Oct. 6, 2006
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each Friday from September through February and monthly from April through in August. This week we introduce the Nova Nation to freshman guard Reggie Redding in our fifth and final profile of the newest members of the Wildcats.
Arriving on a new campus with few familiar faces can be an intimidating experience for a college freshman. In the case of Reggie Redding, however, it is made less so because of a similar transition he made four years ago.
Prior to ninth grade, Redding enrolled at Saint Joseph's Prep School in Philadelphia. He entered an environment quite unlike what he had known growing up in the city.
"I didn't know anyone," he recalls. "It was a different atmosphere than what I was used to. It took me some time to adjust."
Redding exudes a calm that no doubt served him well as he adapted to new friends and a new routine. He blends easily with others as he has with his new teammates at Villanova. Indeed, he looks very much at home in his new Villanova jersey (No. 15, last worn by Randy Foye as a freshman in 2002-03).
"That experience probably did help me when I came to Villanova," he says.
Redding's arc through junior high and high school rose steadily. After dabbling in baseball as a youth, his focus shifted to basketball as he reached the seventh and eighth grades.
"It seemed like I was always the tallest kid in my class," he remembers.
Yet Redding wasn't the awkward sort. There was a smoothness to his game that stood out even then. Observers have marveled at his sense of the sport's nuances and the ability to mold his skills into the framework of a team. With Redding, it has always been less about overwhelming physical skill than it has been the complete package, from head to toe.
When he began contemplate his secondary school options, Redding and his family were drawn to Saint Joseph's Prep for two reason.
"The academics there are good," he says, "and I wanted to play for a coach like Speedy Morris. He coached so many great players and I felt like he could really help me as a player and as a person."
It didn't take long for Redding to be tested. As a freshman who appeared ready to contribute to an experienced squad that included current Penn forward Mark Zoller, his season was disrupted by a broken ankle. Three long months passed where Redding wore a cast and he could do little more than watch his teammates make their way to a championship.
"It was hard," he recalls. "I had never had an injury like that before."
Yet there were some benefits. Redding was allowed to ease his way into his freshman year without the pressures of a basketball season. He soaked up all he could from his older teammates and put it to use when he returned for his sophomore campaign healthy.
Over the next three seasons, Redding became one of the more accomplished players in Philadelphia. If his game didn't include the theatrics of some, the results were nonetheless exceptional. He became the Prep's all-time leading scorer with 1,568 points, averaging 22 points and 9.4 rebounds as a junior and 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per outing as a senior.
Most of all, his club was successful. And college coaches noticed.
When he first began to mull college choices, the prospect of attending school away from home held appeal. North Carolina State, Boston College and Pittsburgh offered viable alternatives away from Philadelphia. However, when he began to seriously study the options, the notion of staying near home grew on him.
"At first, I wanted to go away," he states. "As time passed, though, the best decision seemed to be to stay near home. I really liked the coaching staff at Villanova and I had seen how they played. I liked the style. Once I knew I wanted to stay close to home, the decision was pretty easy."
Redding remains close to his family and expects to see them often at the Pavilion and Wachovia Center.
"Just the support they have always given me means so much," he says. "You know they are behind you no matter what happens."
Redding made his decision to attend Villanova public in the summer of 2005. One year later he was on campus, bonding with his new teammates.
"In the summer it feels like we are pretty much here by ourselves," he says. "We got to know each other by spending time with one another. It definitely helped me in making the transition once the fall semester began."
On the court, Redding is learning as he goes.
"The things you notice right away are the speed and just how hard this team plays," he states. "It's every possession, whether it's open gym in July or in an individual workout now. The older guys always talk to us about being intense and that's the one thing I'm really concentrating on more than anything. "I just want to become a better player. There's a lot I want to work on."
The chance begins in earnest next week. Full team practices get underway the weekend of Oct. 13-15 and Hoops Mania, the annual Villanova Basketball party to kickoff the season, follows on Oct. 20 at the Pavilion. Redding is eager to taste the full college basketball experience.
"It's exciting," he says.
Although he confesses there is still plenty to learn, Redding is fortunate in that he has always been a quick to absorb lessons. He brings with him a feel for the game that not every incoming freshman possesses.
Now he gets to put that to the test.
If his ability to adapt to his environments in high school and college are any hint, he should have little difficulty in easing into this new role as well.
