The ghost of Wilt Chamberlain took control of UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. on Friday night to kick off his team’s NCAA Tournament run.
The 5-seed Huskies took on the 13-seed Paladins in a surprisingly competitive matchup at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. UConn held the advantage nearly wire-to-wire, but never built a lead larger than 14 points.
UConn needed all the production that Reed could give them, and the senior big man had a lot to give against Furman. Reed erupted for a stunning double-double of 31 points and 27 rebounds. He shot a stellar 12/15 from the field and made 7/9 free throws across 35 minutes.
Tarris Reed tonight vs. Furman:
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2026
31 PTS
27 REB
12-15 FG
A HISTORIC night for the @UConnMBB big man 💪 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Ue6PnpIN0P
The performance came out of nowhere, as Reed had never scored more than 24 points or grabbed more than 18 rebounds in a game. He entered the game averaging 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds across 29 games.
Reed outrebounded the entire Furman team by himself, 27-23, which is extra impressive considering the Paladins fielded one of the tallest lineups in the country. Reed’s muscle-flexing performance helped power UConn to an 82-71 win.
Reed became the first player since Elvin Hayes in 1968 to post a 30-25 game in the NCAA Tournament. It may take another few decades before we see the next one.
