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About Austin Reaves
• Austin Reaves is a creative scoring guard whose improvement as a shot maker as a senior keyed Oklahoma to an NCAA Tournament berth. A relatively unheralded recruit in the class of 2016 out of Cedar Ridge High School (AR), Reaves initially committed to Wichita State where he emerged as a contributor off the bench before transferring to play for head coach Lon Kruger at Oklahoma. After sitting out his transfer year, the Arkansas native averaged 14.7 points and 3 assists while solidifying himself as an X-factor for the Sooners as a junior. Scoring 18.4 point and dishing out 4.6 assists per game as a senior, Reaves had some huge individual performances as he made an obvious leap as a scorer in route to All-Big XII 1st Team honors.
• Listed at 6-foot-5 with a lanky 206-pound frame and decent length, Reaves is a fairly fluid, aggressive scorer who matched his confidence and creativity with dramatically improved efficiency as a senior.
• Playing primarily on the ball last season, Reaves served as Oklahoma’s clear-cut first option and most prolific shot creator. Doing much of his scoring with his pull-up jump shot creating separation in a variety of ways out of ball screens and isolations, Reaves also proved opportunistic attacking the rim, consistent in catch and shoot situations, and capable of finding the open man off the bounce. After pressing at times as a junior, Reaves’s unrelenting style translated more consistently as a senior as he turned in several huge performances against a loaded Big XII slate.
• A competitive defender with good feet, Reaves may not have high-end tools or versatility, but held his own on the ball last season to complement his instincts in the passing lanes and as a rebounder.
Advanced Stats
• Serving as the focal point of Oklahoma’s offense with his ability to create separation and score from all three levels, Reaves carried the Sooners for stretches last season when his shot was falling. Shooting the 3 at a high level in a minor role as an underclassman, his aggressiveness took a toll on his efficiency as a junior, but he rebounded to average 0.92 points per jump shot [52nd percentile] as a senior. His ability to freeze defenders with hesitation moves and make contest shots made him one of the more dynamic scorers in the Big XII.
• Scoring an opportunistic 1.20 points per shot around the rim in the half court [62nd percentile], drawing contact to get to the line, and finding ways to make things happen in transition, Reaves was never shy looking for his own shot last season. He is not overly explosive off the dribble or elevating in the lane, but uses the threat of his jumper to get to spots and has some creativity and touch as a finisher.
• Scoring in bunches on his best nights, Reaves also showed some talent as a passer as a senior. While he takes some wild shots at times, he made the simple play out of the pick and roll and displayed some craftiness getting the ball out of traffic.
Defensive Analysis
• Showing more tenacity defensively than a lot of high-level scorers, Reaves held his own on the ball last season despite giving up quickness in some matchups. Allowing 0.71 points per one-on-one possession [52nd percentile], he made a concerted effort to sit down and slide to contain dribble penetration.
• Able to make crisp rotations off the ball more consistently sometimes than others, Reaves is not especially rangy. Even so, he is a competitive player who will mix it up on the glass and get in the passing lanes with good instincts.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
