Done deal: Reynolds pulls the trigger

Prior to the Boo Williams Invitational, people in the basketball recruiting world were all wondering when Scotty Reynolds would make his commitment. The 6-foot, 170-pound point guard from Herndon (Va.) High School had narrowed his choices down to three high-majors - Oklahoma, NC State and UConn - and after a sensational weekend in Hampton, Va., the class of 2006 standout went home and decided to make his decision known.

Reynolds verbally committed to Oklahoma late Tuesday night and is the second commitment for the Sooners is just a week. Damian James, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound small forward from Nacogdoches (Texas) High School gave a verbal pledge to Kelvin Sampson and staff last week.

Credit James for getting Reynolds to pull the trigger.

"I talked to Damian the past two days and he said he wanted me to come to OU and help him be a part of the future of Oklahoma basketball," Reynolds said. "I figured there was really no point in waiting. Now we're ready to lead others to come to play there as well."

Herndon head coach Gary Hall says Oklahoma is not only getting a point guard with a bright future but also a guy that will do more outside of the game of basketball.

"First and foremost, Oklahoma is getting a great kid and I know that is a coaching cliché but in this case, it's absolutely correct," Hall said. "One of the things I think is so important for OU is the fact they go and get good character kids. That's the kind of young man Scotty is. They said they needed somebody to lead their program and the point guard has to have a relationship with the coach and I think Coach Sampson really fit Scotty and vice versa."

Reynolds was the anchor for Boo Williams this weekend en route to the 17 and under championship. Had the D.C. Blue Devils' Kevin Durant not been so dominant, Reynolds would have likely been crowned the tournament MVP.

Reynolds did so much more than what he's very good at and that's shooting the long ball. He did more with the dribble and looked very confident and comfortable with the ball in his hands. Reynolds attacked the basket and did a great job of getting his body into the defender for the foul. More notably, he was a good reason why Tywon Lawson was held to one field goal en route a tournament low 10 points.

"I felt like I made a name for myself during the high school season so it felt good to go out there and play really well (at the Boo Williams Invitational)," Reynolds said. "I'm still not at a 100 percent yet but I know if I keep playing hard, I'll be able to raise my stock up some more."

Hall said he is not surprised that Reynolds was able to show that he can be a high-major point guard over the weekend.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Scotty Reynolds can not only play the point but he can be one of the top five in the country if not the very best," Hall said. "You have to understand his character and work ethic of this kid. This kid was in the gym for two hours on Monday, just after coming home from the Boo Williams.

"It's like he's almost penalized for being such a great scorer," Hall said. "Let me put it this way, it's like having a girlfriend that's beautiful and smart. You don't give her credit for being intelligent only because she's so attractive. Scotty is kind of the same way. He can score very well but you don't get a chance to really focus on what kind of point guard he really is."

James also had a fantastic week at the Boo Williams as well, giving OU two of the top players from one of the best AAU events in recent memory. The duo, who have been in constant text-messaging mode since the weekend, said they have one player in mind that they want to target for the next 2006 recruit.

"Me and Damian are going to talk to Darrell (Arthur) today actually," Reynolds said.

It's good to be Oklahoma right now, isn't it?