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FSU's Reid Provides Physical Presence

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By SCOTT CARTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 19, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - For a guy who rarely scores and is known mostly for his hustle and bull-in-a-china-shop style of play, Florida State's Ryan Reid sure is getting a lot of time on "SportsCenter" lately.

On Super Bowl Sunday, there Reid was grabbing a rebound over North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson. Reid is 6-foot-8, 240 pounds. Lawson is listed at 5-11, 195. When Lawson's left arm got trapped between Reid's grip and the ball, guess who won that wrestling match?

As Reid snatched the ball toward the ground, he took Lawson along for the ride. Lawson suffered a severe high ankle sprain - grimacing in pain for several minutes as he lay on the court - and hasn't played since.

"He still has pain in the foot, and the doctors are being very cautious with him," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said on Monday's ACC coaches' teleconference.

Reid's most memorable moment of the season came later in the game when he hit a 3-pointer - on the first 3-point attempt of his career - to force overtime in a game the Seminoles eventually lost.

A sophomore forward from Lauderdale Lakes, Reid made his way onto "SportsCenter" again on Thursday when he threw what appeared to be a phantom punch that sent Wake Forest 7-foot center Chas McFarland sprawling to the court. As Reid broke to race up the court on a missed shot, McFarland tried to slow him by grabbing Reid's left arm. Reid broke free by using his right one, earning a seat on the bench for the rest of the game for what was called a non-fighting flagrant foul.

"I was just being aggressive, but I've got to know my limits," Reid said Monday. "My first ejection ever; it taught me a lesson, but it's still not going to make me back down from anybody."

Since returning from a nine-game suspension for being implicated in the FSU academic cheating scandal, Reid has averaged 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game. He has started the past seven games, providing the Noles with much-needed toughness inside.

"Ryan is a hard player. He is an aggressive player; that is just the way he plays," teammate Ralph Mims said. "We love it out of him. You know you are going to get a bruise here or there every time in practice or in a game. Hopefully, we can get it under control."

While Reid understands how someone who doesn't see him play regularly might think he is a dirty player considering the recent incidents with Lawson and McFarland, he isn't too concerned.

"One of the tough guys, that's what I was known as," Reid said of his high school and AAU days. "I think it's probably my rep. I haven't heard anything from the refs or anything like that.

"I'm just really trying to be there for my team."

Lawson and McFarland learned that the hard way.

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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