Prospect Watch: Tyrus Reddin (2020)
Class of 2020 point guard Tyrus Reddin of Cape Girardeau Central is usually the smallest player on the court, but more often that not, he manages to make the biggest impact on a game.
Reddin checks in about 5-feet-8 inches tall, but that is the only thing that is small about him when it comes to basketball. His combination of speed, athleticism and toughness make him one of top players in the Southeast part of the state.
“I know I have to play tough because I’m little,” Reddin said. “I try to use my speed to my advantage at all times.”
Not only is Reddin fast and quick, but he is a dynamic athletic who has the ability to finish at the rim. He has the ability to drop defenders off with a quick burst, then he is at the rim putting a finger roll over the top of a surprised defender.
“It’s exciting for me because people don’t think I’m capable of doing stuff like that because of my size,” he said. “I like attacking the basket or hitting the pull up jumper when my man backs off.”
As a sophomore, Reddin was the linchpin of a Cape Girardeau team that won 20 games and nearly derailed perennial power Sikeston’s run to the Final Four of the Class 4 state tournament. The Tigers lost to Sikeston by one point in the district championship game and had the ball on the last possession of the game with a chance to win.
“We came so close to winning that game,” Reddin said. “Sikeston has beaten us three years in a row, so that motivates us a lot. We want to win that district championship real bad.”
Reddin is back to lead a small, yet talented Cape Central team that is determined to take that next step and advance in the state playoffs. During the summer, he put in a lot of work on improving his 3-point shooting to add another aspect to his offensive game.
“I’ve been working on the 3-ball a lot,” he said. “I know people are playing off me a little bit because I’m quick, so I want to add that to my game.”