UConn’s Frontcourt Duo Is Dominating the Paint with Ruthless Efficiency
The numbers don’t lie-UConn’s big men are putting on a clinic in offensive efficiency. In a season where the Huskies are already lighting it up from deep at 36.4% as a team, it’s the centers who are quietly doing the most damage, and they’re doing it the old-fashioned way: right at the rim.
Tarris Reed Jr. is operating at a scorching 64.8% clip from the field this season. On Tuesday night, he was perfect-literally-going 7-for-7 in UConn’s commanding 92-60 win over Xavier.
That wasn’t an outlier, either. Over his last three games, Reed has gone 19-for-20, good for a jaw-dropping 95% shooting stretch.
He’s not padding those numbers with jumpers, either. Reed has yet to hit a three this season, and he’s only attempted three.
His game lives in the paint, where he uses his 6-foot-11 frame, soft touch, and relentless motor to carve up defenses.
Reed’s impact goes beyond just finishing plays. He’s pulled down 46 offensive rebounds this season, creating second-chance opportunities and keeping defenses on their heels.
And with UConn averaging 18.5 assists per game-including 26 dimes against Xavier-it’s clear his teammates know exactly where to find him. The result?
The Huskies dropped 46 points in the paint that night. That’s not just good offense-it’s a statement.
After the game, Reed spoke about the confidence flowing through the locker room. “During shootaround today, Coach [Dan Hurley] said something that really stuck with me, saying like, ‘This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity playing for a top three team in the country… go out there and just hoop and have fun,’” Reed said.
“Just having the trust of the coaching staff and my teammates-it’s made all the difference. The touch around the rim, it’s really just a product of us buying into the system.”
And the numbers back it up. Reed went 8-for-9 against Providence on Jan. 27, then followed that up by hitting all four of his shots at Creighton. That’s the kind of consistency that coaches dream about from their big men.
But here’s the kicker: when Reed takes a breather, the drop-off is minimal-if it even exists.
Enter Eric Reibe, the 7-foot-1 freshman who’s quietly been just as efficient. Reibe is shooting 64.3% on the season, and over his last three games, he’s hit 13 of his 14 attempts.
That’s 92.9% for those keeping score at home. Against Xavier, he poured in 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, showing poise beyond his years.
Head coach Dan Hurley isn’t surprised. In fact, he expects this level of production from his centers.
“If you look at our centers’ production going back to ’23, if our centers aren't shooting 65% or higher from the field, it’s like stunning,” Hurley said. “The shots they’re getting-as rollers, post-up options, off-ball screeners-they’re high-efficiency looks.
And we’re getting better at post feeding them, too.”
Hurley’s system is tailor-made for bigs who can finish, move without the ball, and embrace physical play in the paint. Reed and Reibe are checking every box. With both centers thriving, UConn has a luxury most teams in the country can’t match: a frontcourt rotation that doesn’t just hold the line-it elevates it.
So while the perimeter shooting grabs headlines, the real heartbeat of this Huskies team might just be the two-headed monster at center. Reed and Reibe are doing the dirty work, and they’re doing it with surgical precision. If they keep this up, UConn’s path to a deep March run will be paved in the paint.