Char Valley’s Reynolds is no one-trick pony
As soon as Chartiers Valley’s Brayden Reynolds steps into the gym, he’s well within range of knocking down a shot. His jersey number is 4, but considering his propensity for hitting from deep, it should probably be 3.
However, this Colt is no one-trick pony, as his shooting talents perfectly complement his outstanding ball handling and ability to connect with teammates via crisp passes.
That assortment of tools has his coach dealing him some high praise.
“Skill-wise, I think he’s possibly the best player in Western Pa.,” Brandon Sensor said.
Sensor might be a bit biased, but it’s hard to argue Reynolds isn’t at least among the best.
Reynolds is a 6- foot- 3 combo guard and the only senior boys player from the WPIAL or City League with a Division I offer. Army extended him one in August. He’s also drawing interest from Division I schools Air Force, Wofford, VMI and Merrimack, along with Division II power Nova Southeastern.
After averaging 19.1 points per game his junior season, Reynolds started off his senior season strong last Friday by scoring a game- high 22 points in Chartiers Valley’s 64-57 win at Penn Hills. He and his teammates must wait until 2021 to play their second game, though, this after Gov. Tom Wolf placed a pause on high school sports due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Reynolds’ shooting ability, in particular, makes him stand out. Reynolds shot 41% from behind the arc last season, connecting on 60 3-pointers overall. The Colts won the Class 5A Section 2 title, advanced to the WPIAL semifinals for the second year in a row, and finished 19-6.
“That’s been my focus since I was little,” Reynolds said. “My pops has emphasized, if you can shoot at a high level, you can play.”
Added Sensor, “We want stationary 3s that are open, but he is accurate from range with a hand in his face, coming off screens, on the move and off the dribble.”
During the pandemic, Reynolds has spent a lot of time shooting in the
driveway of his family’s home. He has a shooting gun and sets a goal of putting up 500 shots a day.
Reynolds isn’t the only elite shooter at Chartiers Valley. He’s good friends with the other. That would be Aislin Malcolm, the allstate junior guard and Pitt recruit who plays for the Chartiers Valley girls. Reynolds said the two sometimes work out together and have been known to go head-to-head in games of HO-R-S-E. Each has beaten the other a couple of times, Reynolds said.
Sensor called Reynolds the best ball-handler on the team, and he might be the top passer, too. He averaged four assists a game last season, to go along with five rebounds and two steals.
Chartiers Valley is pushing the ball more this season, and that has forced Reynolds to push himself harder. He admits that in the past he would sometimes coast and try to pace himself instead of going full steam all of the time. Sensor said that is one of the most notable changes to Reynolds’ game.
“The big thing he needs to take with him to the next level is that motor that never stops,” Sensor explained. “That’s really what he’s zoned in on. He actually said it out loud to me that he needs to not coast and always have his foot on the pedal.”
Reynolds has also gotten stronger, saying that he has added about 20 pounds of muscle. He played last season at 175 and is up to about
195. His diet continues to include pregame trips to McDonald’s for his go-to meal of a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries and a large Coke. He jokingly credited that mix to him dunking in a game for the first time last season. Many of his teammates now join in.
“Everybody wants to get a little bit of that magic,” he said, laughing.
Reynolds, who lives in Bridgeville, has taken on a bigger leadership role after the Colts graduated their other four starters from last season’s team.
Is Reynolds the best player in the WPIAL? That’s up for debate. What’s not is the fact that he teamed with another local star this summer to form a dynamite backcourt. He and Laurel Highlands sophomore Rodney Gallagher were teammates on a squad that won a championship in a summer league in Elizabeth. The team was coached by former Vincentian coach Tim Tyree, who is now an assistant coach at Chatham.
“It was a lot of fun,” Reynolds said. “Rod and I started a little bit of a bond a few years ago, and we’ve gotten close ever since.”
Speaking of championships, Chartiers Valley hasn’t claimed a WPIAL title since 2015. But once the red light to this season is turned off, it will be the sharpshooting teen with the steady green light who will try to help the Colts claim gold.