‘It means everything to me.’ Columbia native James Reese puts on show in USC debut
When James Reese stepped out on the Colonial Life Arena court Thursday night, he took a moment for himself, away from his South Carolina teammates, closed his eyes and breathed in the atmosphere.
The last time Reese played at the Gamecocks’ home court was as a high-schooler in 2016, when the Columbia native helped lead A.C. Flora to a state title. In the time since, the 6-foot-4 guard has bounced around from Buffalo to Odessa College to North Texas, just waiting for an opportunity to come home.
That moment arrived for the graduate transfer on Thursday, in South Carolina’s 101-76 exhibition win over Benedict. For the first time, Reese had the opportunity to represent his hometown while wearing his No. 0 Gamecocks jersey. The stands were filled with friends and family, and the building was buzzing with energy, rocking with the music from the lively Benedict band and the new USC official team DJ.
But no performance was more electrifying than Reese’s. He was the most dominant player on the court from beginning to end, awakening the crowd early in the first half with an explosive put-back slam and bringing fans to their feet with a perfectly executed alley-oop. He finished the evening with a game-high 21 points.
“It felt real good,” Reese said. “Seeing all my friends and family in the stands, playing against some of the guys on Benedict that I’ve known since I was in high school, everything was great about it.
“It’s what I imagined: the crowd, just putting on the jersey from my hometown, it means everything to me.”
Coming off a trying 6-15 season during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, head coach Frank Martin retooled his roster this offseason, bringing in six transfers and three freshmen. All of the new additions saw playing time Thursday night to varying degrees of success, but Reese was a clear and obvious standout.
He made nine of his 11 field goal attempts, sinking three of four 3-point looks and rounding out the stat sheet with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Even Benedict head coach Artis Maddox took notice.
“No. 0, Reese, man, I knew he was good ... but it’s different seeing him in person,” Maddox said after the game. “He’s a heck of a player, big guard, strong. He can really shoot. He can handle it and is always under control.”
With so many new pieces at Martin’s disposal, it’s unclear how exactly they’ll all mesh together and what the starting lineup could look like when the regular season tips off Tuesday against USC Upstate. But Martin has consistently praised Reese and fellow veteran transfer guard Erik Stevenson for their leadership, work ethic and shot-making ability throughout the fall.
While Reese led the way Thursday, Stevenson was closely behind him, making four of 11 3-point attempts and finishing second on the Gamecocks with 14 points. Both players helped push the tempo in a fast-paced, aggressive game.
“They understand what we do better than everyone on our team, and they’ve been on campus for three and a half months,” Martin said. “They’re big-time dudes, and they’re competitive. They care. They’re in the gym every day in the morning, every night shooting balls, and they’ve brought an excitement for all of us to be around.”
Reese was the main driver of the excitement on Thursday, showcasing pinpoint shooting and what Martin called “elite” on-ball defense. All week long, Reese received texts and calls from local friends and loved ones, telling him to “go crazy” in his Gamecock debut, and he’d remind them that he’s playing a team sport.
But Reese also made sure to take the time to soak in all of the little moments, from closing his eyes before the game, to pumping both fists and screaming in primal fashion after making an early 3-pointer. Not long after the contest, he took to Twitter to express his gratitude.
“My dream came true today!!!!” Reese shared on Twitter. “Thank you GOD.”
USC men’s basketball game season opener
Who: South Carolina vs USC Upstate
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia
Watch: Streaming on SEC Network Plus
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
