Over his many years playing basketball, Michael McReynolds ‘15 has wowed many with his impressive skills in all aspects of the game. Through his many hours of hard work to achieve his goal of playing basketball at the college level, it comes as no surprise that so many great schools are recruiting Michael. His elite basketball skills will give him many options when it comes time for him to make his college decision.
In Michael’s eyes, success comes at a price, and that price is hard work and dedication. He explains his college goals and what schools have been interested in him as he says “I’ve been to Navy, Army, Air Force, Williams, Princeton, Houston Baptist, Denver and to be honest I have no clue which one I want to be recruited by…just whichever school has the best academics.”
Although he’s unsure of which school he plans on attending, It’s obvious Michael has an idea of the type of player and student he wants to be at the next level and what he must do in order to achieve his goal.
Even with Michael’s jump shot, ball handling, and post skills, he is well aware of the work he still has to put in to get a scholarship. Over the past four years, Coach Hill has put Michael under his wing and watched him develop over the years as a dangerous player.
“He’s really interesting. He’s so coachable and so versatile,” says Jesuit Head Basketball Coach Chris Hill, “all summer long he’s played on the wing and here, he’s playing in the post and never says a word about it. I have some kids who come in and complain about their position but not Mike. [He] never says anything. ‘What do you want? I’ll do it.’ That’s his attitude and that gives him a lot of options including the military and Ivy League schools. His willingness to embrace whatever a team needs has really opened up his options.”
Michael’s relentless commitment to the game of basketball and his acceptance of the needs of his team shows through the impact he makes on his teammates and coaching staff.
The recruiting process occurs mainly in the spring and summer. McReynolds, for instance, went to various basketball camps during the summer to showcase his skills, including programs at West Point and Princeton as well as tournaments in Las Vegas and Dallas.
He describes such workouts as “a lot of ball handling, off the dribble moves, post work, and getting up shots as well as 5-on-5.”
Schools will then usually call if they are interested. The application process for an athlete is “a little easier” than that of a regular student,” says Mike. “If the school wants you they’ll take care of you and make the process a lot easier for you.”
Coach Hill also has a role in the process: “I step in if they ask me to or if the college coach reaches out to me. Sometimes kids like to do it on their own. Mike’s dad is really involved so I haven’t been as involved as I am with other kids. Recently some college coaches have called me and I communicate with Michael about that but I am pretty much at the beck and call of my players if they need my help.”
In his time as a high school coach, Hill has worked with many deceptive college coaches, explaining that “the recruitment process is such a crazy thing. It’s hard to tell which coaches are genuine and which ones aren’t giving u good information. Mike will have to deal with both sides and realize which coach truly cares about you.”
McReynolds and the Jesuit Varsity basketball team will play their first game on Tuesday, November 18 at home.
As his final high school season begins, Mike emphasized that “at this point in my career, it’s just enjoying it all. I’ve had ups and downs throughout basketball and I really just love playing the game. It has always been a dream for me to play college ball.”
