This one little section cracked me up. AR's HS coach really worked his a** off pitching Austin to Divison 1 schools, driving him all around for workouts, sending tapes, phone calls etc. Finally he gets an assistant from Wichita State to drive out to where Austin lived and meet him and see in person the way he played. "Buchanan (Reaves's coach) kept advocating for him, and one college coach finally listened: then–Wichita State assistant Kyle Lindsted. “He kept sending me videos of this scrawny little dude that was getting buckets,” Lindsted says. Once he began to recruit him and watch him play more, Lindsted saw not just talent, but intangibles: “Grit, and moxie, and smarts with toughness.” He went to see Reaves in Newark, so far “out in the middle of the woods” that his GPS lost its signal. He began to panic when he stopped seeing streetlights. “I was literally scared to death,” Lindsted says. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” The trip was worth it: He believed Reaves was a steal." And this to hit home what a farm boy. "Wichita State finally offered him a scholarship, when Reaves and Buchanan visited campus. On the way home, the two stopped at Hog Wild Pit Bar-B-Q in Wichita to celebrate. While eating, Austin spotted something outside. He leapt onto the booth across from them. “Oh my gosh,” Reaves said. “That is the most beautiful picture I’ve ever seen.” It was a cow standing in a snow-covered field. He took a picture."
Needs to play more. We have been saying it for a while now. Lots of effort defensively, smart, shoots well. What's not to like, seriously?
Love this kid. This team has been painful to watch a lot this season but I enjoy watching smart, team-first basketball.
Low key racism for the win sounds like he’s forcing his way into a good role for us. Very cool story.
We can lose the HbK nickname I believe. LeBron said in his on court interview afterwards that his nickname with the team is AR-15. Works well with initials and jersey number of course and works better for him in the NBA vs college IMO. What a great shot and what a great moment for him and his family, if you read that article. Mom and dad were hoopers and so’s his older brother now playing overseas. After HS his brother wouldn’t let him settle for Division II … he knew he was good enough for I. And of course his grandmother who loved Kobe and the Lakers.
