Julian Reese is staying at Maryland
Angel and Julian Reese could both continue their college careers in 2024/25
The Reese family has sent two supremely-talented athletes to the NCAA, specifically into the world of college basketball. Angel Reese, a star power forward at LSU, is in the midst of March Madness right now, hoping to guide the Tigers to a historic national championship — which would be their second in as many seasons. But her younger brother, Julian, has also enjoyed a solid college career at the University of Maryland, where he faced a big decision on Wednesday.
The younger Reese — affectionately known as “Juju” — had to make a choice about his NCAA career. Would he return to Maryland for one more season, or would he enter the 2024 NBA Draft? He made his answer known Wednesday — and it is good news for Terrapins fans.
Angel Reese taunts Middle Tennessee opponent at her lowest moment
Reese on Wednesday confirmed he would return to College Park for the 2024/25 season — his fourth and final season of collegiate eligibility.
The Terps get their big man back 😤
Julian Reese announced he's returning to College Park for the 2024-25 season 👏 pic.twitter.com/ywyvG8S8q8
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2024
Reese had an outstanding individual season for the Terps, starting 32 games and averaging 13.7 points to go with 9.5 rebounds, while shooting just under 55 percent from the field. However, Maryland struggled collectively and missed the NCAA Tournament after finishing with a 16-17 record (7-13 in Big Ten play).
Lets Run It Back🐢🙏🏽
pic.twitter.com/XvsEb17nDK— 🐢 (@Reese10Julian) March 27, 2024
The Reese siblings once played at Maryland together — during the 2021/22 season, before Angel transferred to LSU and came to national attention for her performances. The older Reese has one year of college eligibility left as well, as she began her NCAA career in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Juju’s decision to return to school creates an interesting scenario if Angel opts out of the 2024 WNBA Draft — both of them could be playing college basketball into 2025.
Julian Reese: "From the driveway to the park, to the gym full of fans, it's not something that's just important to my family, but basketball is where I found my family. From Baltimore to College Park, Maryland has made me who I am. It's time for one last run." pic.twitter.com/DBE4QmdsKK— Jeff Ermann (@Jeff_Ermann) March 27, 2024
For the younger Reese, a chance to raise his draft stock is all the more reason to play one more season with the Terrapins. He had been projected as a second-round pick this year, and further improvement in 2024/25 means he could be a surefire first-rounder come the 2025 NBA Draft, while his sister has routinely been projected as a top pick in the WNBA‘s draft.
