J-Mychal Reese is ready for a big summer
Words. Jason Jordan
A few years ago, J-Mychal Reese might’ve been best-known as the smiling kid on the NBA Junior Hoops commercial who Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash jokingly said he named his dog after because Reese was so good.
Today, Reese, a 6-foot sophomore at Bryan (Texas) High School, is known as one of the top prep point guards in the country. That’s why it’s interesting that he doesn’t even start at the point on his own AAU team, Houston Hoops. That onus falls on Second Baptist (Houston) star L.J. Rose.
It’s not a knock to Reese, he just happens to double as one of the top combo guards in the country with an exceptional ability to score from all over the court.
“I’m confident in my abilities,” said Reese. “I’m just ready to get things going this AAU season. I’m ready to have a big summer.”
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HighSchoolHoop: So how did you finish your high school season?
J-Mychal Reese: We lost in the third round of the playoffs and just missed a chance to go to regionals. We finished 28-7 so that’s pretty good considering it’s 5A in Texas, which is competitive.
HSH: What did you average?
JR: I averaged 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
HSH: You and L.J. Rose, that’s a crucial backcourt for Houston Hoops.
JR: Yeah, me and L.J. have been playing together forever. We know each other really well. I can definitely say that we have that chemistry on the court that not a lot of people have.
HSH: How is it playing with another talented point guard like L.J.?
JR: It’s great! I’m more of a scorer so it’s easier to get open looks because someone else is penetrating and looking for you instead of you trying to create and get your own shot.
HSH: Is that the basic difference of your role on this team?
JR: Yeah, pretty much. We’ve got a lot of scorers on our team. We work on penetrating and kicking out a lot. Everyone’s got a different role when they get to AAU because they go from being the man on their team to being part of something bigger in AAU.
HSH: Is it hard not to take as many shots as you normally would?
JR: No, because we all really like to play with each other. We’ve been playing together since the third grade so no one really tries to do too much.
HSH: Hit me with your college list.
JR: I have schools that I talk to and coaches come to watch me play in practice. So it’s Baylor, Texas, Memphis, Kansas, Illinois, Villanova… I’m really open to everyone at this point.
HSH: Are there any schools you’d like to see pick up their interest a little more?
JR: I really like North Carolina. I’m a big Michael Jordan fan.
HSH: Have they shown any interest in you to this point?
JR: One of the assistants came to one of my practices to watch me. They’re interested in me, but I don’t know how heavy they’re on me.
HSH: You know the new fad seems to be seeing who can hold out to be the last to announce his decision.
JR: Yeah.
HSH: You want in on that?
JR: Oh no. I’ll decide as soon as I find the right school. But the main thing is I need to go on some visits. I need to sit down with some coaching staffs and see what they’re talking about and things like that. I was supposed to go to a few Kansas games this year, but I just didn’t have time.
HSH: What’s the biggest factor in your decision?
JR: I’d like to play right away and make an impact on a team. I want to play for a really good coach who has good players coming to the school every year too.
HSH: Do you want to run the point or do you want to be more of a combo guard?
JR: To be honest, I like doing both. But I’ll do whatever my team needs me to do. I don’t know how much taller I’m gonna get so I’ll probably have to run the point later on. For now, I’m just ready to do anything I can. All I want to do is continue to get better.
Got a burning question for Jason? Email him: JasonJ@DimeMag.com
