Tarris Reed Jr. continued to show what he can do while playing with and against some of the top prospects in this year’s NBA Draft class during Thursday’s five-on-five scrimmage at the combine in Chicago.
The former UConn center was all over the court at Wintrust Arena, impressing with his defensive versatility, his physicality and ability to finish from the post as he continues to ride the momentum of a dominant NCAA Tournament run in March.
Reed came off the bench on Thursday and made an immediate impact with a reverse layup through contact. He quickly got up to seven points in just a handful of first-quarter minutes as he repeatedly finished above the rim. Defensively, the athletic big showed his ability to switch and defend at every level – a trait that will be critical in the NBA.
He finished the scrimmage with 17 points (7-for-9 shooting), five rebounds and two blocks.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs throughout the journey but it’s just a blessing going through this process,” Reed said on the NBATV broadcast. “First time going through the NBA Combine, AK (Alex Karaban) has helped me through the process, but I’m trying to keep that momentum rolling into the NBA. Just having fun with it, enjoying the journey.”
Reed told reporters in Chicago that passing is his most underrated skill and that he is focused on working on his timing on defense and his physical presence in the post, where he was unstoppable for the Huskies. The big man was at his best in the NCAA Tournament, when he averaged 19.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game to lead the Huskies back to the national championship game.
A native of St. Louis, Reed had nine points, five rebounds and two assists in his first scrimmage on Wednesday.
“Tarris Reed showed off his glue-guy qualities at the NBA Draft Combine, setting screens, ducking in with physicality, passing, going out of his area for rebounds with his 7-4 wingspan and switching onto guards, just like we saw at UConn the last two seasons,” NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony wrote.
Reed figures to have positioned himself as a borderline first-round pick in the June draft. He could be UConn’s sixth first-round pick under coach Dan Hurley and the fifth in the last four years.
Karaban was top shooter
UConn captain Alex Karaban didn’t participate in the 5-on-5 scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine, but his performance in Monday’s shooting drills and the tape he’s accumulated over the last four seasons with the Huskies is enough for NBA front offices to know what they would be getting.
Karaban went 18-for-25 in the 3-point star drill, 21-for-25 in the side-mid-side drill, 18-for-25 in spot-up shooting and 22-for-30 in shooting off the dribble. He combined to shoot 74.8% across all drills, which was better than anyone at the combine.
How did UConn and Hurley help him get to this point?
“Since Day One as a freshman, being put in uncomfortable positions, how uncomfortable he made me in practices, the intensity, just pushing me every single day,” Karaban told reporters in Chicago. “(Hurley’s) been a tremendous person in my life. He’s gonna be a mentor for me and someone I’m gonna rely on no matter what.”
Castle thriving in NBA playoffs
Stephon Castle, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, continues to perform on the biggest stages since he was drafted fourth overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 2024. UConn’s first top-five pick in 20 years, Castle has averaged 18.7 points, 6.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in this year’s playoffs while shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc.
Castle had two 20-point performances in the first five games of the West Semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Should the Spurs advance, it would set up a Western Conference Finals matchup between Castle and former UConn student manager Mark Daigneault, who is contending for back-to-back championships as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
