Why Hurley expects Tarris Reed Jr. to elevate his game

[HooperScooper]

Article from Hearst Media's Roger Cleaveland.

“I believe the Lord blessed me with all the tools and gifts,” Reed said. “It is just about me simply doing it, mindset-wise just doing it. I think once I set my mind to doing it, no one in the country can stop me. That is honestly how I feel. I need to use that humbly and not take it for granted every day.

“I am here at UConn, at the best basketball program in the country. Anybody in my shoes would go as hard as they can. So, why am I not doing it?”

Free access article:

https://www.nhregister.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/center-tarris-reed-jr-uconn-huskies-dan-hurley-21015116.php

 

[CL82]

Article from Hearst Media's Roger Cleaveland.

“I believe the Lord blessed me with all the tools and gifts,” Reed said. “It is just about me simply doing it, mindset-wise just doing it. I think once I set my mind to doing it, no one in the country can stop me. That is honestly how I feel. I need to use that humbly and not take it for granted every day.

“I am here at UConn, at the best basketball program in the country. Anybody in my shoes would go as hard as they can. So, why am I not doing it?”

Free access article:

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/center-tarris-reed-jr-uconn-huskies-dan-hurley-21015116.php

“When this season ends and whenever my college career is done, what Coach Hurley and the coaching staff has done for me these past two years is something I will forever be grateful towards."

Excellent read.

 

[jibsey]

“When this season ends and whenever my college career is done, what Coach Hurley and the coaching staff has done for me these past two years is something I will forever be grateful towards."

Excellent read.

This is a great quote from Reed in the piece:

“I feel I am moving better and playing with more pace. I’m not rushing when I get the ball. I am taking my time.”

It’s not just Tarris but a lot of players get nervous when they are around the rim and just throw the ball up there when guarded close. If Tarris can know when to combine his power with proper pump faking his already high fg % will go even higher.

 

[RuffRuff]

This is a great quote from Reed in the piece:

“I feel I am moving better and playing with more pace. I’m not rushing when I get the ball. I am taking my time.”

It’s not just Tarris but a lot of players get nervous when they are around the rim and just throw the ball up there when guarded close. If Tarris can know when to combine his power with proper pump faking his already high fg % will go even higher.

Music to my ears. He needs to catch the ball, hold it strong in his mitts, use the pump fake and feel the defense before just reacting. This is the big difference between him and Adama. I'm in the camp of this kid being dominant this year and a major difference maker.

 

[HooperScooper]

Music to my ears. He needs to catch the ball, hold it strong in his mitts, use the pump fake and feel the defense before just reacting. This is the big difference between him and Adama. I'm in the camp of this kid being dominant this year and a major difference maker.

Just my opinion but I'd prefer if he doesn't use pump fakes that often. He's 6-11, 268 pounds and very athletic for a guy that size. Take it to the defender strong.

 

[RuffRuff]

Just my opinions but I'd prefer if he doesn't use pump fakes that often. He's 6-11, 268 pounds and very athletic for a guy that size. Take it to the defender strong.

Issue with that is offensive fouls - if there is one thing we need out of Tarris it's to stay out of foul trouble. Don't need him taking 1-2 cheap offensives to put him on the bench.

 

[Lafayette]

He's already shown he has the best agility regardless of position. He can dominate when his head is in the game for sure (re: Providence). He needs to not bull them over but quickly go around them.

Keys:

• Reduce tendency to bring hands down on Defense (foul less)
• Does not have to run up to the 3 pt line to challenge a ball handler and vacate the paint (did this a little and less than Samson but still was a few too many)

I honestly think just playing smart and not trying to steal the ball will help the fouls and really he fouled out a handful of times (including Maui game where like everyone did).

He will hugely benefit from Demary Jrs ability to get it to the big as well as Smith's and even Furphy.

 

[superjohn]

Just my opinions but I'd prefer if he doesn't use pump fakes that often. He's 6-11, 268 pounds and very athletic for a guy that size. Take it to the defender strong.

Agreed, Sanogo had to do all the pump fakes and pirouetting because he had no lift. It was actually a problem for Sanogo before he figured it out in his junior season. He used to be a black hole and would take forever to get shots up. I don't want Reed rushing but there's no need for him to be playing around doing a bunch of pump faking like Sanogo did.

I think Tarris is going to dominate this season.

 

[mauconnfan]

One of the top keys to success is Tarris’ ability to stay on the court for 25-28 minutes a game. Stupid fouls 25-35 ft from the hoop can’t happen period. He will put up very impactful numbers if he stays on the floor, really a huge must for this team. Love his game if he can do this, 17/11 is a minimum.

 

[jibsey]

One of the top keys to success is Tarris’ ability to stay on the court for 25-28 minutes a game. Stupid fouls 25-35 ft from the hoop can’t happen period. He will put up very impactful numbers if he stays on the floor, really a huge must for this team. Love his game if he can do this, 17/11 is a minimum.

The coaching staff has certainly schooled him on trying to swat balls away top of the key?

 

[Lafayette]

It's not like he fouled outta more than a handful of games. Probably give us 23-30 with Reibe getting 10-17 by Big East time. I don't see them both on the same court much.

 

[uh-no]

It's not like he fouled outta more than a handful of games. Probably give us 23-30 with Reibe getting 10-17 by Big East time. I don't see them both on the same court much.

he has 5.5 fouls per 40 minutes. That number has to improve for him to stay on the floor.

 

[TheChamps990411]

One of the top keys to success is Tarris’ ability to stay on the court for 25-28 minutes a game. Stupid fouls 25-35 ft from the hoop can’t happen period. He will put up very impactful numbers if he stays on the floor, really a huge must for this team. Love his game if he can do this, 17/11 is a minimum.

When i first saw Tarris` highlights i got very excited about him being coached by Dan Hurley for a couple of years because at his size, athleticism and skillset he looked like Sanogo 2.o the upgrade. I figured his first season he`d be up and down but solid and he was just that but i, like many expect big,big things from him because i wholeheartedly believe in his talent and DHs ability to bring out thebest in him. Would not be surprised if he averages a double double. Not sure he will average much more than 15 points because we simply may not need him to but he will be capable of it in any game. The talent is there.

 

[jibsey]

Even Emeka got into foul trouble now and then, Q up the national championship game vs Georgia Tech. Tarris is certainly going to get in foul trouble from time to time especially when he plays St. John’s or other high level teams that bang. Reibe get ready.

 

[Lafayette]

he has 5.5 fouls per 40 minutes. That number has to improve for him to stay on the floor.

That's an extrapolation and doubtful if he even has 2 fouls he would play 40 minutes. So if we expect even 30min that math works out to 4 1/8 fouls.

 

[superjohn]

he has 5.5 fouls per 40 minutes. That number has to improve for him to stay on the floor.

Sanogo and Clingan fouled even more than Reed did in their first year here. I think Reed not being able to stay on the floor this upcoming season is overstated and won't be much of an issue.

 

[uh-no]

That's an extrapolation and doubtful if he even has 2 fouls he would play 40 minutes. So if we expect even 30min that math works out to 4 1/8 fouls.

he isn't playing 30 minutes at 4+ fouls. At the very least he's likely on the bench with 2 for the end of the first half and for some stretch in the second with 4.

Fouls aren't evenly distributed either....at such a high rate, in about half of games you'd expect him to pick up MORE than that, and he ends up on the bench for longer periods of time with 2 or 4.

5.5 is a high rate any way you slice it and will impact his ability to stay on the floor IF that number holds.

I'm not sure why this is considered speculation given the amount of time he ended up benched in foul trouble last year. He's not going to play more minutes if that's his foul rate.

 

[NJHoops]

 

[Lafayette]

he isn't playing 30 minutes at 4+ fouls. At the very least he's likely on the bench with 2 for the end of the first half and for some stretch in the second with 4.

Fouls aren't evenly distributed either....at such a high rate, in about half of games you'd expect him to pick up MORE than that, and he ends up on the bench for longer periods of time with 2 or 4.

5.5 is a high rate any way you slice it and will impact his ability to stay on the floor IF that number holds.

I'm not sure why this is considered speculation given the amount of time he ended up benched in foul trouble last year. He's not going to play more minutes if that's his foul rate.

Of course but 5.5 is irrelevant - this is not the old Big East of 6 fouls so what is the point > 5? I was just doing the math but moreover he fouled outta like 5 games last year. Seriously if he cuts down by 1 foul per game he gets 30min:

UM 2023-24: 26.5 min and 2.6 PF
UC 2024-25: 19.9 min and 2.7 PF

IDK why people get the idea he is a foul machine.

 

[navery12]

he isn't playing 30 minutes at 4+ fouls. At the very least he's likely on the bench with 2 for the end of the first half and for some stretch in the second with 4.

Fouls aren't evenly distributed either....at such a high rate, in about half of games you'd expect him to pick up MORE than that, and he ends up on the bench for longer periods of time with 2 or 4.

5.5 is a high rate any way you slice it and will impact his ability to stay on the floor IF that number holds.

I'm not sure why this is considered speculation given the amount of time he ended up benched in foul trouble last year. He's not going to play more minutes if that's his foul rate.

People don't view it as an issue because last year it wasn't an issue. He wasn't in foul trouble more than 2 or 3 games last year, the only reason he wasn't playing more was because Samson Johnson was ahead of him.

And no 5.5 is not a remotely high foul rate. If he repeats that number this year it will be a non-issue and he'll play 25-30 minutes every night without concern. The days of coaches being scared to play a guy with 2 fouls is over, coaches have rightly realized it was self inflicted harm

 

[LetsGoUC]

I have really high expectations for Tarris, let's hope for a great year from him

 

[Bazz2014]

I would also place some blame on the really poor perimeter defense that forced Tarris (and Samson) into constant help defense mode. You need your big guys to be able to lock down the paint - absolutely - but when our first line of defense on the perimeter is consistently shredded like tissue, your big guys are gonna pick up fouls.

Tarris certainly picked up some fouls from, as Hurley said, lack of discipline. Like he said, Tarris should never leave the floor first to block a shot. If he fixed that alone, it’d make a huge difference. But I also expect that shoring up the perimeter with better first line defense will go a long way to keeping Tarris on the floor.

 

[HooperScooper]

Even Emeka got into foul trouble now and then, Q up the national championship game vs Georgia Tech.

I don't remember Emeka being in foul trouble in the 2004 national championship game. Think he had 3 fouls in that game and dominated the game when it was still a game in the first half. Are you thinking of the semifinal game against Duke?

 

[Hoophound]

People don't view it as an issue because last year it wasn't an issue. He wasn't in foul trouble more than 2 or 3 games last year, the only reason he wasn't playing more was because Samson Johnson was ahead of him.

And no 5.5 is not a remotely high foul rate. If he repeats that number this year it will be a non-issue and he'll play 25-30 minutes every night without concern. The days of coaches being scared to play a guy with 2 fouls is over, coaches have rightly realized it was self inflicted harm

Interesting point. I generally agree, however when JC sat Emeka against Duke, it really allowed Emeka to play with ferociousness late in the game. Otherwise, I don't remember any games that it really seemed to help too much.

I really can't stand when coaches let a game a game get out of hand doing it though. I feel like I've watched a lot of games that could have turned out differenlyt if the best player wasn't glued to the bench with 2-3 fouls as his team went down 10-20 points.

 

[superjohn]

Interesting point. I generally agree, however when JC sat Emeka against Duke, it really allowed Emeka to play with ferociousness late in the game. Otherwise, I don't remember any games that it really seemed to help too much.

I really can't stand when coaches let a game a game get out of hand doing it though. I feel like I've watched a lot of games that could have turned out differenlyt if the best player wasn't glued to the bench with 2-3 fouls as his team went down 10-20 points.

I'll always think JC and UConn got really lucky when he sat Emeka for that first half against Duke. It took UConn making every single big play and Duke not executing at all in those last 3 minutes for UConn to pull it out. I think we win that game fairly comfortably if he didn't sit Okafor.

It all worked out so we'll never know but I never liked JC's sitting a guy with 2 fouls in the first half rule and I really hated how he wouldn't foul up 3 at the end of games. He's my favorite coach ever but those two things drove me a bit nuts.