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By Mallory Mattingly
The UCONN men’s basketball team returned to the Final Four of the NCAA postseason tournament. The Huskies are led by their center, Tarris Reed, who single-handedly kept his team in the game against Duke on Sunday.
UCONN beat Duke 73-72 in the final seconds of the Elite Eight game. Reed had “26 points (10-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, four blocks — all team highs — and stout defense against Duke’s powerful front court,” per Sports Spectrum.
“It could be my last college basketball game,” Reed shared in his postgame press conference when asked what motivated him, “and [our coaches] were just like, ‘Go for it all.’ Coach told us before the game, ‘You’ve got to swing for the fences. Go as hard as you can.’”
Reed landed at UCONN after he spent two years at Michigan. While at Michigan, Reed “started 31 games for the 2023-24 Michigan team that finished 8-24, then started just one game for the 2024-25 UConn squad that was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, after starting 33 games this season and leading his team in scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounding (8.8) and blocks (2.1), he’ll finish his career in the Final Four,” Sports Spectrum reported.
Related: UCONN Basketball Star Tarris Reed Jr. is ‘Locking in’ With the Lord
In what is described as an up-and-down journey in his college career, Reed recalled the faithfulness of the Lord.
“I’m filled with gratitude just looking around, just so thankful for it all,” Reed shared on Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast. “It’s crazy how I’m at my last year, going into my last semester, and now I’m realizing, ‘Wow, look at the Lord. Look what the Lord has blessed me with.’ I wish I could have known this in my freshman year. … Be grateful for it, man, because this is it for me.”
After a game last season, Reed spoke about his endurance on the court but also in reading his Bible.
“The coaches have been on me hard, so as soon as I locked in, reading the Word, locking in with Him, spending more time with the Lord,” he said before adding, “…my confidence is higher. And I just go out and play freely, play as hard as I can and put on for my team.”
Tarris Reed Jr. was on another planet today.
24 points (10-13 fg)
18 rebounds
6 blocksALL CAREER HIGHS @UConnMBB pic.twitter.com/iOIY6FKtLk
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 1, 2025
“Jesus just wiped my eyes clean,” Reed described his relationship with the Lord on the podcast. “I got to see the world through a whole new lens. That’s really where my journey began. That’s where the seed — my whole life — just grew and it started to blossom from there.”
UConn is set to face off against Illinois on April 4.
Reed Jr. is powered by faith and perseverance as he has experienced an up-and-down journey throughout his career. On Sunday, Reed led his team to the Final Four all while giving glory to God every step of the way.
Read Next: UConn Basketball Star Leads March Madness Push With Faith at the Forefront
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