Recruiting Report: Julian Reese (2021)

Colby Giacubeno January 4, 2019 @ 02:26 PM

Last season, there was a wave of extremely talented freshmen that hit the Baltimore high school basketball scene. Included in that group was Julian Reese. Now a 6-foot-8 sophomore, Reese is being the anchor for a New Town team that is off to a 5-1 start.   When I first saw Reese last season on junior varsity, his size and frame for his age were obvious reasons to keep an eye on him. Then I saw that he was left-handed and showed flashes of being able to put the ball on the floor in some situations. Since then, Reese has progressed in simply getting more comfortable with his body. He's becoming more controlled and continues to get stronger.   Reese told Prep Hoops that over the spring and summer with Team BBC, his shooting and speed were two areas of his game that he focused on most. Both are still a work in progress, but his ability to knock down the occasional 15-18 footer demands the defense's respect.   His overall aggressiveness has been his most improved aspect in my opinion. When I last saw Reese play in a win over Randallstown, he was flat-out dominant on the glass. Both offensively and defensively. Still, Reese is only six games in at playing at the varsity level, so there are still adjustments he is making before he gets completely comfortable.   "The speed of the game is way faster," Reese continued, "every possession matters and the players play like it."   As a team, New Town is one of the top teams in Baltimore County. The conversation for the best team usually in the conference starts and ends with the Titans and Dulaney, but Reese has confidence in his team over anybody.   "The goal is to win counties and states," Reese said. "We have great chemistry because we all grew up together, so that isn't a problem. Any one we play, I got us."   Reese currently holds one offer from Stony Brook, but many low-mid major programs have began tracking his progress closely.