UConn Tightens Rotation, Trims Tarris Reed Jr. Minutes
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While the BYU matchup was one for the ages, Dan Hurley couldn’t escape the reality of it. The UConn Huskies' rotation tightened against BYU in ways he didn’t want, and it exposed just how thin the margin can be when a game swings out of control.
UConn built a 20-point cushion early, then watched BYU mount a relentless comeback. The game flipped when BYU starter Keba Keita left after a collision, he was helped off with 8:51 remaining in the first half, and the Cougars pressed a smaller, quicker lineup that forced UConn to shorten the rotation.
“I like it. I think I got a little tight with his minutes the other day, but I think a lot of that had to do with Keda going out of the game and them being small, and just getting a little tight with the rotation in that first game. You know, you have the big lead, the lead is dwindling, you kind of lose that window. You don’t want to put a freshman center into what was a sinking ship in that game. So we kind of lost the window,” Hurley said.
Eventually, this led to UConn not getting the rotation balance it wanted against BYU. This ended with Eric Reibe playing only seven minutes. However, Hurley made sure to emphasize that the decisions made had nothing to do with how the staff views Reibe.
After the game tightened and the matchups shifted, the window to reinsert the freshman closed. Hurley made it clear that the situation was driven entirely by game flow, not by any hesitation about using him in meaningful minutes. However, going into the Arizona matchup, some things will change.
“But yeah, his minutes have got to be… we can’t play Terrace (Reed Jr.) 30, 32, 33 minutes in these games,” Hurley said. “The split has got to be more 28–12 or 26–4, and more similar to what it was with Donovan (Clingan). Donovan had games his freshman year where Adama (Sanogo) had to go 32, 33 minutes, and Donovan had some of those short-minute nights. I don’t think it was how we feel about Eric, it was just how the game played out.”
Tell your loved ones about Tarris Reed Jr. 🗣️
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 16, 2025
21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 monster blocks 💪 pic.twitter.com/YSrB50f1NF
That comparison wasn’t casual. Hurley directly tied Reibe’s development arc to the structure UConn used when Donovan Clingan backed up Adama Sanogo. Sanogo carried heavy workloads, while Clingan’s role changed from game to game depending on matchups, pace and circumstance.
The staff is applying a similar model now. If the Clingan-Sanogo story is testimony, then this season is going to be historic for UConn. When Clingan backed up Sanogo his freshman season, UConn went on to win the 2023 national championship game.
Now, with Tarris Reed Jr. handling the primary minutes, while Reibe is being brought along through shorter, focused stretches that will expand over time. Reed’s performance this season has reinforced that model.
Against BYU, Reed had 21 points and eight rebounds. Through four games, he has been UConn’s most consistent interior presence, anchoring the paint on both ends. Meanwhile, Reibe is in his early-season shifts, has given the staff size, length, and mobility off the bench, even if his minutes have varied depending on how the game unfolds.
What happened against BYU wasn’t a setback; it was a situational decision in a volatile matchup. But the next opponent demands a deeper frontcourt. “But because of their frontcourt,” Hurley said, “he’s got to be ready to go tomorrow.”
Why Must Eric Reibe Be Ready Now, And What Beast Awaits UConn Next?
The next opponent is the kind that UConn can’t survive without two playable bigs. The Huskies will face No. 4 Arizona at Gampel Pavilion for the first on-campus top-five matchup in 19 years. It’s the type of night where rotations shrink, stars erupt, and every possession matters.
This matchup is a collision of two undefeated heavyweights with frontcourts that don’t stop coming. Freshman phenom Koa Peat leads the Wildcats with 16.3 points per game. Then there is, the dynamic guard Jaden Bradley, the physical wing scoring threat in Anthony Dell’Orso, and bench bruiser Tobe Awaka, who’s been averaging 10 boards a night.
It is not an easy team to beat. Arizona brings size everywhere, length everywhere, and an intensity on both ends that mirrors UConn’s own identity. History adds even more weight to this matchup. UConn leads the series 5–2 and has never lost to Arizona at Gampel, including a legendary two-point win in 2000.
This match is going to be one for the books, and that is precisely why Hurley needs both Reed and Reibe ready to play their best game.
-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.