"Faith, praying… it just clicked": Tarris Reed Jr. opens up on 'phone call' with UConn’s Dan Hurley that sealed his transfer decision

Faith played an important role in Tarris Reed Jr. choosing the UConn Huskies as his transfer destination. Reed shared how coach Dan Hurley helped with his decision-making process during the second episode of the 'Path of the Cross Podcast,' which premiered on YouTube on Sunday.

Host Zach Schumaker asked Reed how he utilized God when deciding which school to transfer to after the 2023-24 season. Reed opted to enter the transfer portal following a stellar sophomore season with Michigan after the school decided to fire coach Juwan Howard.

"Geez. I mean, faith, praying," Reed said (Timestamp 15:27). "There were days like I'm up late at night. Like, I told my parents I didn’t know where to go."

"It was down to two schools, but it was like every school sounded good, you know? Like, every school was calling, had something great to offer, and put me in a position where I could have succeeded."

Tarris Reed leaned on the power of prayer to make the right choice for himself and it was his phone call with Dan Hurley that swayed him to move to Storrs.

"But it was something about that phone call with UConn where after I got done talking with Coach Hurley, I just knew. It was like something, it just clicked. So I prayed about it, prayed on it, and yeah, ended up at UConn."

Reed later revealed that Kansas State was the other school he considered joining for his junior year. He posted solid numbers for UConn in the 2024-25 season, averaging 9.6 points through 35 games. He also showed his worth inside the shaded area, leading the Huskies in rebounding and blocked shots.

How Tarris Reed Jr. performed under UConn's Dan Hurley in the 2025 March Madness

Dan Hurley recruited Tarris Reed Jr. to help with UConn's unprecedented bid to win three consecutive NCAA titles. The Huskies struggled during the regular season, though, and only managed to secure the No. 8 seed in the West regional bracket.

Connecticut Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (#5) controls the ball against Villanova Wildcats forward Eric Dixon (43) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Photo: Imagn

They extended their winning streak in the Big Dance to 13 games, beating Oklahoma in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Tarris Reed helped the Huskies record a 67-59 victory over the Sooners, scoring 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting. He also had seven boards and one dime in 21 minutes of action.

Reed fell short in his bid to win the NCAA title for the first time in his career as UConn lost 77-75 to eventual champions Florida in the second round. Reed racked up five points, eight boards, one steal and one assist for the Huskies, who failed to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022.

Reed, who won the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award, will return to UConn as a senior player in the 2025-26 season.