Penn State Basketball Recruiting: Josh Reaves Signs Letter of Intent

Oak Hill's Dwayne Bacon (FSU), Josh Reaves (PSU), Daniel Giddens (OSU) & Andrew Fleming (Iowa) signed their LOI's, per coach Steve Smith.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) November 12, 2014

Josh verbally committed to Penn State back on July 1, directly after attending a camp in State College. The composite four star shooting guard aims to make a big difference at Penn State, stating "I feel like I can help build a program to compete at the highest level." I spoke to Josh last night, and he told me that the main things he has to offer to the team are, "energy and a positive attitude that will be passed on through the team. That is what I have always done."

His former high school coach, Glenn Farello, at Paul VI agreed with his self-assessment, and told me that, "Josh will be a great asset to Coach Chambers' program. He plays with a lot of energy, and can impact the game at both ends of the court."

Josh is one of top guards in the country for the 2015 cycle, and is one of the top ten players in the talent-rich state of Virginia. After a very successful high school career at Paul VI High School (Fairfax, VA), Josh transferred to the prestigious Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) to achieve even more at the high school level.

Reaves has been described as a true two-way player. He will come to Penn State with a fantastic grasp of how to succeed defensively, and should pair with Geno Thorpe to form one of the most devastating defensive guard duos in the Big Ten. He also brings a similar style to Thorpe on the offensive end. He shows a knack for driving the lane with no more than a few feet of space.

When I asked Josh about how his season is going so far, he had the following quote to offer:

We are doing very well. 6-0 and we are rolling. We have been able to work inside and out with the dominant bigs we have, knock down 3s or get to the basket at will with our wings. I am still working on trying to get my body physically prepared for the college pace and strength which is going well for me so far.

Josh's commitment and subsequent signing truly signals the beginning of a new era in Penn State Basketball history. Along with fellow four star commit, Mike Watkins, he shows a difference in how Pat Chambers is being able to recruit. When I spoke with Chambers at the Coaches Caravan in State College back in May about how recruiting was going, he told me the following:

You know, it's going really well. A few years ago, when I called some of these higher profile guys and said I was from Penn State, they would just laugh and hang up the phone. But now, I call, and they say 'Okay, what do you have for me? Yeah I'll take a visit'. I think it just shows you that we're really building something here.

Reaves' commitment was the second tangible sign (after Watkins) that this quote was indeed true, which could mean very big things in the future of Penn State Basketball. In today's college basketball world, being able to bring in these highly ranked guys is everything, and Chambers is showing that he is starting to catch more eyes. Josh's commitment not only represents the addition of a fantastic player to Penn State's roster, but a change in the entire way the program is operating.

Now that Josh is finally ready to sign on the dotted line, he told me he is, "really excited! Penn State is the best fit for me and I can't wait to step on the floor and play."

You can follow Josh on Twitter at @jreaves23.

Welcome to Penn State, Josh!

[Ed. note - In the absence of a great mixtape, which will come in due time at Oak Hill, we present Capitol Hoops' highlights of Paul VI's WCAC final win over DeMatha Catholic from 2014. Reaves, number 23 for Paul VI, was the top scorer for Paul VI last season and led all players in the final with 19 points. In these highlights you'll also notice current class of 2016 commit Joe Hampton, number 25 for DeMatha and now Reaves' teammate at OHA. -CM]