Another SC native transferring home to join Gamecocks, Frank Martin
The South Carolina men’s basketball team landed another transfer with Columbia roots on Wednesday.
Former North Texas senior guard James Reese will transfer to the Gamecocks for his final season of eligibility, marking the fourth transfer to commit to Frank Martin’s team.
A former local standout at A.C. Flora, Reese announced the decision via social media on Wednesday afternoon, tweeting: “Ain’t even showed the best (of) me yet.... I’m coming home!!”
While Reese also drew interest from schools like Florida and Texas Tech, the allure of playing in Columbia again was too much to pass up.
“Man, it feels real good,” Reese told The State. “It’s something that I’ve always thought about as a kid, and for it to actually happen, it’s kind of crazy.
“But then again, I’m trying my hardest not to let myself fall too deep into it. Because at the end of the day, I’m still trying to chase a dream, and I got to keep it at that.”
Reese is the second local product the Gamecocks have added through the transfer portal, with former Cardinal Newman star Chico Carter Jr. transferring from Murray State. In recent days, Martin’s Gamecocks have also secured commitments from former Washington guard Erik Stevenson and George Mason forward A.J. Wilson, all of whom provide collegiate experience for a roster that is changing shape quickly.
Reese said he’s been in touch with all three of those others transfers and has talked most with Carter about their goals for next season with the Gamecocks.
“Oh yeah, I most definitely had talks with Chico,” Reese said. “Me and Chico played against each other in high school, so we know each other real well. With the other guys, I’ve talked to Erik. Me and A.J. connected a little bit. We talked about a little plan that we want next year — how we want things to turn around. We’ve had some good talks.”
There are more than 1,300 Division I players in the transfer portal, including five Gamecocks. South Carolina lost guards Trae Hannibal and T.J. Moss to the portal, as well as forwards Jalyn McCreary, Justin Minaya and Trey Anderson. The Gamecocks are also likely to lose leading scorer A.J. Lawson, who has tested the NBA draft waters each of the last two seasons.
A 6-foot-4, 167-pound guard, Reese has bounced around throughout his college career. As a freshman, he played for a Buffalo team that upset Arizona in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Reese then played a year in junior college at Odessa College in Texas before playing for North Texas each of the last two seasons.
Reese started all 28 games for the Mean Green this season, leading the team with 57 3-pointers and ranking second in scoring with 10.9 points per game. He shot 41.8% from the field and 34.3% beyond the arc.
As a senior at A.C. Flora, Reese averaged 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 steals a game and was the Class 4A Player of the Year. He helped Flora to win the Class 3A championship as a junior.
“They are getting a hard-nosed defender, a great guy for the locker room and a guy who can make shots,” A.C. Flora coach Joshua Staley told The State. “Most importantly, they are getting a great teammate and great person. I’m excited for him.
“I think he is a great fit for coach Martin and his system and the opportunity to to come home and play in front of his family.”
Reese said Martin kept an eye on him in high school, although the recruiting process never went anywhere. In recent conversations, Martin told Reese he possessed the kind of leadership qualities he’s looking for in his program. Coming off a 6-15 (4-11 SEC) season that was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Martin said frequently that his roster lacked the toughness with which his teams normally play.
“He was just kind of telling me, next year, he just wanted a tough guy,” Reese said. “Somebody who can score it and be a leader on the court and off the court and just bring that energy every day. Somebody who wants to be coached. ... That’s mainly what we’ve talked about — being a leader, just trying to come in and bring a winning culture.
“He said something to me about there’s only going to be two guys in the gym that’s been to NCAA tournaments and won — and that’s me and him. And that’s kind of big, so there’s a lot of responsibility that’s going to come with being there.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2021 at 4:38 PM.
