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Katin Reinhardt was already a household name before the Division I state championship game. The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei High guard, who signed with UNLV, is ranked as the 45th best player in Rivals' 150, making him a marked man for most of the season.
Despite all the hype surrounding Reinhardt's game, he still managed to put on a championship performance that will be remembered for years to come, after the guard went off for 30 points and knocked down six three-pointers ... all while wearing a cast on his shooting hand.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, Reinhardt wasn't even sure he was going to play after suffering a "slight fracture" to the thumb on his shooting hand. But after receiving a second opinion, the Mater Dei guard decided to put a cast on and play.
"I just came out knowing my last few days of practice, I've been shooting real well," Reinhardt told the Los Angeles Times. "It was about battling back and figuring a way how to contribute and shoot the ball with a cast on my hand. It was hard, but I finally found the rhythm."
The gamble certainly paid off, as Mater Dei took down Sacramento Sheldon (California) High to win their ninth state title for head coach Gary McKnight. Reinhardt's performance was certainly a big reason why Mater Dei was able to coast to the win.
His six three-pointers were a Division I championship record that was made even more impressive by the fact that Reinhardt not only had to deal with defenders ripping at his injured thumb, but finding a way to catch and shoot from outside with a cast on his shooting hand.
As the Los Angeles Times pointed out, Reinhardt's 30-point performance was still shy of Tracy Murray's incredible 64-point performance for Glendora (California) High during the Division II final in 1989. But considering Murray didn't have to play with a cast, you'd have to think Reinhardt's performance ranks right up there as one of the best in California High basketball history.
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Despite all the hype surrounding Reinhardt's game, he still managed to put on a championship performance that will be remembered for years to come, after the guard went off for 30 points and knocked down six three-pointers ... all while wearing a cast on his shooting hand.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, Reinhardt wasn't even sure he was going to play after suffering a "slight fracture" to the thumb on his shooting hand. But after receiving a second opinion, the Mater Dei guard decided to put a cast on and play.
"I just came out knowing my last few days of practice, I've been shooting real well," Reinhardt told the Los Angeles Times. "It was about battling back and figuring a way how to contribute and shoot the ball with a cast on my hand. It was hard, but I finally found the rhythm."
The gamble certainly paid off, as Mater Dei took down Sacramento Sheldon (California) High to win their ninth state title for head coach Gary McKnight. Reinhardt's performance was certainly a big reason why Mater Dei was able to coast to the win.
His six three-pointers were a Division I championship record that was made even more impressive by the fact that Reinhardt not only had to deal with defenders ripping at his injured thumb, but finding a way to catch and shoot from outside with a cast on his shooting hand.
As the Los Angeles Times pointed out, Reinhardt's 30-point performance was still shy of Tracy Murray's incredible 64-point performance for Glendora (California) High during the Division II final in 1989. But considering Murray didn't have to play with a cast, you'd have to think Reinhardt's performance ranks right up there as one of the best in California High basketball history.
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.