Willhite leads with work ethic and clutch play

One week ago, Yale senior guard/forward and captain Reggie Willhite stepped up to the free throw line with 1:27 remaining in a 53-53 game against Ivy rival Penn. Willhite missed the free throw, and Penn quickly got the ball to its best player, senior guard Zack Rosen, so he could set up the offense.

But Willhite had other plans. He stripped Rosen of the ball and ran down the court, and although he missed the lay-up, a teammate put in the rebound for what turned out to be the winning basket.

“When we’re playing in those close games and high-pressure situations, and not a lot is going right for us, I feel like it’s kind of my job as a leader to try and make something go right,” Willhite said. “Whether that’s getting a timely steal, or a timely rebound, or making a good offensive play and getting a basket when we need one ... that’s what I try to make happen.”

Recruited for his athleticism, Willhite has far exceeded expectations.

“He’s just been able to gradually get better at everything,” Yale head coach James Jones said. “He’s been given more opportunities over the years and he’s seized it. And he works really hard at becoming the best he can be.”

His development along with that of senior center Greg Mangano has pushed Yale into conference-title contention. The lone first-place vote in the coach’s Ivy preseason poll that was not given to Harvard was given to Yale, and so far, the Bulldogs have played up to expectations. The Bulldogs are 15-5 and second in the conference, sporting just one Ivy loss that came against No. 23 Harvard. Willhite’s role in the frontcourt has been a significant factor leading to this success.

“I just know that he’s not necessarily someone you think about when you think of Yale, but he kind of makes them go,” Columbia head coach Kyle Smith said of Willhite. “He doesn’t take nights off.”

Willhite characterizes his game on the defensive end as centered on discipline and work ethic.

“I’m a firm believer in the philosophy that defense is all about effort,” Willhite said. “As long as you’re willing to put in the effort and really get into your man and not take a break even for a second on the defensive end, you’ll tend to be pretty successful.”

According to Jones, Willhite’s effort on the court has made him a role model for all his teammates.

“He leads by example,” Jones said. “He’s kind of put us on his back in a couple of games and won a couple of games for Yale late game by just making plays and not surrendering and not letting us lose.”

Jones said that Willhite would likely cover Lions’ freshman forward Alex Rosenberg to begin Saturday night’s game, but it’s possible Willhite will switch to cover junior guard Brian Barbour, the Lions’ leading scorer who averages 18.5 points per game.

Willhite recently has been able to come through for his team against the opposition’s best guards. Dartmouth junior guard R.J. Griffin averages 8.5 points per game, but two weeks ago at Yale, he mustered only one. Penn’s top three scorers are all guards, and on Friday against Yale, the three combined scored almost 18 points less than their season average. Similarly, against Princeton the following night, senior guard Douglas Davis, who averages 13.3 points per game, only scored six, while Willhite exploded for 20 points and nine rebounds.

Smith characterized Willhite as “very hard-nosed, probably the best perimeter defender in the league.”

Columbia’s guards, especially Barbour, will need one of their best nights on the offensive end to overcome Willhite’s stifling defense.