WORCESTER, Mass. — The NEPSAC Girls Scholastic Showcase was our first chance to see Reese Jeamel, arguably the biggest breakout star from New England this grassroots season, make her prep debut with MacDuffie.
Jeamel (Coventry, Conn.) has been a highly-touted name in Connecticut for some time after helping Coventry to two CIAC championships. But she has vaulted onto the national radar in the last two months. The 6-foot-1 wing, who reclassified to 2029 when transferring, has racked up 10 Div. 1 scholarship offers since April (she had two before then) while playing on the club circuit with iBelieve Elite. Those schools: Florida, Arizona State, Providence, Indiana, Villanova, Arizona, SMU, Harvard, Penn State and Georgetown.
With special leaping athleticism, long arms and a go-to mid-range jumper, Jeamel is quickly separating herself as an elite prospect. But the suddenness of her rise means that to many, including myself, she's still somewhat of an unknown.
So at the Scholastic Showcase, I sat down with Jeamel to learn a little bit about her background, how the last two months have been, and more.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
SCHOLASTIC SHOWCASE STANDOUTS: 2027 guards | 2027 forwards | 2028 | 2029 & 2030
In the last two months, what's been the craziest basketball day for you?
Jeamel: "I think the craziest day was the Monday coming back from Atlantic City. I was training with (Kahari Beaufort) and he's like, 'Reese, you gotta get on this call. Reese, you gotta get on this call.' Just a lot of calls coming in, talking to different schools, coaches, all that, so I think that was honestly one of the craziest days. And then that Friday we played in Atlantic City — playing really good in front of Duke and all those coaches, which is just surreal."
What was your confidence level like talking to college coaches?
Jeamel: "It was definitely nerve-wracking, but the more calls I did, the easier it seemed, the better I was talking, the better I was just doing everything. Just the more calls I had, the better it went."
What do you think you've done in your games this spring that's led to such a breakout?
Jeamel: "I think just work with (Beaufort) constantly, and I think just getting to my spots. When people are physically stronger than me, I just kind of get to my mid-range (and) elevate above everybody else. I feel like that's my biggest thing that I'm good at, and just learning how to get to my spots, learning how to do my moves (and) stuff like that."
How did you get into basketball?
Jeamel: "Well, my dad coached me growing up, so fifth through eighth grade he was my coach, just getting my fundamentals, (and) working up. But then my brother played when I was younger and he was younger, (so I) just saw him in the driveway and that kind of just got me liking the sport. And then I guess just the more I grew up, with my dad coaching me, (I) kind of just loved it."
When did you realize you were an especially good player?
Jeamel: "I think December of this year, when I was with (Beaufort), and he kind of harped on, like, 'You've gotta believe how good you are.' And then obviously I did pretty good in the high school season — won the state championship, was the leading scorer for my team — so I kind of just really showed, oh, I can play at this level. I'm a good player. But honestly, most of the confidence came from him, and him believing in me."
Who do you watch the most to pick up things on their game?
Jeamel: "One hundred percent, Paige Bueckers. I feel like that's where I get my mid-range, my confident one-dribble pull-up, I feel like I watch from her. I live five minutes from UConn, so I go to UConn games a lot, so I feel like definitely from her."
What would you say are the primary strengths of your game right now?
Jeamel: "I think my athletic ability. I feel like at my age and as a girl, I'm able to jump above most girls with my length and my height and stuff. But then also my mid-range, just getting to that pull-up, finding my spot, elevating above my defenders, which I feel each side, I'm really good at. So I feel like even if my 3 is not hitting, or I'm getting banged around down low, that's something I can always settle with —just always make that."
What are the primary areas you're working to improve?
Jeamel: "Definitely my strength, putting on weight, stuff like that. The biggest thing for why I (reclassified) was to get that extra year of strength (and) physicality, because most girls in here are reclass, and in AAU, most of them are reclass, so the older they are, obviously the stronger they're gonna be. So I feel like that's my one disadvantage right now, just my strength, so that's what I'm really working on this summer."
What do you want to prove first in NEPSAC now that you're here?
Jeamel: "Obviously MacDuffie didn't have a great season last year, but we're all here just to prove that MacDuffie can play, and we're all great players, and that we deserve to be here."
