UConn men’s basketball freshmen shine in FIBA U19 World Cup

Dan Hurley can’t wait for the last two pieces of UConn’s roster to join the rest of the team for workouts in Storrs.

He and the Huskies staff plan on taking a trip overseas to see incoming freshmen Jacob Furphy and Eric Reibe play for their respective national teams in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. The pair of future teammates played against each other – Furphy for Australia, Reibe for Germany – in friendly matchups leading into the tournament, and both of them put on a show to begin the group stage over the weekend.

“I’m excited to see them,” Hurley said in Brooklyn last week, after Liam McNeeley became his fifth first-round NBA Draft pick. “That’ll be a great setting to see them play in, in the under-19. Excited to get those guys. They both looked good in the friendlies and they’ve actually been playing against each other in the friendlies and training together, so they’ve been hanging out a lot together.”

Reibe, a 7-foot center who spent the last year playing at The Bullis School in Maryland, was able to move on campus and spend some time in Storrs before flying out to join his national team. Furphy, a 6-4 wing, played last season internationally and has yet to land in Connecticut.

Asked for a prediction on his next first-rounder, Hurley said it was too early to tell. He needs to see the full team in action first.

“I’m going to wait until at least (the second summer session),” he said. “We’ve got to get Reibe in there, we’ve got to get Furph, we’ve got to get the Tazzy in there. We’ve got to get the full team on campus before I can assess who’s next, but this team is, I think it’ll be a formidable team.”

If their start to the FIBA tournament is any indication, both Furphy and Reibe will be solid additions.

Furphy, “the Tazzy,” opened the group stage with 24 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist against the U.S. team, which is headlined by No. 1 prospect AJ Dybantsa, who the Huskies will meet when they play BYU in Boston on Nov. 15. Playing with a gritty energy that will fit right in at UConn, Furphy showed his playmaking and shot creating ability as he went 9-for-18 from the field in 33 minutes. He was Australia’s leading scorer in the 88-73 loss.

Furphy assisted the 3-pointer that tied Australia’s second game against Cameroon with four seconds left in regulation on Sunday. He finished the double-overtime thriller with 18 points on 8-for-18 shooting, three assists, three rebounds and two steals, and was a team-best plus-17 in the 101-96 victory.

Reibe, a McDonald’s All American expected to be the Huskies’ second center behind Tarris Reed Jr., scored six points with five rebounds and finished plus-four in Germany’s 75-68 win to open the tournament over Slovenia.

While he hasn’t seen a 3-pointer fall in three attempts, the stretch big showed off his offensive versatility from mid-range in Germany’s second win, 90-66, over China on Sunday. Reibe led his team with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting and had four rebounds as he finished with a plus-24.

Germany, in Group B, will complete the group stage with a matchup against Canada, also 2-0, on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Australia, 1-1 in Group D, will meet France in its final game of group play on Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. ET.

Every team advances to the Round of 16, where groups will cross and Reibe and Furphy could meet up. The winners of the Round of 16 games advance to the quarterfinals, while the losers move on to the classification games for places 9-16.

Every game in the U19 World Cup is live streamed on the FIBA Basketball YouTube channel and on the FIBA website.

Originally Published: June 29, 2025 at 4:24 PM EDT