Jamille Reynolds basketball tunnel shoot
Stephen Galvin/South Florida Athletics

Jamille Reynolds, the Gentle Giant

If he falls in love with the process and with the gym, then the sky’s the limit for Jamille Reynolds

March 05, 2025

Joey Johnston Joey Johnston Athletics Senior Writer
There was a time when USF men's basketball senior center Jamille Reynolds didn't like being the biggest person in the room. Other students stared at him. He felt self-conscious and dreamed of blending in, almost unnoticed, although he knew that would never happen.
 
And now?
 
"I don't mind the attention being on me,'' said Reynolds, a 6-foot-11, 275-pound product of St. Petersburg's Lakewood High School. "I see it as a blessing. Basketball can help me in my life, and it can help me take care of my family. It can help me go places.''
 
But before the possibility of traveling the world in search of his ultimate goal — making the NBA — Reynolds is grateful that basketball got him back home for one last rewarding season of college hoops.
 
Reynolds, who played at UCF, Temple, and Cincinnati, has assumed a prominent and valuable role for the Bulls (13-17, 6-11 American Athletic Conference), who complete their regular season on Friday night with a nationally televised road test against the No. 16-ranked Memphis Tigers (25-5, 15-2).
 
He's averaging a team-leading 12.9 points and 7.7 rebounds while playing 27 games (starting 23) with eight double-doubles in his most productive college season. He has displayed a versatile skill set, excellent passing, a soaring IQ for the game, a feathery-soft touch around the basket, and the expected brute force when needed.
 
"Jamille is definitely a large human, but I believe he's comfortable in his own skin,'' Bulls interim head coach Ben Fletcher said. "He has played such a dominant role for our team, and that's not something he was asked to do at his other schools. He has shown the ability to be a dominant big man in this league. But there's still room for lots of growth, and he knows that. We continue to emphasize to him that he can help shape the direction of his future by the effort he puts forth.''
 
Earlier this season, after a practice, Fletcher and his staff presented Reynolds with a mock multi-million-dollar check from the NBA. Before handing it over, the coaches asked a pointed question, "How hard did you go today?'' Reynolds, brutally honest, replied, "about 85 percent.'' The check was ripped up.
 
Not good enough.
 
It made an impression.
 
"It's on me,'' Reynolds said. "I know that. Nobody is going to give me anything. I have a chance to make a living by playing the game I love. I've had some big games this season, but I'm not going to be satisfied until I'm doing that every single night.''
 
That's music to the ears of his USF coaches and teammates. There's an obvious affection for Reynolds, whose occasional high-school nickname of "Meal Ticket'' was derived from the first-name pronunciation of Jah-Meal. He now answers to "Milly.''
 
"The fact is Jamille could very well be the most talented player in our league,'' said USF men's basketball director of player development Marreese Speights, a St. Petersburg native who became an NCAA champion with the Florida Gators (2007), a first-round draft pick and an NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors (2015) during a 10-season professional career. "My biggest thing with him is getting him to fall in love with the work you need at the highest levels of basketball. If he falls in love with the process and falls in love with the gym, then the sky's the limit for him.''
Jamille Reynolds vs Florida 11-4 
Before addressing his professional future, though, Reynolds wants to help USF make a run in the AAC Tournament. If Reynolds brings his dominant A-game, teammates believe the Bulls will have a difference-making X-factor.
 
"We're going to keep reminding him to go hard because he's that important for us,'' guard Kasen Jennings said. "He brings a level of physicality inside that we didn't even have last year. People might not notice how unselfish he is and how much of a willing passer he is. He can go for 20 (points) basically at any given point that he wants. So, he's a weapon, a big weapon.''
 
Swingman Brandon Stroud, USF's vocal live wire, constantly refers to Reynolds as "Raekwon,'' the player's middle name, as a way to get his attention.
 
"He's very patient, but there are times when I feel he's too patient,'' Stroud said. "At his best, Raekwon is dominant. I tell him, 'When you get the ball down low like that, don't pass it back. Dunk it! Lay it in! You've got that big body.'
 
"He's got a 40 (inch vertical jump), so when he's in his best shape, he can't be stopped. I get on him all the time and stay on him. He's probably tired of hearing my voice. But I know when he's at his best, he's a pro, he's a guy who can get his family out (and into a better financial situation).''
 
Reynolds said he's motivated to play for his grandmother, Joyce Grant, and his mother, Christy Pompey. Both women have delighted in this season and their ability to see Reynolds play without rigorous travel plans.
 
"They think I'm some kind of celebrity,'' Reynolds said, smiling.
 
When Reynolds looked to stage his homecoming, he connected with USF assistant coach William Small, who had recruited him back in 2019 as an Iowa State assistant. It was a natural fit for the Bulls, who lacked a post presence during last season's AAC regular-season championship run.
 
"Jamille is really a big teddy bear,'' Small said. "He's a nice, likable guy, but he knows he needs to keep getting meaner on the court. When he leaves USF (for the professional ranks), the people he'll be playing against are playing to feed their families. They aren't playing to have fun. They're looking to take somebody's spot. More and more, Jamille is developing the mentality you need to be successful in that world.''
 
"I think Jamille has come a long way from when we first got him to right now,'' Fletcher said. "He's extremely skilled. But what we need from him the most is dominance, just demanding the ball and taking over the game with his physicality. He's getting there.''
 
When you're the Big Fella, the right mentality is everything. Reynolds has a good handle on his potential. Now, he's working to maximize it.
 
"If I can get a little better and help my team win, that's a good day for me,'' Reynolds said. "What I've learned is the work never really stops. If I keep working, I think good things will happen.''
 
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About USF Men's Basketball
The University of South Florida men's basketball, led by interim head coach Ben Fletcher, is a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls enter their 2024-25 campaign, presented by Tampa General Hospital, on the heels of their best season in program history, in which they claimed their first-ever regular season conference title, won a record 25 games, and earned a Top 25 ranking for the first time in program history. A presence on the college basketball scene for more than five decades, South Florida has earned two conference titles and three NCAA tournament bids (1990, 1992, and 2012), appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational. 
 
South Florida is wearing patches with the initials AAR this season in memory of their head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, who passed away in October 2024.
 
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center, located on South Florida's Tampa campus. 
 
– #GoBulls –
 
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