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2017 Villanova Basketball season recap: Darryl Reynolds

Reynolds didn’t always get the publicity, but he was a vital part to Villanova’s winningest class

NCAA Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament-Creighton vs Villanova Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Per Game Team G GS MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG PFPG FG% 3P% FT%
13-14 Vill 21 0 3.1 0.3 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.6 1.000 - .300
14-15 Vill 27 0 5.4 1.4 1.1 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.3 1.0 .714 - .400
15-16 Vill 40 6 17.1 3.6 4.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.7 2.2 .632 - .723
16-17 Vill 31 30 23.8 4.5 5.4 0.6 0.5 0.9 1.1 1.7 .688 - .674
Career 119 36 13.7 2.7 3.3 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.7 1.5 .670 - .630

Darryl Reynolds wrapped up a four year career at Villanova not with individual awards, but with a bevy of team honors. Four time Big East regular season champion, two time Big East tournament champ, four straight early season tournament champ, national champion, and tied for winningest player in Villanova basketball history.

That describes Reynolds perfectly. He didn’t always get the spotlight but he always did whatever it took to win. And win he did.

Back in November, the majority of the Wisdom of Crowds predicted that Darryl Reynolds would average between 5.1-7.0 points per game, with 58% voting for that option. However, the 20% that selected 3.0-5.0 points per game were correct, as Reynolds averaged 4.5 points over the course of his senior season.

Reynolds wasn’t used a ton, but when he was he was very efficient. He finished 2016-17 with a career best 68.8% shooting from inside the arc, good for 12th in the country according to kenpom.com. His 119.7 offensive rating was also one of the best in the country, 130th overall.

Reynolds rebounding also jumped, as he grabbed an average of 5.4 rebounds during his senior season, a career best. He was also adapt on the offensive board, with an offensive rebounding percentage of 11.8, 109th in the country.

Did Darryl Reynolds meet or exceed exceptions in 2016-17?

Before the NCAA handed down another asinine ruling, Reynolds was expected to have a very similar role to the one he held during his junior year. Just this time, he’d be backing up Omari Spellman. Once Spellman was ruled ineligible it was clear that wouldn't be the case.

No one expected Reynolds to score double digits nightly, but he was expected to rebound, defend, and finish around the rim with put-backs and layups. For the majority of the season, he did just that. Unfortunately, Reynolds missed five games due to a rib injury and was never quite the same over the last six games. However, I think it is fair to say that Reynolds met exceptions over the course of 2016-17.

Reynolds is expected to graduate next month with a degree in communications. He is likely to follow in the footsteps of former Villanova guard Tony Chennault and pursue a career as a filmmaker.