Reed’s record night proves UConn’s power when its big bear is uncaged

PHILADELPHIA — On numerous occasions the past several weeks, Dan Hurley has highlighted the value of Tarris Reed, Jr. by reiterating that his senior center would be the difference in how far UConn would be able to go this postseason as it seeks a third national championship in four seasons.

The aggression the Huskies’ head coach has long clamored for from the 6-foot-11 “big bear” came to a head Friday, in a record-setting performance.

Reed outrebounded 15th-seeded Furman on his own, racking up 19 points and 16 boards at halftime en route to a dominating 31 points and 27 rebounds as No. 2 seed UConn shook off the gritty Paladins and pulled away to an 82-71 victory in its first-round NCAA Tournament matchup.

“He’s a top two or three center in the country,” Hurley restated as UConn (30-5) advanced to meet UCLA on Sunday in a second-round East Region matchup. “When he plays like that, we can win any game against any team in the tournament when we’re healthy. We can’t afford when Tarris just plays like a Top 10 or Top 15 center in the country. Then we’re not an elite team. It doesn’t have to be historic numbers, but he’s a guy that we need 20 and 10 from on a nightly basis.”

Reed logged the most caroms in a single NCAA Tournament game since 1973, outpacing Furman by a 27-23 count. The Michigan transfer is just the third player in tournament history to post an outing with at least 30 points and 25 rebounds, joining a pair of luminaries in Elvin Hayes and Jerry Lucas, and even leaving his teammates in disbelief at what they had just seen.

“Absolutely not,” Braylon Mullins said when asked if he had ever observed a performance of that caliber. “I’ve always seen it in like, highlights or something, and it’s unbelievable. That’s a crazy performance. He deserves all the flowers.”

But for Reed, the motivation came from two sources, one being last Saturday’s Big East tournament championship loss.

“That St. John’s game broke me,” he admitted. “It was tough to recover from it for a little bit. It was a second championship in a week’s span that we lost, and then we got blown out in one of the biggest games of the season for the Big East tournament championship. I felt like I went out there and I failed, so knowing what that was for us and coming to this game this week, it just meant a lot more.”

The other chip on his broad shoulders? The prospect of coming up empty in his final NCAA Tournament, something that is also motivating his fellow outgoing teammate, Alex Karaban.

“It just meant a lot more,” Reed said of the win-or-go-home stakes that added to Friday’s matchup, and will be paired with every other game UConn contests down the stretch. “I just really wanted to make that run, that push and march. The championship is there. I feel like we can win the natty if we just lock in on that defensive end.”

As Furman pushed the Huskies deep into the second half, Reed’s desire became stronger and more conspicuous, as he climbed the ladder to grab multiple boards on single possessions to help seal a victory. The big man did concede he was aware of the stats he had accumulated, but ultimately cared more about coming away victorious than of any superlatives that may have ensued.

“You’re aware, but you also want to win,” Reed said. “You’re like, ‘oh yeah, I’m playing and dominating, but I want to win.’ So really, like I said, just keep on dominating, keeping that foot on the gas for me.”

The determination to remain on the accelerator added up to a much-needed victory for UConn, who will look to boost its confidence in other areas as it now sets its sights on former rival Mick Cronin and his UCLA Bruins. But for now, the impact that the man in the middle provides when he is at the top of his game again emphasizes just how integral he is to the primary objective.

“We’re a completely different team when Tarris is going out there and playing the way he’s playing,” Karaban said of Reed. “Just the dominance that he has inside and the way that he just draws so much attention when he’s playing like that, just drawing doubles, kicking out to shooters, and really creating more opportunities for us on the offensive end, he was outstanding. I’ve never seen a performance like that, really. I thought he was awesome.”