Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
Four-star guard Jalen Reece is currently classified as the Prospect #59 on Rivals150 and is coming off a base season that will certainly increase his stock in the next update. Reece was among the EYBL regular season assist leaders this season, averaging 4.4 per contest and 11.3 points per game. He also led all Peach Jam steals while playing for the Florida Rebels team that posted a 9-6 record.
When it comes to recruiting, Reece recently narrowed his focus to include just seven programs and will make a few campus visits in the fall before announcing his college choice.
Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy looks ahead, cuts through the noise, and undermines the race to achieve the four-star prospect.
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THE MAIN PLAYERS: Ohio State, Cincinnati and Providence
It appears the Buckeyes, Bearcats, and Friars have a decent enough chance to land Reece, even if there isn’t enough solid information to have much confidence in the trio’s ranking in the order of most likely to win at this point.
Reece’s family has strong ties to the city of Cincinnati and his father, who also coaches him at both the high school and youth levels, has sent some former players, including the Class of 2023 four-star EdgerrinJames Jr.for Wes Miller‘s Bearcats. Reece is already extremely comfortable with Miller and the Cincinnati campus, which will also play an important role.
Meanwhile, Reece logged calls Ohio State his “dream school” and seems intrigued by the head coach Jake Diebler. He has been on campus in the past and seems positively influenced by the current Ohio State guard Bruce Thorntonwith whom Reece has a relationship that dates back to when they played together and against each other on the AAU circuit.
Providence is in play in part because of Reece’s strong relationship with the head coach Kim English and the fact that your teammate Jamier Jones has already committed to the Friars. He has not yet arrived on campus for an official visit, so the Friars should be seen third until an official visit actually takes place. There is emerging confidence that a date will be set for the fall.
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PREPARED TO MAKE A PUSH: LSU
Reece’s scheduled visit for September 21 LSU It could be a crucial moment in his recruitment because it seems possible he could put the Tigers in the lead group if everything goes particularly well.
For now, though, LSU appears to be taking a step or two forward. Reece has been to the campus in Baton Rouge once in the past, so it’s worth monitoring the return trip closely.
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THE SO SLIGHT POSSIBILITY: USF
Reece and his family have built a great relationship with USF head coach Amir Abdur Rahim, but modern recruitment goes far beyond personal relationships. Not only will Abdur-Rahim probably be tied to other jobs in the offseason if he can put together a second consecutive 20-win season at a school that has won 20 or more games just four times since 1990.
There is also some concern that the Bulls won’t be able to match up against many of the other programs on Reece’s list from an NIL resource standpoint. Relationships are still important, however, and the one between Reece and Abdur-Rahim is strong enough to keep the Bulls alive on the periphery of the conversation.
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THE WINDOW: Penn State and Dayton
The Nittany Lions and Flyers feel less likely to land Reece. Each program seems to realize it has a lot of ground to cover and has created other options at the point guard position.
Stranger things have happened in recruiting, obviously, but both programs have significant work to do if they want to be seriously considered on decision day.
