s record bottomed out at 4-19 as the Sycamores hunted for a lifeline to right their ship.

Then it clicked. A memorable 76-73 overtime victory at Illinois State ignited an ISU run as it won seven of its last nine games. Dramatically improved production from Jay Tunnell, Jordan Printy and Marshall all took pressure off Reed whose scoring average in the final nine games was nearly three points higher than his season average.

Reed has carried that dependability into the current season. His overall scoring is down — he’s averaging 8.7 points so far as opposed to 11 ppg last season — but Reed is doing it in fewer minutes. Reed’s points-per-40 minutes is nearly identical to last year.

But patience is the virtue Reed has mastered that’s served him best of all. With pressure off of him late in the season, he managed to get his season assist number past his turnover total late last season. Reed has kept it up this season with 13 assists-to-10 turnovers, a ratio that is second on the team behind Printy — and far better than ISU’s assist-to-turnover ratio, which is currently at a poor 49-to-80 rate.

“When Rashad is patient and lets the game come to him and doesn’t feel like he has to make it happen right away, he’s fine,” ISU coach Kevin McKenna said. “He’s competitive, he plays hard, he’s someone our coaching staff and his teammates really feel they can count on.”