Player of the Week, Jan. 18

Player of the Week: Scottie Reynolds, Villanova

A monster week in college basketball saw a major shake-up in the rankings, with seven top-25 teams losing over the weekend and several others involved in close battles. As a result, the action saw plenty of huge performances from some top-notch players. There was Georgia Tech’s Iman Shumpert and his 30 points against North Carolina; Pitt’s Bradley Wanamaker averaging 19.5 points in wins over Louisville and Connecticut; Texas’ Damion James going for 26 points and 12 rebounds against Texas A&M; Wayne Chism of Tennessee averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds in two wins; Gonzaga’s Elias Harris averaging 25.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in two road wins; and Ohio State’s Evan Turner getting 32 points, nine rebounds and three assists against Purdue.

However, the player with the most consistency throughout the week that meant the most to his team was Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds (with James as a close second). Reynolds opened the week with an outstanding performance in a road win at Louisville, leading the Wildcats to a comeback victory with 36 points. He went 5-for-5 from three-point range and took 17 free-throw attempts. Reynolds also grabbed four rebounds and nabbed two steals. While that might have been enough to win the Player of the Week by itself, he wasn’t done. Reynolds followed it up with 27 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in an 82-77 win over Georgetown. On the week, he averaged 31.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals, shooting 75 percent from three-point range and 77 percent from the field.

Villanova improved to 16-1 on the season, including 5-0 in the Big East, with the two big wins this week. Reynolds has been a primary reason for the Wildcats’ success this season, reaching career-highs in points, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage. He is averaging 18.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists, to go with 1.6 steals, and shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from three.