Reibe making best of circumstances to show vast potential as UConn goes through November

Eric Reibe has led UConn in scoring in each of past two games in absence of Tarris Reed, Jr., a positive and accelerated sign of his development. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

HARTFORD, Conn. — Eric Reibe’s maturation was not expected to manifest itself so soon.

When the 7-foot-1 German freshman was brought to Connecticut, he was initially projected to be a backup to Tarris Reed, Jr., easing his way into the Huskies’ rotation the way Donovan Clingan did behind Adama Sanogo, the way Samson Johnson did behind Clingan.

Yet as the old saying goes, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

Reed’s early-season injuries — a hamstring issue that shelved him for both of UConn’s exhibition games and its season opener, then an ankle injury that rendered him unavailable in the Huskies’ last two games — have thrust Reibe back into the spotlight. The rookie has gone through the fire without getting burned, however, and has emerged from the adverse situation as the team’s leading scorer, with 31 points combined against Arizona and Bryant.

“This guy is going to be so great here,” head coach Dan Hurley gushed after Reibe’s 16 points paced UConn in Sunday’s win over Bryant. “Just this experience that he’s dealt with starting the year, with Tarris just having some bad luck with injuries, has just been so good for him and his development. What this is doing for the team and the depth, and what we’re going to have at center when we get Tarris back, I just think it’s going to make us so much stronger.”

What makes Reibe’s learning curve so much more significant is the versatility he has displayed since re-entering the starting lineup. In UConn’s battle against Arizona last Wednesday, the big man held his own against the Wildcats’ Motiejus Krivas, scoring 15 points as the Huskies took Arizona to the wire before coming up four points short. On Sunday, with a mismatch in his favor, Reibe showcased his interior game more, to the delight of his coach.

“I just love the way he approached the game,” Hurley observed. “The last game was drop coverage with a 7-foot-2 center, which meant playing the perimeter a little bit more and shoot the three. This was a game where (Bryant was) going to switch and he’d have a physical advantage, and he took his big ass inside and was able to dominate around the basket.”

Coming from high school or prep school to college and being expected to be a major piece to the puzzle is tough for any player, much less a freshman. Add the pressure cooker of playing for UConn, with more national championships this century than any other college program in the country, and it can be a crucible whose short-term effects sometimes outweigh the long-term payoff. Reibe’s upperclassman teammates know from experience, and have been won over by how seamless he has made the transition appear.

“Man, I can’t even describe it,” Jayden Ross said. “Especially at this program, where we hold such a high standard for everybody. For E to come in and pick up at a position where we’re kind of down a player right now, and play comfortable and play his game, I can’t even begin to explain how amazing that is for him. It just shows a lot of how he is as a person, how he is as a player, and how he comes in and works every single day in practice. Everything you’re seeing right now, he earned it. He’s going to continue to keep growing this year.”

Through seven years at UConn, Hurley has coached his share of freshmen, from a pair of lottery picks in Clingan and Stephon Castle to four-year stalwarts like Alex Karaban. And while Reibe may be a work in progress, the ceiling for the Huskies’ latest burgeoning giant is high enough to where he will not need to duck on his way through the door.

“He’s getting better defensively, he’s getting better as a rebounder,” Hurley said. “This guy’s eventually going to be one of the best offensive weapons you can have at center with his shooting and the ability to drive the ball, his size, and he’s a lefty with touch. Right now, we’re teaching him the game inside out. For us, I think the biggest thing he’s gotta do is become a guy who can protect the rim a little bit more, become a more ferocious rebounder. I think this guy’s going to be a special player, and eventually, he’s going to be an NBA player.”