Reids senior night coincides with big game
Florida State (20-8, 8-6 ACC) hosts Wake Forest (18-8, 8-6 ACC) Wednesday night in a pivotal game for the Seminoles' NCAA Tournament chances. It will also mark the final regular season game in the Donald L. Tucker Center for the Seminoles, and for senior forward Ryan Reid.
"It is senior night, a real emotional night," Reid said, "but I am not going to go out there jacking up shots or anything like that. As long as I come out of there with a win. It is real important to win, I will take that."
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The senior captain, who is averaging seven points and 4.2 rebounds per game and has started 25 of 28 games this season, is looking forward to celebrating his career on Wednesday evening. Head coach Leonard Hamilton talked about Reid's 122 (87-46) game career with the Seminoles.
"Ryan has improved each and every year in every phase of his life on and off the court," Hamilton said. "He is right on time to graduate. He has been a guy who has always been the dirty work guy, the guy who did all the little things, the guy who did the physical work inside."
Over his career, Reid has scored 602 points while grabbing 480 rebounds, but many of his contributions to the team do not show up on the stat line.
"He has been consistent with effort and his attitude from day one," Hamilton said. "He never complains. He tries to do everything you ask him to do."
Reid talked about the development of his game over the course of his Seminole career.
"I just went along with it," Reid said. "As I developed from my freshman year, I saw what I could do and couldn't do, and most of the stuff I couldn't do I tried to work on it."
Reid's greatest contribution is his willingness to defend the post, which in the ACC has meant matchups against the likes of Tyler Hansbrough, Trevor Booker, Derrick Favors and numerous others.
Reid has not only matched up with elite players, but succeeded while doing it.
"He has done a lot of things that say a lot about his character and his determination and his ability to be an unselfish teammate," Hamilton said.
"I think that is just me," Reid added. "Coaches always say to play to your strength so I have basically just tried to do the little things that I know I can do. Anything to make us win."
While he may not get many headlines, Reid's defense is appreciated by his teammates and coaches.
"The way he does it is textbook," Hamilton said.
"I don't think it was underappreciated by the people he played against," Hamilton added. "I think if you ask most of the players he has to defend that they will tell you he is as tough of a defender that you are going face."
The task of containing the opposing team's best post player is a role Reid has relished.
"Defense wins games," Reid said. "There is nothing like looking at someone in their face and they can't do anything when you are guarding them. I would rather play defense than offense. It is just in me."
As a senior, he also took on the role as a captain and leader, being verbal with his teammates and listening when they needed to speak.
"Ryan has been as verbal as he has ever been," Hamilton said. "He has led by examples in all of our practices. He has demonstrated to everybody that this year is important to (him) and important to all of us. He has wanted to do everything he could to put us in the best possible position."
While he has had many accomplishments on the court and helped the Seminoles return to the NCAA Tournament, Reid's greatest accomplishment at Florida State will come on May 1st when he graduates with a degree in Social Science.
"It means a lot, first one in my family to graduate," Reid said. "It means that after basketball I know I can do something for a long period of time with my degree. Basketball is not going to last forever."
In addition to Reid, senior walk-on guard A.J. Yawn will also be honored.
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