PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Connecticut forward Tarris Reed Jr. did something no other Division I men’s basketball player has done in nearly 60 years of March Madness.
The 6-foot-11 forward became the first player since Houston’s Elvin Hayes to score at least 30 points and 25 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game, finishing with career-highs of 31 points and 27 rebounds.
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“This is the best performance you’ve ever seen,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley told a group of reporters outside the Huskies’ locker room of Reid’s performance after his team’s 82-71 victory over Furman.
The second-seeded Huskies needed every point and every rebound to avoid a potential first-round upset to the 15th-seeded Paladins as UConn nearly blew an 11-point second-half lead late in the second half.
The night the Huskies got from Reed saved Hurley’s program from being added to the wrong end of March Madness history at the Wells Fargo Center. Entering the night, the No. 15 seed had upset two of the past three NCAA men’s tournaments in Philadelphia. The first occurred in 2013 when No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast defeated No. 2 seed Georgetown in the first round, while the other occurred in a Cinderella story in 2022 when No. 15 seed St. Peter’s University eliminated No. 3 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16.
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It didn’t take long for Reed to show his dominance in front of a packed Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday, even cheering for the upset at times. At halftime, he grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds and scored 19 points on 8-of-8 shooting.
“He’s a grizzly bear,” Hurley said of his forward during a televised appearance by Evan Washburn.
Reed told USA TODAY Sports in the Huskies locker room that he realized at halftime that the night he finally had might be possible.
“My mentality going into the game was really just to dominate because I knew this was my last March Madness and my days in college basketball were numbered,” Reed said of his mentality that night. “We just go out there and do the best we can.”
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He had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second half, three of which came in quick succession to help the Huskies kill time and extend the lead to 11 points on Alex Karaban’s 3-pointer with 2:06 left.
The Bears inside UConn’s defense helped the Huskies finish with a 46-26 advantage in the paint as they look to win a third national championship in the last four years. His 27 rebounds were four more than Furman’s total of 23 rebounds on the night.
His night also continued a season-long theme of him looking much more comfortable in Hurley’s system this year than he did last season, when he transferred from Michigan State and the Big Ten Conference.
“It’s no surprise to anybody,” Calaban said of his teammate’s big night.
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He added: “He opens things up (for us). Having a dominant player that draws so much attention and can double up and help us shooters get open looks. He makes our lives so much easier… He’s really been a game-changer for us.”
With UConn point guard Silas Demary Jr. still recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the Big East tournament championship game and his status for Sunday’s second-round game against seventh-seeded UCLA still up in the air, the Huskies will need Reid to be at his best again like he was on Friday night.
“He’s probably going to have to get off social media right now and focus on his game instead of swimming in dopamine,” Hurley said of Reed heading into Sunday’s second round. “And be prepared to face a stronger frontcourt, it’s going to be a tougher sled compared to UCLA and the Big Ten teams.”
Reed will be ready for anything.
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“Keeping the momentum going, the same energy I had in the first half and the second half,” Reed said.
Tarris Reed Jr.’s numbers today against Furman in the NCAA Tournament
Here’s a complete breakdown of Reed’s stats from UConn’s win over Furman on Friday:
Who is UConn’s next opponent in March Madness?
The Huskies will face No. 7 seed UCLA in the second round of the men’s NCAA tournament on Sunday at 8:45 pm ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The winner will advance to the East Sweet 16 to face the winner of third-seeded Michigan State versus sixth-seeded Louisville.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarris Reed Jr.’s statistics are otherworldly, UConn avoids March Madness loss
