Blue White Illustrated

W alking o9 the Madison Square Gar- den hardwood with his Oak Hill teammates, Josh Reaves had one thing on his mind. He knew he had to change course. His team had just lost to Montverde (Fla.) Academy in the championship game of the DICK'S Sporting Goods High School Nationals, the lone blemish on a 47-1 season. As he left the court, the fu- ture Nittany Lion wing decided he couldn't afford to simply wait around for the next phase of his basketball career to arrive. "When we lost, it really hit me hard. I told my mom right then and there that I needed to get into the gym as fast as pos- sible. I just didn't want to feel that pain again of losing and getting that close," Reaves said. "So I decided to get where I need to be for my future and just get my body in the best shape possible for this upcoming season." Shi:ing into high gear at Oak Hill, Reaves decided to bear down on his classwork, earn his diploma, and get a jump start on his career in Happy Valley. After participating in Oak Hill's grad- uation on Saturday, May 16, Reaves went home for the night, tied up loose ends, and by Sunday afternoon had moved into his Penn State dorm room. It was a quick turnaround by any standard, but the Fair- fax, Va., resident said being at Penn State was necessary so that he could start working toward the bigger goals he be- lieves will bring team and personal suc- cess. "I just can't wait for it to get started," he said. "I'm really trying to work on my body and getting it bigger so I can take all the bumps and bruises as the college game goes on. Hopefully I'll be able to hold my own and just get my body to where it needs to be so I can do the most I can for this team." Reaves, who stands 6-foot-5, 190 pounds and is the 143rd-ranked prospect nationally according to Rivals.com, is known for his high energy and relentless defense. Al- though his transfer from Paul IV to Oak Hill last season helped sharpen his o9ense, he said he understands – and is embracing – the big changes he'll need to make in the weight room. He came to that realization during his freshman year of basketball while guarding a 6-foot-5, 220-pound point guard in practice. Said Reaves, "He was big and he was solid. I was just a little kid, never li:ed weights before, and I got pushed around the whole time. "I realized that my body isn't where it needs to be at my age in the sport that I'm playing. Now, entering college, it's not even close. So I realized that I needed to get where I need to be so I can hold my own and not be pushed around, that a little arm bar can take me away from get- ting to the rim. Those are the little things I need that really got to me." Reaves has continued to push himself in the weight room and hopes to be at 205 pounds by the end of Penn State's second summer session. Nothing would please coach Patrick Chambers more. "The kid is a gazelle," Chambers said. "He needs to put on muscle to be able to take the contact that he's going to take in the Big Ten, and it's our job. I give him a lot of credit for graduating and coming in the very next day." If all goes according to plan, the six weeks of additional prep could pay o9 this fall. Reaves is well-aware of the impact that D.J. Newbill's departure will have on the team, and he hopes he can help provide the scoring and energy the Nittany Lions will need with their All-Big Ten guard now gone. "The only thing I can tell you is that I'm ready. I'm ready to take on a bigger role, I'm ready to try to help this program be one of the top-known pro- grams in the conference," he said. His ul- timate goal: "To help this program get to where I know it can be." Having witnessed his future teammates struggle through a disappointing season 8lled with close losses – all while helping his Oak Hill team achieve unprecedented success – Reaves envisions a Penn State program that builds steadily, continually adding the pieces it needs in order to reach new levels of success. "I know they had a lot of close games last year and little things here and there could have helped them win. But we're right there," he said. "[With] the people around the program who are coming in this year and next year, I feel like we can get those wins that are so close, just through little things. I really hope that I can be a part of the team that does turn things around." ■ SEIZING THE MOMENT MEN'S BASKETBALL | Josh Reaves' plan is to become an impact player for the Lions, and he's not wasting any time putting it into action

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