Faith, Family and U-M Helping Tarris Reed Jr. Build Confidence
10/6/2023 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Ben Metcalf
Those familiar with University of Michigan basketball player Tarris Reed Jr.'s game would use superlatives such as "dominant," "imposing" or "unstoppable" to describe the sophomore center's presence in the paint. However, Reed himself has not always felt this way.
When Reed first attracted the attention of college coaches as a high school freshman, he struggled to understand why he was receiving such high praise.
"I didn't understand why coaches liked me, or why coaches wanted me at their school," he said. "I didn't feel like I was good enough."
Reed battled through feelings of self-doubt and continued to rack up offers and climb recruiting rankings throughout his high school career. As a senior, he committed to Michigan as a top-40 recruit in his class. However, upon arriving in Ann Arbor, Reed found more difficulty than he expected adjusting to the college level.
"I feel like the expectations (I set for myself) were very high, kind of unrealistically high," he said. "I didn't know what college was about, how hard it really is and how much confidence is a big thing in college basketball, so my expectations were playing 20 to 25 minutes, trying to average a double-double, and going to the NBA. That's every kid's dream. But when I got to campus, playing against Hunter (Dickinson), learning from Coach Howard, living the college lifestyle and playing college basketball -- it's harder than what a lot of kids see."
Primarily, Reed found that his mindset hindered his execution at the free-throw line. "(Free-throw shooting) was a bad thing that I started with," he said. "I have never shot that bad in my life."
In turn, Reed noted that the setback may have influenced his overall shot selection.
"I know I can shoot and do a lot more," he said. "It's just having that confidence in my game and trusting the work that I put in in the offseason and practice every day. That's one of the biggest things."
Despite these challenges, Reed put together a solid freshman season with the Wolverines, averaging 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds while registering 31 blocks and playing in all 34 games off the bench. He consistently impressed with his defense and rebounding, earning more minutes as the season progressed.
"Over time, I started getting more comfortable with the game," he said. "The game was coming to me instead of me trying to chase the game."
The highlight of Reed's freshman season occurred when the Wolverines hosted Michigan State on Feb. 18. In 24 minutes off the bench, Reed grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds and tied career bests with eight points and three blocks. Late in the game, he swatted a hook shot from MSU's Joey Hauser leading to a Dickinson three-pointer. The sequence put the game out of reach, as the Wolverines held the Spartans scoreless for the final two-and-a-half minutes to seal an 84-72 win.
The next day, Reed volunteered at a youth basketball clinic at Huron High School. After a day of coaching and leading drills, he told a gym full of young basketball players to continue to work hard despite feelings of self-doubt, reminding the campers that being unsure of oneself is a challenge that can be overcome.
When Reed struggles with confidence, he finds strength in his faith, which gives him the motivation to push through.
"That's the number one thing I have to do," he said. "When things are crumbling down, I know that I have faith in Jesus Christ. He's going to produce and carry me through the storm."
Additionally, he finds support in his family. Reed and his father, Tarris Sr., enjoy breaking down games together to further understand where he can improve.
"Even though they give me constructive criticism at times, I want to hear it all the time, he said. "I know it's all coming from a place of love. They want the best for me."
Heading into his second season, Reed will look to fill a bigger role as a primary member of the Wolverines frontcourt. He has gotten support with the adjustment from U-M coaches and his teammates.
"Overall, the coaching staff and Coach Howard are just super cool and super genuine," Reed said. "I felt that when I first got here. The whole family atmosphere, from my teammates to the people in Ann Arbor."
Reed also has spent the summer learning from the Wolverines' three new graduate transfers: Olivier Nkamhoua, Nimari Burnett and Tray Jackson. Nkamhoua, a forward who transferred to Michigan after four years at Tennessee, already has emerged as a strong mentor for Reed.
"I've been learning from him like crazy," Reed said. "He's talking to me about everything. He's telling me, 'Hey T, you got to do this on your post-ups to make it a little easier,' or 'Keep moving your feet on the off side.' I just learn from him, and picking his brain has helped me a lot throughout this process. It's only been a month or two, so a whole eight months under his belt is going to be crazy."
Reed's sense of family within the U-M program may be growing, as his younger brother, Tristan, received a scholarship offer from the Wolverines this summer, further reinforcing Tarris' sense of belonging within the program.
"(The Michigan coaching staff) loves to care for the family. And it's not from a place where I'm the big brother -- (and) that's a little brother -- so it would be nice to throw an offer," he said. "No, my little brother worked for that and (Coach Howard) trusted our family. He likes what he sees in me, so he decided to extend an offer to my little brother. So that was a big thing."
Just as Reed spoke to the youngsters at the basketball camp, he has a message for all young athletes who may be struggling to find confidence: "You are not alone. I know it can be hard at times, especially with the world we live in now with social media. You get caught up in your head, 'Oh I'm not good enough. He beat me, blah blah blah.' Trust the work you put in, keep on working every day, and the results are going to show."
This mentality can lead Reed and his returning teammates in their preparation for the 2023-24 season, as U-M will seek to improve on an up-and-down campaign with a more experienced, veteran group.
"Talking to (sophomore point guard) Dug (McDaniel), what happened last year cannot happen again," Reed said. "Even though we were freshmen, and we were brand new to the college scene, we know what we did wrong. We know what we can work on. We know what we can improve. We have to build off of last year, take the positive, and continue to build on it."
If the Wolverines are going to reach the heights they are capable of this season, Reed will have to continue to grow into the dominant force he knows he can be. The support of those around him -- and Reed's resilience -- make this outcome entirely possible.
