JP's 5 Thoughts: Reynolds gives Seton Hall thrilling comeback win at buzzer over St. John's

Shavar Reynolds is mobbed by teammates after former walk-on's game-winning three-pointer gave Seton Hall an improbable win over St. John's in Pirates' Big East opener. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEWARK, NJ -- Well, my goodness.

The Seton Hall Pirates opened up Big East play with undefeated, highly-talented, but relatively untested St. John's late on a Saturday night in Newark, and what took place was an instant classic in which the Pirates came back from 14 down late in the first half to win, 76-74, on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Shavar Reynolds, a name that not many know outside the Pirates' own circle of fans. 

It was an incredible ending that featured a little magic as well as a little controversy, and sent the sellout crowd into the night wondering what in fact it had just witnessed.

Lots to unpack, so let's get going. Here are the 5 Thoughts from Prudential Center:

1. Reynolds Wraps It Up

So, who is Shavar Reynolds?

For those who don't know, he joined the Seton Hall roster as a walk-on last year. His father, an officer in the United States Navy who Shavar rarely got to see growing up due to his deployment, came home to surprise him last season, a moment that was captured on video. Because of his situation, he would not have been able to afford to stay at Seton Hall had it not been for the Pirates awarding him a scholarship this past summer, which the Manchester, New Jersey native earned thanks to his work ethic and positive attitude.

And it was Reynolds who had the biggest athletic moment of his life when he took a pass from Sandro Mamukelashvili with not even two seconds remaining and his team down one point, the third option on the game-deciding inbounds play, and nailed the shot from right in front of the Seton Hall bench to win the game.

"I'm still in shock, to be honest," the sophomore said. "I still don't really realize what just happened."

You can't blame him for being at a general loss for words after a moment like that. But it wasn't just the game-winner, as he finished with eight points off the bench along with three rebounds, and played some pretty great defense on the perimeter to help slow Shamorie Ponds and the St. John's offense down the stretch (more on that in a second). He would have been one of the players of the game in a Seton Hall win even if he didn't hit the game-winner.

"It's been a long journey," Reynolds reflected. "All the hard work, all the hours in the gym, that just proves that it was all worth it."

His teammates and coaches echo his words.

"All his hard work has given me the confidence to put him in the game in that situation," head coach Kevin Willard said. "It's really gratifying. Every high school kid should understand that if you work really hard, have a good attitude, and you're a good person, good things will happen to you. That's Shavar Reynolds."

"Shavar is a kid that works so hard," star junior Myles Powell said. "To see someone like that and his success, I was so happy for him. I told him I could have cried for him. He worked for it."

Stories like this are why we love sports. Nothing was promised to Shavar Reynolds coming onto the team as a walk-on, a role that not a lot of people can handle, let alone thrive in. Being able to then perform against some of the best players and athletes in the country, and being able to hit a shot like he did tonight given all that he has been through? That's something different altogether, a truly great story of success.

2. Controversy

Of course, had it not been for a possible break that the Pirates got at the end, we're not even talking about this ending tonight. Seton Hall had possession in the corner opposite its bench with 3.9 seconds remaining. Quincy McKnight's inbounds pass was deflected by St. John's LJ Figueroa, and it appeared to go out of bounds with 3.5 seconds remaining.

Except it may not have actually gone out of bounds. On replay, the ball popped in the air, and appeared to be saved in bounds by Figueroa. But a whistle from Michael Stephens stopped play, and what the officials ruled was that the clock didn't start when Figueroa initially tipped the inbounds pass.

They went to the monitor, therefore, per a Big East spokesperson, to check how much time was left on the clock (3.1 seconds, as it turned out), and Seton Hall retained possession. Now, this is what all the controversy was about, but I am going to try and shed some light on the moment.

What I can tell you is that according to the rules, the ball isn't ruled out of bounds until it hits something out of bounds, whether that be the floor, or another object/person who is located out of bounds. But, according to what I understand, the first thing that needs to happen is the clock must move if and when the ball is touched, and if that does not happen, any play(s) made after the clock should have started are null and void. Therefore, the clock is reset to the appropriate time, but everything else (including the fact that it was Seton Hall ball) stands as it was before the clock failed to start.

It's certainly one of the most interesting endings I have ever seen, and one that will be talked about for a while.

3. Stops Starting

Before the fateful last three seconds took place, Seton Hall showed a tremendous amount of grit. Trailing by as many as 14 points late in the first half, the Pirates were up against it all night after the Red Storm rolled out to a big start on the road.

No matter what the Pirates did in the first half, St. John's succeeded in turning them over at a much-higher-than-normal rate, and turning those miscues directly into points. Led by Mustapha Heron, who hit four threes in the half, they also nailed their jumpers, playing off of their start in Ponds, who had six assists. 

It was, by all accounts, one of the Red Storm's best halves of the year, and one of Seton Hall's worst. But the Hall never really allowed St. John's to put it away, with the lead vacillating between about 10 and seven points for much of the second stanza. 

The reason for this is that the Pirates couldn't truly lock down the talented Johnnies on defense, struggling all night to get consecutive stops. Down 69-59 with 6:35 left, they finally did, getting a 10-0 run off that tied the game thanks to seven straight defensive stops. Marvin Clark II then hit a three-pointer out of a media timeout, but the Pirates kept on coming, and as it turned out, that would be the last basket that St. John's scored in the game, missing 11 of its last 12 overall as Seton Hall closed the game on a 17-5 extended run.

The hero of the night was asked how they were able to stay in the contest.

"This team has a lot of heart," Reynolds responded. "It's our heart that really determines how we play and how we go. The last six minutes, started playing with that heart and toughness, and that's what got us the W."

4. Jersey Blues

A lot of the older Seton Hall fans will recall that back in the heyday of St. John's basketball and the classic Big East in the 1980s, the Pirates NEVER won in Queens. At what was called Alumni Hall back then, Seton Hall had recorded precisely zero road wins against the Johnnies for 25 years, going just 4-32 against them overall between 1963 and 1988. P.J. Carlesimo's Pirates broke that streak on December 10, 1988, and fast forward nearly ten years, you will find that St. John's beat Seton Hall on the road at the Meadowlands on February 15, 1998.

Since that game, St. John's has won precisely one game in New Jersey, on February 13, 2014 in front of hardly any fans at the Rock due to a big snowstorm hitting the area that day. They have now won 14 of the last 15 home games against the Johnnies. After an ending like tonight, you could understand if some Seton Hall fans are feeling a bit elated that the shoe seems to be on the other foot now.

5. Something Brewing In South Orange

Longtime scribe Andy Katz, formerly of ESPN, tweeted out after the game tonight, "There's something special brewing with this Seton Hall team." And while this is only the beginning of conference play, the nation is starting to take notice. Since a tough pair of home losses to Saint Louis and Louisville early this season, the Pirates now have taken down Kentucky, Maryland, and now previously-unbeaten St. John's, all in close games to improve to 10-3 overall.

The Hall seems to have a knack for coming up clutch, and it's come from not just one player, but from big games by multiple guys. So how does a team come up so big so late, and so often?

"I think the biggest thing is they're really understanding their roles," Willard said. "I think everybody has much more confidence in what they're doing, and I think when you have confidence in your roles, end-of-game situations get a little bit easier because everybody's not guessing 'should I take a shot, should I pass it?'" "They all know what they're doing out there, and I think that makes a big difference."

There's still a bunch of basketball to be played, but one thing is crystal clear: The Pirates are going to be a team to be reckoned with in the Big East. They know who they are, they have confidence in their coaches, they have confidence in their teammates, and they trust each other. That can be a dangerous combination when combined with a little late-game magic.

The Pirates next take their show on the road to Xavier and DePaul in the new year. They return home Wednesday, January 9, to take on Butler at Prudential Center in an 8:30 p.m. tipoff as Big East play kicks into full swing. Be sure to follow along all season here on Daly Dose of Hoops!