Can we talk about Tarris's dominant post-season? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Can we talk about Tarris's dominant post-season?

I hear you. But on the other hand we had two of our best seasons ever (23 and 26) with a below the rim big. I think it's fair to say it isn't a requirement in our system even if it's nice to have.
Sanogo was amazing. But he—and our offense—was enhanced by having a lob-threat off the bench. 2024 had that same dynamic, but more on defense (drop vs. hedge), and it the difference helped.

I feel like Reed might have been even better if defenses had to prep for different styles to split their attention.

Point is: I'm not trying to make that an anti-Reed/Sanogo thing. Just thinking about wrinkles the offense has lost since its 2024 heyday. And some of what it lost was optionality. We could also use one more guy who can consistently get into the lane.
 
In defense of that. Hassan being hobbled the last 5 weeks of the season had implications. We haven’t had our lead guards at 80% health since 2024.
Next years team has 0 bodies that resemble reed! Michigan big men were the difference at the end of the day! A couple of 7ft bangers that aren't skinny rails will go along way! Uconn is big enough in the big east but looks nothing like national title contenders! Hence Michigan and we need another sanogo/clinigan combination! And yes they are out there, just go buy them! And take it from there. Seems having multiple massive big men has made a comeback in the world of college basketball where alls everyone does is shoot 32% from 3.
 
Go to 1:14:58 into this, and you get Greg talking about owing Tarris an apology. Looks like Tarris is going to come onto their pod at some point so that Greg can make that happen, if not in person, at least face to face.

 
Last edited:
Tarris was an absolute monster. We could throw the ball to him and I felt 100% confident that the right decision was going to be made. That was a huge area of improvement in his offense that came to life at the right time

Oh and turning into Wilt Chamberlain also helped
 
.-.
Tarris is such a great kid, I am so happy he put his short career on the UConn map with all the greats. He was tremendous, and played so tough, strong and hard his game will be missed. I hope for his sake, he at least found his way on a few rosters for years to come despite the difficulty for big men in the NBA these days.

Thank you Tarris for being a great Husky on and off the court!
 
The way he transformed himself over the course of two years under Hurley and our staff, is something that should get more attention and hopefully lead to good things for Reibe and whoever we can get in the portal. Don’t think it is a stretch to say he went from a marginal big to one of the 3 or 4 best centers in college basketball.

Hope he gets a shot to play at the next level. I think he is a bit more athletic and certainly he is longer than Adama. Whatever happens it was fun watching him develop and just the overall character he displayed. Not sure if anyone noticed but in the MI game he helped a MI player off the floor under the basket.

Just on quality of character Breeding should be ashamed of the dozen or so marginal calls he made on Tarris over the course of the year.
 
What makes this exceptional Tourney resonate even more with me. Is by his own admission/words-He apparently was very close to entering the portal after his first year at UConn. Amazing fortitude/guts/self-belief and a strong Mom to redirect his energies towards an outstanding senior year. Took it to another level after BET .Wish him the best at the next level.
Well, I imagine he figured he'd benefit from the loyalty Hurley showed Samson Johnson that year when he would be the senior starter.
 
Considering the leap that Reed took this year, I am hopefully Reibe can do the same.
Apples and oranges. Reed's jump was in year 3 to 4, and Reibe is only on year 1. Plus, we saw flashes last year like the PC 24 pt 18 reb game from Reed. We saw some good stuff from Reibe this year, but not like that.
 
.-.
Tarris is such a great kid, I am so happy he put his short career on the UConn map with all the greats. He was tremendous, and played so tough, strong and hard his game will be missed. I hope for his sake, he at least found his way on a few rosters for years to come despite the difficulty for big men in the NBA these days.

Thank you Tarris for being a great Husky on and off the court!
Sadly i just realized he played for 2 teams that won 3 of the last 4 championships. He win none. Poor kid. One of my all timers.
 
I need you to explain that comment.
I'd personally like to see Greg explain his "Tarris punked the competition in Madison, WI" comment. If I go look at his game log from 2023, I have no idea what he's talking about. Michigan lost at Wisconsin that year and Tarris had 6 pts and 7 reb.
 
The way he transformed himself over the course of two years under Hurley and our staff, is something that should get more attention and hopefully lead to good things for Reibe and whoever we can get in the portal. Don’t think it is a stretch to say he went from a marginal big to one of the 3 or 4 best centers in college basketball.

Hope he gets a shot to play at the next level. I think he is a bit more athletic and certainly he is longer than Adama. Whatever happens it was fun watching him develop and just the overall character he displayed. Not sure if anyone noticed but in the MI game he helped a MI player off the floor under the basket.

Just on quality of character Breeding should be ashamed of the dozen or so marginal calls he made on Tarris over the course of the year.
Tarris is fantastic individual in addition to being a great basketball player for UConn. We should always remember how he put the team on his back and carried them to the National Championship game-it was legendary stuff.

BTW, I fixed your last sentence for you and made it more direct.
 
Tarris is such a great kid, I am so happy he put his short career on the UConn map with all the greats. He was tremendous, and played so tough, strong and hard his game will be missed. I hope for his sake, he at least found his way on a few rosters for years to come despite the difficulty for big men in the NBA these days.
I'm sorry man but you've got to stop with this.

1. Big men won six straight MVPs – which hadn't been done since the 70s – before SGA last year.
2. Virtually every team in the league carries three true centers.
3. Two of the three best players in the league are centers.
4. Objectively worse players than Tarris, like Maluach and Queen last year, are first-round picks every single draft.

I don't know how "the NBA doesn't value big men!" became the meta CW but we're living in the age of Jokic, Embiid, Giannis and now Wemby. It's right there in front of you!
 
I'm 100% sure we're going to pursue an uber-talented big in the portal. This board doesn't like to hear it, but Reibe hasn't shown he's got starter talent in months. Probably not a guy like Bidunga, but some high potential guy like Tarris who needs a fire lit under his bum. Our staff isn't going to overpay on NIL resources like other programs.
Any ideas who that might be?
 
I'm sorry man but you've got to stop with this.

1. Big men won six straight MVPs – which hadn't been done since the 70s – before SGA last year.
2. Virtually every team in the league carries three true centers.
3. Two of the three best players in the league are centers.
4. Objectively worse players than Tarris, like Maluach and Queen last year, are first-round picks every single draft.

I don't know how "the NBA doesn't value big men!" became the meta CW but we're living in the age of Jokic, Embiid, Giannis and now Wemby. It's right there in front of you!

Ok geez my bad I forgot his game is just like Jokic and Wemby please forgive me. Good college big men used to be able to easily find roster spots consistently but now they don’t unless they’re great. Please stop with your with this analogy where is that spot for Adama? It’s not the same is all im saying but go ahead and stay on your NBA pedestal. Basketball ended for me Monday and doesn’t come back until October. But to each his own. Sorry I missed all those facts.😂
 
.-.
Ok geez my bad I forgot his game is just like Jokic and Wemby please forgive me. Good college big men used to be able to easily find roster spots consistently but now they don’t unless they’re great. Please stop with your with this analogy where is that spot for Adama?
The same place it was for Lorenzo Charles. Undersized 5s have never had it easy landing jobs in the league.

And here are some not-great college big men who've found spots in the league just the past two years.

2025 rookies:
  • Maluach (lotto pick & rotation guy for a playoff team)
  • Queen (lotto pick, likely 2nd-team all-rookie)
  • Niederhauser (rotation guy for a playoff team before injury)
  • Raynaud (starter)
  • Cardwell (6th man)
2024 rookies:
  • Ware (massive upside rotation guy & occasional starter for a playoff team)
  • Missi (part-time starter)
  • Holmes (depth piece for a contender)
  • Filipowski (rotation piece)
  • Ighodaro (rotation piece for a playoff team)
  • Post (rotation piece for a playoff team)
  • Hukporti (deep rotation piece for a contender)
Note that I didn't even include Clingan & Edey in the 2024 list b/c they both were so clearly great college players.

Get some facts and come back and see me.
 
Boneyarders talking NBA without actually watching a single minute of the NBA is one of the funniest running gags on here. This will be a good thread to go back and laugh at when Reed is collecting NBA checks.

 
No matter what happens the rest of his career, Tarris will always be able to say he accomplished something against Furman that hadn't been done by anyone since Elvin Hayes
 
Boneyarders talking NBA without actually watching a single minute of the NBA is one of the funniest running gags on here. This will be a good thread to go back and laugh at when Reed is collecting NBA checks.

I think that was the thread that made me take a month off from the Boneyard.
 
.-.
What big wouldn't want to transfer to UConn after seeing the success/development of Adama, Clingan, and now Tarris.

We're always billed as a school with a long tradition of elite guards. Hurley and staff have now done the same for bigs.
Or look at just the transfers. If I had to grade them....

Tarris - Got better at UConn
Malachi - Got better at UConn
Demary - Got better at UConn
T. Newton - Got better at UConn
Cam Spencer - I am going to say he got better, he won a NC and is playing regular minutes in the NBA
Calcaterra - Got better at UConn
Mahaney - Did NOT get better at UConn
Hassan Diarra - Got better at UConn

If you looked at the guys who transferred out, you could say they got nothing more than more minutes that they did nothing with and more money.
 
Or look at just the transfers. If I had to grade them....

Tarris - Got better at UConn
Malachi - Got better at UConn
Demary - Got better at UConn
T. Newton - Got better at UConn
Cam Spencer - I am going to say he got better, he won a NC and is playing regular minutes in the NBA
Calcaterra - Got better at UConn
Mahaney - Did NOT get better at UConn
Hassan Diarra - Got better at UConn

If you looked at the guys who transferred out, you could say they got nothing more than more minutes that they did nothing with and more money.
Cole and Martin didn't do too bad upgrading to UConn either.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
168,351
Messages
4,566,622
Members
10,469
Latest member
xxBlueChips


Top Bottom