A higher power and master motivation have unlocked aggression in UConn’s big bear

Tarris Reed, Jr. blocks a shot by St. John’s Bryce Hopkins, one of six rejections for UConn’s center as Huskies walloped Red Storm Wednesday. (Photo by Jessica Hill/Associated Press)

HARTFORD, Conn. — So noticeable was the impact Tarris Reed, Jr. made on UConn’s frontcourt in each of the past two games that prompted head coach Dan Hurley to describe his senior center as the man who makes the Huskies’ motor run.

And after Reed followed up what Hurley called his best game in a UConn uniform Saturday with another world-class performance in Wednesday’s annihilation of St. John’s, the praise grew even more effusive.

“He was just the guy,” Hurley said Wednesday. “He was a presence at the rim as a deterrent, his ball screen defense, rebounds, post position and his passing out of traps…if he does that, this team’s gonna have a great rest of the way.”

To know Reed is to understand the humility with which the 6-foot-11 gentle giant plays the game and wreaks havoc on both ends of the floor. Grounded in his devout faith, the Michigan transfer is grateful to Jesus Christ for bestowing the gift of basketball upon him, and credited his force to the higher power in the wake of Wednesday’s massive victory.

“That fire comes from one man only,” he reiterated. “That’s Jesus, man. I get all my strength, my confidence, my everything from Him. Just being the Word, staying grounded, keeping my faith in Him through the ups and downs, through all the trials, and just being out there playing with joy.”

“It’s my last year of college basketball. Through the wins, through the losses, through the injuries, He’s been there by me. My fire comes from Him. That’s my passion, my drive, my everything.”

Reed set the tone early and often Wednesday, going to work on Big East Player of the Year frontrunner Zuby Ejiofor and establishing a paint presence as sixth-ranked UConn fed off a charged-up PeoplesBank Arena crowd. The atmosphere contributed to an 18-0 first-half run that put St. John’s down 20 points heading into the latter stages of the first half.

The Huskies did not stop there, however, as the early spurt was merely a precursor to an all-time defensive performance that held the Red Storm without a field goal for the final 17:28 of regulation, missing its last 24 shots from the floor and scoring only on free throws from that point forward as part of a 2-for-28 effort in the second half.

And after being outplayed by Ejiofor, who went for 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in St. John’s win over UConn on February 6, Reed flipped the script Wednesday, pouring in 20 points to pair with 11 rebounds and a career-high-tying six blocked shots.

“We were just coming into this game looking at the last game (against St. John’s),” Reed said after UConn turned the tables on the Johnnies with a 42-12 edge in the paint. “How I played against (Ejiofor), how we played against him, what could we do better? Not really trying to focus too much on St. John’s, but as a collective group, seeing the good, the bad, the ugly, and really adjusting for this game.”

“This game, ever since we lost, we circled on that Big East calendar. So it’s great to go out there, dominate and really have fun doing it.”

Hurley challenged Reed once again to unleash his fifth gear, and over the past two games, it appears that the big man has not only delivered, but raised it a level as the Huskies chase down a Big East championship and possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. UConn’s coach was asked how he was able to keep Reed focused and inspired, and was convinced his senior rim protector could do that on his own.

“Everyone knows,” Hurley said. “Everyone knows when he plays like this, this is what we look like. This is a team that looks like it’s as good as any team, we all know that.”

The attention on Reed’s last few rounds of college basketball has been diminished somewhat by the imminent departure of his teammate, Alex Karaban, after four-and-a-half years in Storrs. But that has not stopped the man described as a big bear by UConn’s resident zookeeper from poking and prodding ever so slightly to entice more mauling at a time where attacks are most critical.

“He’s at the end of his career,” Hurley intoned. “He’s gotta do it. The place that he left, Michigan, is having a monster year. He transferred to UConn. If he plays up to his ability, we could play at the level of the place that he played at before when he plays like this. If he wants to be a draft pick, if he wants to win championships, he’ll keep showing up like that.”