Chaparral product Jarmica Reese is flying high at Air Force

Steve Carp

Friday, Jan. 9, 1998 | 1:07 a.m.

Jarmica Reese always knew where he wanted to go. He also knew which road would get him there the quickest.

The former Chaparral star has lived his dream of playing college basketball and his potential has been reached, as the 6-foot-3 senior continues writing his way into the Air Force Academy record books.

He is playing the game at its highest level, and successfully at that. He refused to take any shortcuts on the road to success, working hard and leading by example to make his mark with the Falcons.

"It worked out well for me," Reese said of his experience. "Coming to the Academy made me an all-around person and it has given me confidence and leadership skills to succeed, both in basketball as well as academics."

Even though he has scaled lofty heights, the Las Vegas native has managed to keep his feet firmly on the ground. Success has not gone to his head. When he serves Uncle Sam over the next five years as part of his commitment to the Air Force, it will be in an office rather than a cockpit.

Next year, he will teach and coach at the Academy's prep school in Colorado Springs. After that, it's four years of purchasing items for the Air Force in contracting and acquisitions.

"I tried a flying program, but it didn't work out," he said with a laugh when asked if his future including being airborne.

Instead, his altitude is about 39 inches or so as he elevates to knock down another jump shot for the Falcons, who are in town Saturday to face 7-5 UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Reese, who scored 22 points in a 59-51 victory over Wofford Wednesday, has been among the WAC scoring leaders all season with a 22.3 average. He already is among the school's top-10 career scoring leaders.

He's also going to finish as one of the Academy's top long distance marksmen. Reese is shooting 56 percent from 3-point range this year and has steadily improved his outside shooting during his four years playing for Reggie Minton.

"Right now, I'm confident in my ability," Reese said. "My teammates are looking to get me the ball where I can do something with it."

The fact Reese isn't the Falcons' sole weapon has helped. Center Mike Freeman is averaging nearly 13 points and with 6-6 Miguel Garcia handling the point guard chores, Reese has been able to concentrate on scoring.

"We needed someone else to take the ball out of his hands and have someone who can take some of the responsibility off Jarmica," Minton said. "He and Mike mirror each other and with Garcia, it allows Jay to slide over and it makes it easier for Jay to do his thing."

And Reese's thing hasn't been just scoring. The Falcons have plenty of people to do that as they're averaging 81.2 points. Reese has provided the senior leadership for this team and his entire game has developed.

"When I first met him, he was a shy guy who we thought had the potential to bloom into a special player and person," Minton said, recalling the days he recruited Reese out of Chaparral, where he was an all-state point guard on a team that included former Rebels Damian Smith and Wes Reed. "He looked gangly. He definitely had some more growth in him.

"But I liked his up-and-down. Plus he was a bright young man, and that's the first thing you look for because of what the Academy requires to get in."

Four years later, he's stronger, quicker and he's certainly more experienced. Especially after receiving a tryout with the United States 22-and-under team last May that allowed him to showcase his talents with many of the nation's best players.

He didn't make the team. But it did wonders for his confidence and gave him even more of a reason to work hard over the summer.

That meant coming home to Las Vegas, playing ball with the likes of TCU's Prince Fowler and Drake's Rashaad Thomas as well as lifting weights and talking to his friend Smith, about what it took to realize his potential.

"It came down to the basics," Reese said. "I would play over at the Dula and Doolittle Center and the Community College with Prince and Rashaad and just worked out."

Reese said Smith gave him some simple, but sound basketball advice.

"Damian told me to keep my shot up and my dribble down," Reese said. And if that sounds like a metaphor for life, it probably is. Reese has not been as excited about his individual accomplishments as he has been concerned over some of the Falcons' early-season defeats.

"It could be better," he said. "A couple of games we lost, we could've pulled each of them out.

"Against Bucknell, we had some communication problems. Against Texas-Arlington, we saw something we weren't prepared for, their defensive denial. And San Diego State, we fell behind by 20. And you can't spot a team in the WAC 20 points and expect to win."

It has been awhile since Air Force had a winning record. You have to go back 20 years, 1977-78, when the Falcons won more than they lost. That team went 15-10. And the last time Air Force won 10 games was in 1991, when it went 10-19.

With a 7-4 record going into Saturday's game with UNLV, it appears the Falcons may not only crack the double-digit win barrier, but perhaps even post a winning record. Or at least enough wins to get Reese another trip home come March, when the Thomas & Mack hosts the WAC tournament.

"We haven't proven anything quite yet," Reese said of the team's good start, knowing the toughest challenges lay ahead with WAC play about to begin.

As for his homecoming Saturday, Reese is trying to approach it more from a business perspective.

"Last year, I put a lot of pressure on myself to play well," said Reese, who had 18 points and seven rebounds in an 87-72 loss to the Rebels. "This year, I'm just coming to play the way I play and let the cards lay.

"I'm going to make sure I get my rest and come ready to win."

JARMICA REESE FAST FACTS

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 195 pounds

Scoring average: 23 points

High School: Chaparral

archive