Player of the Year: Much accomplished, much to prove

PEORIA — Notre Dame junior Noah Reynolds had one mission for his team, and that was to win a Class 3A state championship.

Even though the Irish's incredible season came to a halt due to COVID-19 concerns, that didn't stop Reynolds from becoming the 2020 Journal Star Large-School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The athletic guard helped lead the No. 1-ranked Irish (30-1) to the Peoria sectional championship after dominant performances in a regional semifinal win over Washington and regional championship win over host Metamora. Reynolds used his mid-range and 3-point shooting abilities, along with his rebounding and shot blocking skills to lead ND in victories over state-ranked teams throughout the season.

But he'll tell you firsthand that it isn't about him on the basketball court, or the skills he possesses. Reynolds cheers for his teammates when he's on the bench or encourages them when he is on the floor, which has helped mold the brotherhood. ND coach Tom Lacher had three sets of brothers on his squad, which included Connor and Declan Dillon, and David and Matt Williams. Noah shared the floor with his younger brother, Nelson.

"Honestly, I don't think it would be fair to hone in on the relationships we have built this year because these relationships started so long ago. We all have been playing with and against each other since we were barely able to dribble," said Reynolds. "We've all known for a really long time that this year would be our year. We lived up to the high expectations everyone had set and for that I will love and remember these guys forever."

"The one thing I will take away from the seniors legacy is their work ethic," Reynolds added. "Connor, Declan, and Ben (Kouri) might be the hardest workers I have ever witnessed. They brought the mindset that winning was expected, no exceptions."

And Reynolds helped the "winning is expected" mindset for each of his teammates. Notre Dame was named Big 12 Conference champions after finishing with a 9-1 record, including victories over Peoria High and Manual as he played a big factor in those city rivalries. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals, while shooting 61.5 percent from the field, and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

"I had an unfortunate setback at the beginning of my sophomore year. Once I came back, I wasn't 100% but I tried to contribute to the team in anyway possible. After we lost (last season) I fell in love with the process of getting better," said Reynolds. "I owe a lot to coach Lacher and assistant coach Jason Whalen. He helped me a lot with weight training and got my body prepared for the next level. I know what I need to do to take my game to a higher level, and I can't wait."

The 6-foot-3 sharpshooter earned Associated Press All-State honorable mention once the season wrapped up, which should help boost college interests from across the nation.

"My goal going into next season is to have my young guys prepared. We have so much young talent, and I can't wait for them to show everyone what they can do," added Reynolds. "The sophomore class is absolutely loaded obviously with guys like Nelson and David. But I'm looking forward for guys that you didn't necessarily hear about because of the level of talent we had this year. Guys like Chelito Madrigal, and Colin Schuler, are special players that will have big roles to fill."

John Komosa can be reached at 686-3214 or jkomosa@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jkom91.

2020 BEST OF PREPS

The Journal Star Best of Central Illinois Preps All-Star teams and Players of the Year are sponsored by CEFCU, Mike Murphy Ford and Ray Dennison Chevrolet.

1380696007