Junior guard Davon Reed will play an integral role for the Hurricanes as they try to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their Sweet 16 run in 2013. In his third year on the Canes, Reed will be relied upon heavily as he is one of the more experienced players on the roster. He has had two successful years up to this point and will look to build upon those as this season approaches.
Reed is a major weapon on the offensive side of the ball due to his combination of size, skill and quickness. At 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Reed is a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches on the offensive end of the court. He is much bigger and stronger than a majority of opposing guards and too quick for any post players to guard him.
Reed puts it best himself, saying, “I think my versatility is my strength. I can do everything. I really don’t think there’s too many handicaps in my game, so being able to do so many things is my strength.” This potential for mismatches has allowed Reed to flourish on offense in his first two seasons with the Canes.
The New Jersey native does much of his damage on offense from behind the three-point line. With his size and athletic ability, he can get a shot off whenever he pleases. During his freshman season, Reed shot 35 percent from behind the arc. Most players would’ve been very pleased with this number, but not Reed. He kept working, and that resulted in him shooting an incredible 49 percent from three last regular season, the fourth highest mark in all of Division I.
However, Reed is not strictly a long-range shooter. When matched up against bigger defenders, he uses his quickness to go by them and get easy baskets in the paint. This is also an area of his game that he focused on improving during the offseason.
“I took it upon myself to improve my touch and finish at the rim,” Reed said. “Just being aggressive and the all-around player that I know I am.”
Overall, he shot 47 percent from the field and averaged close to double figures in points last season.
Perhaps the scariest part about Reed for opposing teams is the fact that he did all this after battling injuries that caused him to miss the first 10 games of the season during his sophomore campaign. Had he been available from the start, his stats could’ve ballooned even higher. A healthy Reed heading into this year means that the Canes will have another lethal offensive weapon alongside guards Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan for the entirety of this upcoming season.
As long as the team stays healthy, all signs point to an NCAA Tournament berth come March. Reed thinks so as well, saying, “I think we got a great team. I think we took a step up from our team last year even though we lost a few players. I think we have more precise roles and everybody is more focused and ready to accomplish what we have set out for us.”