Jalen Reed, 2022 four-star, commits to Florida

Jalen Reed, a 6-foot-10 power forward out of Jackson (Miss.) Southern California Academy has committed to Florida basketball for the class of 2022, he tells On3.

Reed is the Gators’ third commitment of the class. He joins Malik Reneau and Denzel Aberdeen.

Reed chose the Florida Gators over Ole Miss, Arizona State, Maryland, and Oklahoma.

Jalen Reed on why he chose Florida

“I feel like it was the right situation for me,” Reed said. “Florida is a place where I can develop and the coaches really believe in me. I feel like Mike White is going to push me on the court and also help me become a better person off the court. Along with all the assistants…everyone seems to really want to see me do well on and off the court. I feel like it’s a lifetime deal. I feel like even after hoops, I’ll still be able to call them and just talk about everyday life things.”

Reed continued by saying, “I really like their play style. The location is also good, it’s not too far from home. Even though the location was never really a big deal, but it’s cool that my parents will be able to come see me every once in a while.”

Jalen’s father, Justin Reed, is a former Ole Miss All-American and also won SEC Player of the Year in 2001. “Growing up, my dad used to say I would always go to Ole Miss, but I wanted to create my own legacy,” Reed said.

How will Reed fit in at Florida?

“It’s more of a five-out offense so I feel like I would be able to showcase my playmaking and then also in terms of fitting in… I feel like they’ll use my size to their advantage,” Reed said. “I feel I’m a big mismatch issue so they’ll definitely utilize that.”

What does Reed expect his role to be as a freshman?

“I feel like I can have a big immediate impact,” Reed said. “I feel like I can come in from day one and really play a lot of minutes.”

How does Reed decribe his game?

“I feel like I’m a 6-foot-10 guard,” Reed said. “I dribble the ball really well, pass well…I can stretch the floor. I move well for my size. Just very versatile.”

Which aspects of Reed’s game are college ready and which aspects does he need to improve?

“I definitely feel like me getting to the basket is college-level already and making good decisions off the bounce,” Reed said. “Things I want to work on…like shooting. I wouldn’t say it’s a really bad weakness but I just want to continue to sharpen it.”

How did NIL impact his decision?

“I tried to not make NIL a big deal in terms of my decision,” Reed said. “I feel like if I make the right decision, and eventually make it to the league…and if I get there, I’ll touch a lot more money than I would be focusing on NIL right now. I didn’t really let that affect my decision too much.”