Hard Work Has Paid Off for Tustin’s Reider : Division II-AA: Senior is a key part of Tillers’ success. But it took hours of practice to crack the starting lineup.

By now, Tustin High School basketball Coach Tom McCluskey’s scouting reports have become all too familiar to center Brian Reider.

“Every team we’ve played is either the biggest, tallest, quickest or best we’ve played all season according to Coach McCluskey,” Reider said. “Every player is at least two inches taller on paper than he actually is in the game. It never fails.”

McCluskey’s lastest report on J.W. North of Riverside, Tustin’s opponent in the Southern Section Division II-AA championship today, is consistent with his playoff hype.

“Coach says they’re the best team we’ll play this season,” Reider said. “I believe him this time.”

Riverside North (24-3) is top-seeded in the 32-team division, and when last seen in the county, was manhandling Mater Dei in the Trabuco Hills Tournament.

McCluskey has several videotapes of Riverside North’s big, physical and talented team, but he won’t show them to his team. The ploy has become known as McCluskey’s “Totally Hidden Videos” among the players.

“He never shows us tapes of other teams,” Reider said. “I guess he knows we’ll figure out his game if we see the tapes. But he’s the reason we’re successful.

“We’re a well-coached team. You look at our team and we don’t have a great player. (Guard) David (Beilstein) is good, but the reason we win is because of Coach McCluskey. He’s taught us how to play defense better than anybody and we work together as a team as well as anybody.”

But success didn’t come easily for Reider, a gangly 6-foot-7 center with shoulder-length hair. Reider was a bench warmer as a freshman, but worked all summer with lower-level coach Andy Ground to become a starter on the junior varsity team as a sophomore.

“I didn’t start playing basketball until the eighth grade, and I didn’t play at all as a freshman,” Reider said. “I practiced five days a week with Coach Ground and played every day with Thomas Clayton over the summer.

“Our JVs won the league championship, and I gained a lot of confidence. But I knew I had a lot more work ahead of me if I wanted to play varsity basketball.”

Reider learned a lesson about what it takes to play big-time basketball in Tustin’s 45-43 loss to Edison in the quarterfinals last year. Reider failed to score against Edison center Bill Martineau, now playing at UC Santa Barbara.

“He was 3 inches taller and intimidating,” Reider said.

A year later, Reider got revenge in Tustin’s 77-49 victory over Edison in the quarterfinals, scoring 14 points and getting nine rebounds. He was steady in a 71-57 victory over Muir in the semifinals, scoring seven points and getting six rebounds.

Reider scored five of his seven points in the third quarter when Tustin outscored Muir, 14-5, to overcome a 38-32 halftime deficit. Reider said his confidence grew throughout the game.

“I felt I could play with them as the game went on,” he said. “They were awfully quick and every player could jump. Coach exaggerated a little on their size, but they were the best team we’ve played so far.”

Reider scored 1,100 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test, and said he will play for a community college next season.

“My grades are OK (2.6 grade-point average), but I want to go to a JC and work on them,” Reider said. “I’ve never really applied myself in the classroom. I like history, but I like basketball better.”

Reider has played basketball for 11 months a year the past two seasons, competing in Slam ‘n’ Jam’s spring league and playing about 45 summer league games for Tustin. He said he takes a break in August.

Baseball was always Reider’s sport as a youngster. He pitched and played first base in the Tustin Little League but switched to basketball when Beilstein’s father, Paul, convinced him to play for Tustin Boys Club’s traveling team.

Reider has averaged 10.9 points and eight rebounds in Tustin’s balanced attack but is often overshadowed by Beilstein, Clayton or Jentry Moore.

Most think Tustin has the best starting five in the county, and Reider took a moment to analyze his teammates and coach:

* David Beilstein, point guard: “He’s the best point guard in the county. David is a great shooter, but he’s very unselfish. If the shot is open, he’ll take it. If I’m open underneath, he’ll get the pass to me.”

* Thomas Clayton, power forward: “He’s a man. When he wants to score, he’ll score. Nobody is going to deny him. A real stud.”

* Jentry Moore, swingman: “He’s really improved his shooting range and ballhandling. He’s made some big shots for us this year. His only problem is sometimes he tries too hard.”

* Derek Roche, off guard: “He’ll be the team’s scorer next year. You don’t notice him a lot with David on the floor, but he can really play.”

* Tab Reid, sixth man: “He’s real quiet and real strong. If he fouls you, you won’t forget it. He’s the spark off our bench.”

* Tom McCluskey, coach: “I owe him a lot. He’s taught me so much about the game and given me the confidence to play. He’s the reason we’re in the championship game.”

McCluskey, who captained Penn State’s basketball team his senior season, thinks Reider’s best playing days are still ahead of him.

“Without a doubt, Brian will be a fine junior college player,” McCluskey said. “He’s gained a lot of confidence this year. He’s learned he’s a pretty talented player. As Brian’s interest in the game has grown, so has his success.”

Reider’s hair has also grown throughout the season. He hasn’t cut his long locks since the season started, saying, “The guys on the team won’t let me cut it because it’s our good luck charm.”

Reider’s response sounds suspiciously like one of McCluskey’s scouting reports.