Dan Hurley Praises UConn Center After Statement Game
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The UConn Huskies are currently sitting on a 17–1 overall record and a 7–0 record in Big East play. They are riding a 13-game winning streak and five Quad 1 victories. And not so long ago, in Newark, the Huskies broke a four-game losing streak at Prudential Center.
The Huskies went up against No. 25 Seton Hall Pirates and won 69–64. UConn made a 13-point halftime cushion and pushed the lead to 18 in the second half before Seton Hall surged back, trimming the margin to one in the final minute. It was tense and uncomfortable. However, it is also why the paint mattered so much.
And that is where Tarris Reed Jr. comes in. The UConn center finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks while shooting 8-of-13 from the floor. Reed scored 12 points in the first half alone, helping the 14–0 run that changed momentum. Perhaps that’s why Dan Hurley had a lot to say about Reed postgame.
As Hurley puts it, “What I liked about what Tarris did was he did it against, obviously, the free-throw shooting could have really, it could have been a 25-and-10 game, because he died on the glass a little bit late, where we just kept giving those guys second chances, which would be tough to watch. But he’s fully healthy, and those numbers versus those guys, 21 and 9 versus Seton Hall, that’s different than getting 21 and 9 versus some soft-ass team. You know, that’s real against those guys.”
Nothing flashy about Tarris Reed Jr.'s game, but so tough to stop in the paint. Finished with 21, 9 and 3 blocks last night. Uses 265 pounds to carve out space, instincts to know when to fake, use patience, spin the other way, etc, and soft hands to convert. Good passer as well. pic.twitter.com/tmjjxU9baP
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) January 14, 2026
That growth has been building all season. Reed allowed UConn to outscore Seton Hall 42–34 in the paint. This season, Reed has had four 20-point games and has routinely finished above 60 percent from the floor while providing rim protection.
Over the past few weeks alone, Reed has had big numbers against Providence, Marquette, Xavier, and Seton Hall. He has become the kind of interior presence that travels, the kind coaches rely on.
What’s Next for the Huskies?
Next, the Huskies take a road trip to face the Georgetown Hoyas at Capital One Arena. UConn has won 10 straight against Georgetown and owns a 35–19 all-time edge, including multiple recent wins in Washington, D.C. Still, another BIG EAST road game brings another test, especially for a team chasing perfection in league play.
After Georgetown, UConn heads into a demanding stretch with Villanova, Providence, Creighton, Xavier, St. John’s, Butler, and then Georgetown again back in Storrs. If Reed continues playing the way he did in Newark, the matches ahead won’t be all that hard for the Huskies to take down.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.