At Monmouth, North Carolina teammates J.R. Reid, King Rice seek March Madness return

WEST LONG BRANCH – The booming baritone voice cut through the crowd noise inside OceanFirst Bank Center like the 6-foot-9 frame it emanated from used to slice through defenders in the paint, as Monmouth University assistant coach J.R. Reid stood and shouted instructions to the Hawks’ big men at the opposite end of the court last week.

It remains a striking dichotomy, the first-team All-American at North Carolina and fifth-pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, now in his second season with a mid-major program at the Jersey Shore.

"Our guys don’t even understand how good he was. They have no understanding what he would have done to them, because he doesn’t talk like that,’’ said Monmouth head coach King Rice, Reid’s long-time friend and former Tar Heel teammate. "Jay tells stories like me and him were the same. He’ll be like, 'don’t let coach fool you.’ And I’m like, 'no Jay, you were No. 1 and I was on the team.’ But he’s humble. He’s great for the kids, because they want where he’s been. He’s great for me because we’re such good friends.’’

Except the roles are reversed now.

Rice, the former point guard whose job it was to get the ball to Reid, is now the one schooling his long-time friend on the ways of Division I college basketball, a late-in-life immersion program for the 51-year-old Reid, who spent 11 seasons in the NBA and three more playing overseas.

Speaking of reversals, Monmouth currently sits in a four-way tie atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings with eight wins in the last 10 games, after Reid’s indoctrination included 12 straight losses to open the 2018-19 season.

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"When we’re on the court, I’m the assistant and he’s the head coach. He’s the boss,’’ Reid said. "Off the court, we’re still friends and I’m maybe able to talk to him about some things and he is really accepting.’’

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Reid brings a unique perspective to the position, having experienced the sport at the highest levels, as he learns how to mold young talent with the knowledge he’s accumulated.

"This is in my blood. My father was a coach,’’ said Reid. "Something I’ve been able to do is build good relationships with people, so maybe I can carry this over to the basketball court. I can’t wait to see how far this thing can go, getting to work with these talented young players.’’

Lifelong bond

Their paths crossed for the first time at the Five-Star Camp in Pittsburgh during the summer of 1985. Reid, a rising senior from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was the No. 1 recruit in the country, going on to earn MVP honors at both the McDonald’s All-American game and Capital Classic, while Rice was a rising junior from Binghamton, New York who would lead his team to back-to-back state championships.

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"We hit it off from there,’’ Reid said. "And then I found out Carolina was recruiting him and he came on his visit, and from then on I was like, 'we have to get this guy,’ because I knew what kind of competitor he was and I wanted to surround myself with like-minded players. It’s just blossomed from there.’’

They developed a lasting bond even though they only played together for two seasons together under legendary coach Dean Smith at North Carolina, with Reid turning pro after his junior season after they lost in the Sweet 16 to a Michigan team that would beat Seton Hall to win the national championship.

"When we were in school the plan was for me, him and Rick Fox to make the pros and then retire and hang out together and travel the world and do all kinds of cool stuff,’’ Rice laughed. "In 18, 19-year-old minds, that was the plan.’’

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But their paths diverged after college, with Rice getting into coaching as an assistant at Oregon in 1992, before connecting with his long-time mentor, coach Kevin Stallings, at Illinois State from 1993-98. Meanwhile, Reid was playing for six NBA teams between 1989 and 2001, scoring 5,680 points and grabbing 3,381 rebounds.

Through it all they remained close, as Rice, now sober for 23 years, struggled with alcoholism in his 20s, eventually reconnecting with Stallings as an assistant at Vanderbilt in 2006 before getting his first head coaching job at Monmouth in 2011.

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"I know there were times when he got a little down, the opportunities weren’t coming as quickly as he wanted,’’ Reid said. "But (Monmouth athletic director) Dr. (Marilyn) McNeil saw something and gave him the opportunity, and you see he really knows this business. He knows how to build relationships with the players he gets, and they are going to come here and graduate, so he’s everything you want in a coach.’’

It’s Reid’s relationship with Rice, and his ability to see something and say something, that made him a natural pick for the Hawks’ bench, with Rice referencing an incident after Monmouth’s win at Holy Cross early in the 2016-17 season.

"He wasn’t even on the staff but he came to our game and were driving back together,’’ Rice said. "And he was like, `King, you cuss at the boys too much. Nobody wants to hear that.’ I didn’t take it personally. He wouldn’t say that if I wasn’t doing it too much, and he’s been my big brother forever. He said, 'You wouldn’t want someone to do that to you,’ and he’s right. I probably would get kicked off the team, and that really helped me with the kids. And then he came up with some stuff on the floor. He’s forgotten more ball than all of us.’’

Added Reid: "He’s had difficulties in his life and he understands now to see things from both sides.’’

Tough team to beat

After Reid was hired on Aug 27, 2018, Monmouth preceded to lose its first 12 games that season, finally getting the first win of the season on New Year’s Eve against Penn at the Palestra.

"Coach was like `are you sure you want to do this? You had better games sitting at home last year,’ ‘’ Reid said. "But no, starting that way just makes the end of last season that much sweeter.’’

Come last March, Monmouth won three straight games at the MAAC Tournament before falling against Iona in the final, nearly ending an NCAA Tournament drought that dates back to 2006. Senior center Diago Quinn averaged 9.3 points and 5.9 rebounds, both career bests.

Now they’re tied for the lead in a wide-open league coming off Saturday night’s win at Manhattan. And Reid’s ability to help the staff get the most out of forwards Mustapha Traore and Nikkei Rutty, and center Sam Ibiezugbe might just hold the key for the guard-driven Hawks.

"He’s better this year than last year as he’s gotten more comfortable,’’ Rice said. "He doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. He doesn’t want to step on my toes, he don’t want to step on (assistant coach) Ricky (Callahan’s) toes, he don’t want to step on (assistant coach Jamal) Meeks’ toes because we’ve all been doing it. So he’s kind of easing his way in, where we’re trying to nudge him to show his expertise.’’

Now, after playing in seven NCAA Tournament games together at North Carolina, including a loss to Arizona in the 1988 West Regional Final, they’re looking to coach together in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

"Seeing how this team started last year and how we fought back and got to where we were at the end of the season  I was very excited for this season,’’ Reid said. "I know what we can do when they buy in. When we play together as one unit we’re pretty tough. We have guys who can shoot and pass the ball and defend, and we get all those together and they’re really listening to coach Rice we’re a tough team to beat.’’

And with each passing week, that looks increasingly like it's the case. 

Stephen Edelson is a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey sports columnist who has been covering athletics in the state and at the Jersey Shore for nearly 35 years. He’s passionate about the area’s rich sports history, and the history being made today. Contact him at: @SteveEdelsonAPP; sedelson@gannettnj.com.