Reinhardt hits his stride
Reinhardt stepping up in Big East play
Katin Reinhardt heard the jeers, read the mean tweets and accepted the criticism that came his way over the course of his first few weeks in a Marquette uniform.
The 6-foot-6 graduate transfer guard from USC had faith that he would overcome his early season struggles, which included a nagging right Achilles injury he suffered during a preseason scrimmage with Dayton. Reinhardt battled the injury for nine games, never publicly mentioning his discomfort or using it as an excuse, before sitting for the Golden Eagles’ final two non-conference contests.
The on-court frustrations, the criticism and the pain have all disappeared since the calendar flipped to January.
They’ve been replaced by efficiency, praise and elation as Reinhardt has emerged as the Golden Eagles’ most consistent performer during Big East competition, playing critical roles in back-to-back, program-changing wins as Marquette beat No. 7 Creighton on Saturday and AP No. 1 Villanova on Tuesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Reinhardt played leading roles in both games. Against Creighton, he contributed 21 points and seven assists while doing everything from running the point to playing power forward. Against Villanova, he scored 18 of his 19 points in the second half, while dishing out four assists and hitting the gamewinning free throws with 11.2 seconds left.
Making those two free throws and being part of the court-storming that ensued marked the epitome of his comeback and one of the best moments of his life.
“It feels amazing,” Reinhardt said on Tuesday night, still trying to grasp the enormity of what just happened. “It’s a testament to my teammates and coaches who have just trusted me from Day 1. Just knowing that I had to stay in the gym and it was
going to happen - a breakthrough was going to happen for myself individually.
“I’m just so blessed and thankful that I have the coaching staff and the players behind me every single day.”
The low points were difficult to deal with. With his Achilles injury, Reinhardt wasn’t getting the same kind of lift he was used to. Everything else about his mechanics was the same, but shots weren’t falling. A 36.9% threepoint shooter in his first three years of college, Reinhardt went 14 of 49 (28.6%) from long distance in his first 10 games at Marquette.
Head coach Steve Wojciechowski may not have always approved of Reinhardt’s shot-selection or decisionmaking in the early going, but he never lost faith in Reinhardt. He kept pushing the fifth-year senior to get better and gave him the minutes and opportunities to do so.
When the final buzzer sounded on Tuesday night, Reinhardt ran to Wojciechowski, embracing his coach before continuing the celebration on the court.
“Katin’s a really good player,” Wojciechowski said. “He always has been even though he hasn’t played well all season. He had to find his role and we were learning him, too. Even when he was struggling, I knew the kid could really play and I think you’re seeing that.”
Reinhardt’s resurgence hasn’t just come over the course of two games. In Big East play he leads the Golden Eagles in assists (3.1 per game) and is second in points per game (13.9) and minutes per game (27.9). He’s shooting 50.7% from the field and 44.2% from three-point range. He’s attacking the hoop more, taking open shots from beyond the arc and creating opportunities for his teammates in a variety of ways while keeping his turnovers under two per game.
“In Big East play the kid’s been a big-time player, and we’ve been able to use him in a lot of different scenarios,” Wojciechowski said. “In this game, he played anywhere from the point guard to power forward. When you have somebody like that who can do that it gives you an advantage.”
Following the first four games of the season, all of Reinhardt’s contributions have come off the bench. For a graduate transfer who started 73 of 100 career games before arriving at Marquette, it’s not unreasonable to assume it would be difficult for Reinhardt to come off the bench behind freshman Sam Hauser. Reinhardt insists that’s not the case. “Whatever we need to do to win,” he said. “That’s the main goal, man, it’s winning. Whatever we have to do, whatever I have to do, whatever role I have to play I’ll do it.”
Upon hearing that, Wojciechowski immediately chimed in, “Katin’s a starter for us even though he doesn’t start the game. More importantly, he’s a finisher.”
If the first seven games of 2017 are any indication, Reinhardt is on the way to a strong finish and possibly a third trip to the NCAA Tournament.