Michigan Basketball: Tarris Reed continues to play like a 5-star recruit

Michigan basketball signee Tarris Reed stood out over the weekend and could be nearing five-star status soon if he keeps it up. 

Over the Martin Luther King Day weekend, the 20th annual Hoophall Classic took place at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, the site of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Many of the nation’s top teams and prospects were on hand, including Michigan basketball signee Tarris Reed.

Playing for his Link Academy squad, Reed was one of the most impressive prospects on hand. He had 16 points and 13 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action in leading his team to a 70-64 win over a loaded Prolific Prep team.

Reed was aggressive in drawing contact and he finished 7-for-8 at the free throw line. He also outplayed five-star UCLA signed Adem Bona, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes.

Here is what 247Sports had to say about his performance.

"In the final game of Hoophall, Prolific Prep took on Link Academy and Michigan signee, Tarris Reed, posted a double-double to help Link hold off a tough and physical Prolific team.Reed, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound big man, is a strong and physical post prospect with soft hands and touch and nice footwork around the block.He had his work cut out for him going up against a relentless big man in Adem Bona but Reed held his ground by snagging 13 rebounds and by taking eight-attempts from the free throw line.Juwan Howard and the Wolverines are getting a solid presence down low in a big man who can efficiently score on the block, rebounds and is developing his face-up game."

Reed’s stock has been on the rise for awhile after he had a big summer. He was the 71st ranked player in the 2022 class, but now he sits as the 38th ranked overall prospect and 8th center according to the 247 composite. At this point, it would not be a surprise if he ended the cycle as a five-star prospect.

More importantly, Reed has grown and is now listed at 6-foot-10 and 260 pounds, which is up from 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds. The extra inch and girth matters in the Big Ten, when going against the Kofi Cockburn’s, Luke Garza’s and Trayce Jackson-Davis’ of the world. Reed likely won’t have to worry about those guys specifically, but the Big Ten is typically loaded with big men.

Additionally, the status of Hunter Dickinson and Moussa Diabate is unknown for next season. Ideally, Michigan basketball will keep at least one of them while Reed provides backup minutes and gets time to develop as a freshman.

However, if Reed is pressed into a starting role as a freshman, it sounds like Michigan will be getting a solid contributor.