At What Point Does Katin Reinhardt Have To Be Shackled To The Bench?

Last year, after six games, we called for Duane Wilson to stop shooting three-pointers. He was shooting 22.2% on three point attempts at the time.

This year, after six games, we have to ask head coach Steve Wojciechowski to consider parking Katin Reinhardt on the bench and leaving him there.

Katin Reinhardt has played 136 minutes this season, an average of 22.7 minutes per game. That’s the fourth highest total and average on the team.

Katin Reinhardt has taken 58 shots, the third highest total on the team. He’s taking a shot every 2.3 minutes, the second highest frequency on the team behind Jajuan Johnson. Reinhardt is shooting 27.6%. Johnson is shooting 54.5%.

Katin Reinhardt has taken 28 three point shots, tied for the highest total on the team with Sam Hauser. Reinhardt is shooting 25% on treys. Hauser is shooting 46.4%.

At what point does Steve Wojciechowski say “no more,” and just not play him?

He’s already removed the graduate transfer from USC from the starting lineup. Reinhardt’s minutes haven’t dropped yet, though. In fact, he played 24 minutes off the bench in both games he did not start, more than he played in both of Marquette’s two losses at Madison Square Garden. Reinhardt responded to coming off the bench by going 5-for-18 (27.8%), including a 2-for-11 (18.2%) mark from long range and misses on his last seven three point attempts. Reinhardt hasn’t hit a three pointer since the 14:28 mark of the second half against IUPUI, which means, yes, he recorded misses on all six of his three point attempts against Houston Baptist.

At what point does Wojciechowski find truth in the blind quote given to NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster?

Then the Trojans lost Katin Reinhardt to Marquette. Reinhardt was a part time starter as a junior after leading the team in scoring as a sophomore. As one source close to the program put it, “he wanted to go score 25 a game somewhere.” It’s not that he didn’t want to win, per se, it’s that he wanted to win in a place where he was the star, not playing behind a kid two years his junior.

To bring it back around to Wilson, he was a sophomore last season, and his ongoing development was important to Marquette in the long term. The Golden Eagles didn’t need Wilson locked to the bench because they needed him to turn into the kind of silky smooth always in control player he’s been this year.

Reinhardt is a graduate transfer spending his final year of eligibility in Milwaukee. He’s gone after this season regardless of what happens. Not only has he been bad, Marquette doesn’t need him to develop into anything and Marquette doesn’t need him clogging up minutes that could go to someone else that does need to develop into something for next year. Or the year after, even.

Reinhardt is playing the lowest percentage of team minutes of his career, but his usage rate is the highest it’s ever been, according to KenPom.com. If you want to give him credit for having the highest rebounding rates of his career, that’s fine, but you also have to acknowledge that his assist rate is the lowest of his career. He’s committing fouls more frequently than ever in his collegiate career, and after shooting over 50% on two pointers last season for USC, he’s back below 40% inside the arc, just like he was in his first two seasons of college ball.

It’s not that he’s been objectively bad, which he has been. Katin Reinhardt’s not even playing as well as the player that Marquette thought they were getting. At some point, Wojciechowski has to say “enough is enough,” and just keep him on the bench.