Hall of Fame
He wanted it. That’s probably the only way you can begin to fill in the gap between the enormous talent and the even greater achievement of Paul Reid, Jr. on the basketball court for Rutgers-Newark from the 1976-77 season until his graduation in 1980. A fine player at Passaic High, there was still no indication of what he could really become. Had there been any way to look ahead, the bigger schools with the free rides would have been kicking down his door.
Instead, he came to Rutgers-Newark, carried a full academic load, worked a part-time job and commuted, riding the bus after late practices to work or back home to Passaic.
When he finished, he was the highest scorer in the school’s history with 1,539 points. No matter where he played or who it was he was playing against, rival coaches and players alike agreed after every game that Paul Reid, Jr., was a 40-minute ball player.
“Thank God he was,” athletic director Steve Senko will tell you. “What did he give us? Whatever we needed. If we needed the ball, he rebounded. If we needed a basket, he’d get it. If they needed one, he’d block the shot. To say we depended on him doesn’t begin to tell it.”
In 1978, he finished among the top ten scorers in the country in what was then called the NCAA’s college division. The same year, he led all scorers in all divisions in the State of New Jersey. He was twice voted New Jersey college player of the week and it goes without saying that he was an all-star selection. In 1978, he was selected to play in the annual N.J. Coaches North-South Classic.
Reid still lives in Passaic, attended grad school at Rutgers-Newark and remains active with his alma mater as assistant basketball coach.
