Trust between two people is a very important factor in developing a successful relationship – arguably the most important factor. And Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds knows it.

Born to an unwed, unemployed teenage mother in Alabama, Reynolds was put up for adoption just months after he was born. Though Reynolds was taken in by an adoring couple who have lovingly raised him until this day, the National Player of the Year candidate is a still a bit haunted by his unconventional past.

For that reason, Villanova coach Jay Wright acknowledges that regardless of the affection that the senior and his coach show for each other on television, Wright didn’t earn his star player’s trust overnight.

‘Scottie’s father and mother are very intelligent people, and they helped me understand that it’s hard for him to trust people in general,’ Wright said on the Big East coaches weekly teleconference. ‘I think maybe by the end of last year we really got to the point where both of us had a great trust in each other, but it took longer than it probably does with most players.’

Reynolds grew up in Northern Virginia and quickly began to form a love for the game of basketball. Behind the support of his adopted parents and his five new siblings, Reynolds began to take the game seriously and was competing at a very high level.

As Reynolds got older and matured, he developed an extremely close relationship with Gary Hall, his future high school basketball coach at Herndon High School. Hall had known Reynolds for roughly five years prior to his freshman year in high school, and by that time, the two had formed a very special relationship. Reynolds saw Hall as somebody that he could count on, and Hall saw Reynolds as a kid who possessed the rare qualities of honor and loyalty.

‘Too many young players see a coach as only the person that plays them or doesn’t play them,’ Hall said. ‘And the thing that makes Scottie unique is that Scottie has such great respect for the word ‘coach.’ When Scottie knows that the coach has his back, that’s when you get the best from Scottie.’

Following a stellar high school career, the highly touted Reynolds developed a strong connection with then-Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson, and thus committed to play for the Sooners. But not long before Reynolds would have began his career in Norman, Okla., Sampson unexpectedly left Oklahoma to become the head coach at Indiana.

Distraught and dejected, Reynolds couldn’t believe what had just occurred. Though he understood that college basketball was a business and that Sampson was doing what was best for him and his family, he couldn’t help but feel devastated. According to Hall, Reynolds and Sampson had formed a close connection during the recruiting process. Once again, Reynolds had been let down by someone who had cared for him.

With Sampson no longer at Oklahoma, Reynolds came to the realization that he no longer wanted to be a Sooner. He later signed a letter of intent to play for Wright at Villanova.

In Reynolds’ first two seasons as a Wildcat, he showed signs of brilliance but struggled due to his wild and eccentric style of play. The point guard would score 40 points one game but commit nine turnovers the next. And despite the endearing and supportive nature of Wright, Reynolds was still scarred from his experience with Sampson.

‘For me and Scottie, he could come into my office every day in between every class and we could sit and talk,’ Hall said. ‘Coach Wright can’t do that. He has other responsibilities. If Coach Wright didn’t have time to talk to Scottie, I think Scottie took that personally because I’ve always had time for Scottie.’

Throughout Reynolds’ tenure at Villanova, his parents have stayed in very close contact with Wright, sending him e-mails about the mentality of adopted children and how to gain their trust. As a result, Wright said he has worked especially hard to form a bond with his star point guard and understand the difficult situation that he grew up in.

Four years down the road, Reynolds has had an incredibly successful collegiate career. The once-Oklahoma commit led Villanova to the Final Four in 2009 and currently leads his No. 3 Wildcats in scoring with 18.9 points per game.

From Hall’s perspective, it’s safe to say that Reynolds finally believes that Wright has his back.

‘Trust is built over time,’ Hall said. ‘And now Scottie trusts Coach Wright. You can see it in the way he’s playing his senior year. Everyone says he’s shooting the ball better and his shot selection is better. Though that may be true, the bottom line is that he knows that Coach Wright believes in him.’

Player to watchJeremy Hazell

The junior guard was terrific this past week as he led Seton Hall (15-9, 6-7 Big East) to consecutive victories against Notre Dame (17-10, 6-8) and DePaul (8-17, 1-12). The sharpshooter scored 35 points and had four steals in the Pirates’ upset against the Fighting Irish on Feb. 11. Following that performance, Hazell contributed 18 points en route to a victory over the Blue Demons. The preseason All-Big East second team selection shot 55 percent from 3-point range on the week and is averaging 22.4 points per game.

Game to watchNo. 5 Syracuse vs. No. 10 GeorgetownTonight, 7 p.m., ESPN2

The Hoyas (18-6, 8-5) will attempt to get some revenge against its bitter rival, Syracuse (24-2, 11-2), as Georgetown welcomes the Orange to the Verizon Center. When these two teams last met on Jan. 25 at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse dominated Georgetown, 73-56, outscoring the Hoyas by 31 after falling behind by 14 to start the game. Following a major upset of Villanova (22-3, 11-2) on Feb. 6, Georgetown failed to keep its momentum going as it was downed by Rutgers (14-12, 4-9) on Sunday. Earlier in the afternoon, Syracuse had its 11-game win streak snapped as the Orange fell to Louisville (17-9, 8-5), 66-60, on its home court.

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Published on February 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm