By Mallory Mattingly
As University of Connecticut center Tarris Reed Jr. leads his team to a near-historic run as March Madness approaches, he keeps his faith at the forefront of his life, no matter what.
“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,” the basketball player said in an interview after a game last year, “…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
Related: UCONN Basketball Star Tarris Reed Jr. is ‘Locking in’ With the Lord
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 1, 2025
This season, Reed “leads his team in both rebounds (7.9) and blocks per game (2.2), and he’s second in scoring (13.7). He also hands out 2.2 assists and grabs 1.0 steals per game,” according to Sports Spectrum.
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The athlete began his college career at Michigan in 2022-23, but he only played 12.6 minutes and averaged 3.4 points per game. He later entered the transfer portal and landed at UConn.
Reed didn’t make faith a priority until one of his coaches at Michigan challenged him to get in the Word.
“It changed my life,” Reed told CT Insider last year. “The way I walk, talk, act, speak — Jesus has literally changed me from the inside out. I love talking about the Lord and what He’s done for my life, so I can go out and help others.”
In January, he said on Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast, “Jesus just wiped my eyes clean. 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.”
Now, Reed uses his basketball platform as a way to share the love of God.
“Jesus gave me purpose,” the center wrote in one post on Instagram.
“Year 2 is in the books. Although the season didn’t unfold as expected, I still strive to maintain a positive mindset and outlook on life. This year tested my true love for the game I claim to love. Instead of dwelling on emotions, I know its purpose in the pain. I focus on the Lord and pray for guidance in my steps. Grateful to the Lord for another season,” Reed said in 2024 after his final year at Michigan.
Reed aims to lead with Christ at the forefront, helping the Huskies capture three national titles in four years. If the Huskies are able to complete the feat, they will be the first program since the UCLA Bruins did it in the 1960s and ’70s.
Read Next: UConn Basketball Player Returns After ACL Tear, Declares ‘God is Great’
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