Tarris Reed Jr. stats today: UConn big man posts stat line not seen since 1968 tournament to save Huskies

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In order to fend off 15th-seeded Furman on Friday night, the UConn Huskies needed a historic performance.

Center Tarris Reed Jr. guided Dan Hurley's squad to a 82-71 victory, which didn’t come easily despite a favorable matchup. The Paladins hung around late into the second half, but UConn advanced to face UCLA in the second round.

Reed, however, was the biggest story of the night. He was unstoppable against Furman, dominating both scoring and the boards. By the end of the game, he was in conversations with all-time college big men like Elvin Hayes, Jerry Lucas, and Zach Edey for one of the most stat-stuffing performances in history.

Here’s a look at Reed’s huge game for UConn in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

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Tarris Reed Jr. stats today

  • Points: 31
  • Rebounds: 27
  • Assists: 3
  • Blocks: 0
  • Steals: 0
  • FG: 12-15
  • FT: 7-9
  • 3PT: 0-0

Reed exploded for a near-30-30 game, dominating Furman all night to uplift the Huskies to a first-round win. It was a historic performance in many ways; according to Stathead, just two other players have matched Reed's combined points (31) and rebounds (27) totals in an NCAA Tournament game: Elvin Hayes and Jerry Lucas.

Hayes did it twice, with a 49-point, 27-rebound game against Loyola Chicago in 1968, plus a 31-point, 28-rebound game against Pacific in 1966. Lucas, meanwhile, had a 33-point, 30-rebound game against Kentucky in 1961.

Those are the only other times in March Madness history that a player dominated the points and rebounds departments the way Reed did on Friday night. 

Reed out-rebounded Furman by himself. He had 27 rebounds, and the Paladins had 23 as a team.

HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5

List of 30/20 games in NCAA Tournament

The last player to record at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game was Zach Edey, the former Purdue Boilermakers star, on March 22, 2024, against Grambling State. Edey finished with 30 points and 21 rebounds in that game.

On top of posting the first 30-25 tournament game since Elvin Hayes in 1968, Reed joined Edey as one of the only players to have a 30-20 game in March Madness since 2000. Across all of NCAA Tournament history, it was just the 23rd such performance, according to Stathead.

Here’s a look at the company Reed joined in the 30-20 March Madness club:

PlayerPointsReboundsTeamDateBob Pettit Jr.3424Louisiana StateMar. 12, 1954Terry Rand3725MarquetteMar. 8, 1955Tom Gola3025La SalleMar. 12, 1955Art Bunte3521UtahMar. 12, 1955Wilt Chamberlain3622KansasMar. 15, 1957Jerry Lucas3625Ohio StateMar. 11, 1960Len Chappell3120Wake ForestMar. 14, 1961Jerry Lucas3330Ohio StateMar. 18, 1961Sonny Bustion3020Colorado StateMar. 8, 1965Ollie Johnson3721San FranciscoMar. 12, 1965Rod Knowles3920DavidsonMar. 7, 1966Elvin Hayes3128HoustonMar. 12, 1966Elvin Hayes4927HoustonMar. 9, 1968Elvin Hayes3524HoustonMar. 15, 1968Elvin Hayes3925HoustonMar. 16, 1968Kareem Abdul-Jabbar3720UCLAMar. 22, 1969Roy Ebron3320Southwestern LouisianaMar. 11, 1972Bill Walton III3321UCLAMar. 23, 1972Larry Kenon3420Memphis StateMar. 15, 1973Kent Benson3323IndianaMar. 22, 1975Joe Smith3121MarylandMar. 18, 1995Zach Edey3021PurdueMar. 22, 2024Tarris Reed Jr.3127UConnMar. 20, 2026

Tarris Reed Jr. season stats

  • PPG: 13.7
  • RPG: 8.1
  • APG: 2.3
  • BPG: 2.1
  • SPG: 0.9
  • FG%: 62.5%
  • FT%: 56.1%
  • 3PT%: 0.0%

On the season, Reed has certainly been one of the featured players of Hurley's 2025-26 squad, but he also had never displayed the kind of dominance he showed vs. Furman.

Reed has been good for a nightly double-double threat with some blocked shots in his UConn career, but his huge NCAA Tournament performance could lead to plenty more.

Why Tarris Reed Jr. leave Michigan?

Reed spent his first two collegiate seasons with the Michigan Wolverines, including 31 starts in 2023-24. However, he entered the transfer portal after that season, joining UConn.

When he entered the portal, Reed wrote that his decision was "a necessary step toward my growth," per the Detroit News. He has reportedly said that he was seeking a strong culture and coaching in his next team, which he's found with the Huskies.

MORE MARCH MADNESS NEWS:

Tarris Reed Jr. NBA Draft projection

For the 2026 NBA Draft, Reed has mostly been receiving a second-round tag to this point. NBADraft.net has him as its No. 63 overall player on its big board, while Tankathon has him at No. 50 overall.

However, performances like Friday's would surely help Reed skyrocket toward first-round potential. In ESPN's latest mock draft, it had Reed landing at No. 52 overall to the Wizards.

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