Tarris Reed knows 'the Lord has blessed me,' has UConn in Final 4

Tarris Reed knows ‘the Lord has blessed me’ as he leads UConn back to Final Four

By Kevin Mercer Mar 30, 2026

UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. cuts down the net after advancing to the Final Four, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

March certainly lived up to its reputation for madness on Sunday evening at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

In one of the most memorable games in recent NCAA Tournament history, No. 2-seeded UConn stormed back from a 19-point deficit to beat Duke — the No. 1 overall seed — 73-72, to advance to the Final Four.

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Despite seeing the lead trimmed to 72-70 after a made UConn free throw, Duke successfully inbounded with ball with just 10 seconds remaining. In an attempt to burn those final seconds and evade a foul, however, the Blue Devils passed the ball around the backcourt, and when they tried to loft a pass into the frontcourt, it was deflected. What came next was a sequence that has cemented itself in college basketball lore.

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

Braylon Mullins will be remembered forever amongst college basketball fans for his dagger 3-pointer. It goes down with shots like Christian Laettner’s in 1992 and Kris Jenkins’ in 2016.

But the 2026 Huskies would not have been in position to win Sunday’s game without the play of center Tarris Reed Jr., who kept his team afloat in the first half. The senior, playing in his last NCAA Tournament, contributed 26 points (10-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, four blocks — all team highs — and stout defense against Duke’s powerful front court.

“It could be my last college basketball game,” Reed said in his postgame press conference, “and [our coaches] were just like, ‘Go for it all.’ Coach told us before the game, ‘You’ve got to swing for the fences. Go as hard as you can.'”

Reed has been “swinging for the fences” all tournament long. In the Huskies’ opening-round game against Furman, he used his 6-foot-11, 265-pound frame to pour in 31 points (12-of-15 shooting) and grab an astounding 27 rebounds in the 82-71 win. Then, in a 73-57 second-round victory against UCLA, he recorded a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double and swatted away three shots.

The St. Louis native scored 20 points with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in a hard-fought win over No. 3-seeded Michigan State, 67-63, in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday, and after Sunday’s showing he was named the East Regional’s Most Outstanding Player.

WHO ELSE. TARRIS REED JR., YOUR EAST REGION MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e0YTu3d8tW

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) March 29, 2026

UConn was the fourth team to punch its ticket to the Final Four in Indianapolis, joining Michigan, Arizona and Illinois. The Huskies will play the No. 3-seeded Illini, the champions of the South Regional, on Saturday. If they win, they might play Michigan in the title game. It would be an intriguing final college game for Reed, as he played his first two college seasons with the Wolverines under their previous head coach, Juwan Howard. After Howard was fired, Reed transferred to UConn.

From Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Storrs, Connecticut, the former role player has developed into one of the most dominant centers in the country. He started 31 games for the 2023-24 Michigan team that finished 8-24, then started just one game for the 2024-25 UConn squad that was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, after starting 33 games this season and leading his team in scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounding (8.8) and blocks (2.1), he’ll finish his career in the Final Four.

It’s a journey for which Reed can only thank his Heavenly Father.

“I’m filled with gratitude just looking around, just so thankful for it all,” he said on Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast in January. “It’s crazy how I’m at my last year, going into my last semester, and now I’m realizing, ‘Wow, look at the Lord. Look what the Lord has blessed me with.’ I wish I could have known this in my freshman year. … Be grateful for it, man, because this is it for me.”

Reed said on the podcast that his college experience was defined just as much by his spiritual growth as his growth on the court. Once challenged to read about the life of Jesus in the Bible, Reed now reads Scripture as part of his daily morning routine.

“Jesus just wiped my eyes clean,” Reed said on the podcast. “I got to see the world through a whole new lens. That’s really where my journey began. That’s where the seed — my whole life — just grew and it started to blossom from there.”

"My whole life changed."

On Monday you can listen to our full conversation with @TarrisReedJr from @UConnMBB!https://t.co/38w3bP9ARo pic.twitter.com/nknqPhqO7v

— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) January 4, 2026

Prayer is also now a critical component of Reed’s life.

“I got back to speaking to the Lord,” he told CT Insider in February 2025. “I’ve been stronger ever since. I read my Bible every morning. … I had to be reminded that I get my confidence from Him, being strong in my faith.”

Reed frequently begins press conferences by praising the Lord, and his X account includes a banner photo with the words, “It’s all about Jesus, it’s only about Jesus and it’s always about Jesus.” He calls himself a “Disciple” on Instagram, where he often references his faith in posts.

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“Jesus has literally changed me from the inside out,” Reed told CT Insider last year. “I love talking about the Lord and what He’s done for my life, so I can go out and help others.”

Already thankful for all that God has done in his life over the past four years, Reed now has a chance to add a national championship to his college basketball resume. UConn and Illinois will tip off from Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium at 6:09 p.m. ET Saturday.

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Basketball Sports Spectrum Podcast

SS PODCAST: Former Wisconsin & NBA player Frank Kaminsky on growing in faith, becoming a dad

By Sports Spectrum Mar 27, 2026

Frank Kaminsky with the Phoenix Suns in 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING FRANK KAMINSKY

Frank Kaminsky played eight NBA seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets, and is currently playing with Alvark Tokyo of the Japanese League.

He was selected ninth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by Charlotte after a stellar college career at Wisconsin, where he was the 2015 Naismith College Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American. He led the Badgers to the Final Four twice (2014, 2015) and advanced to the national championship game in 2015 before losing to Duke, 68-63.

Today on the podcast, host Matt Forte talks to Frank Kaminsky about his love for the Chicago Bears (Matt’s former team), the phone call he got from Michael Jordan, playing in two Final Fours, growing in his faith, and becoming a dad.

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RELATED PODCASTS:
– George Hill, Former NBA Player
– Al Horford, 2024 NBA champion

PLEASE CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING, FOLLOWING AND LEAVING A REVIEW

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Basketball

Spiritual leaders Latrell Wrightstell, Houston Mallette helping keep Alabama ‘centered’

By Cole Claybourn Mar 26, 2026

Alabama's Latrell Wrightsell (left) and Houston Mallette (right), Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Houston Mallette said he’s prepared to do all the dirty work for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Whether it’s rebounding, diving for a loose ball, setting a pick — the things that aren’t necessarily glamorous, but necessary for a winning team — he sees that as his role.

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“I put my life on the line,” Mallette said following No. 4 seed Alabama’s 90-65 win over Texas Tech on Sunday to earn a Sweet 16 matchup with No. 1 seed Michigan. “I love my teammates. There’s a verse in John that says, ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,’ and that’s what I want to be on the court. That’s all I care about.”

In that game, though, Mallette’s biggest contribution was actually scoring. The senior came off the bench to hit five 3-pointers and finish with 15 points (he did also add eight rebounds). It was his highest point total since a Nov. 25 game against UNLV. Also in the win over Texas Tech, Latrell Wrightstell scored 24 points — his second-highest point total this season. Together, they helped Alabama reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year.

The two have also risen up to be spiritual leaders on the team this season. They are both outspoken about their faith any chance they get to speak to media.

“We have a real big foundation in our faith with the Lord Jesus Christ,” Wrightsell told TNT Sports after the win over Texas Tech. “He’s always with us. He protects us. He guides us through all of this. Through His path and His leading, we’re here right now today and we’re moving on to the Sweet 16, so I’m just thankful and I’m blessed.”

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But they’re just as vocal in the locker room and in private when cameras aren’t around. Toward the end of the regular season, Wrightsell and Mallette spoke in front of a team Bible study about their faith journey and how God had worked in their lives.

“None of us wanted that night to end,” team chaplain Scotty Hollins recently told On SI. “They were just sharing their hearts and talking about their gratitude for what God had done and what God was doing through their lives and through our team.”

The weekly Bible study was initially organized by Hollins and Dre McLean, another team chaplain, earlier in the season. The group that started gathering quickly grew and began convening in the athletes’ dining hall. As the season progressed, Galatians 6:9 became sort of a life verse for the group. The verse reads, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

For both Wrightsell and Mallette, that verse is especially meaningful after they both suffered season-ending injuries last season. They weren’t sure if they’d be able to play or be fully healthy for their final year of college basketball.

“I talk about this with Trelly all the time — it’s not ‘could,’ it’s not ‘may,’ it’s ‘will,'” Mallette told On SI, referring to the verse. “The word ‘will’ in the Bible is important, like you will 100% reap a harvest if you do not give up. That means God does have something for you in your life. It may not be basketball-related at all, but God is going to show you His love and show you His plan.”

They both learned a lot about patience while they were forced to sit with injury. The story of Joseph, who was sold into slavery before rising to save others (Genesis 37-50), helped provide a Biblical lesson for them to cling to during that season.

Wrightsell played three seasons at Cal State-Fullerton, and Mallette spent three at Pepperdine before they both transferred to Alabama — Wrightsell before the 2023-24 season and Mallette the following year. They met and bonded even before Mallette transferred and they’ve been close since.

“Every Thursday, when we met throughout the year, we would just talk,” Mallette told On SI. “It’s helped keep me centered, it’s kept Trelly centered, it’s kept everybody on the team centered.”

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Head coach Nate Oats, who has been open about his own faith in God, said the best part of this faith-centered approach on the team is how it’s been player-led.

“That’s how it needs to be, and those two guys have done a good job,” he said when asked about Mallette and Wrightsell in a press conference prior to the Texas Tech game. “… I just hope I can keep coaching these guys a long time because I think they’re about the right stuff. It’s great that they’ve been able to have influence within the team that way.”

That was apparent last week, when star guard Aden Holloway was arrested for possession of marijuana right before the NCAA Tournament began. As the team huddled up to end a practice ahead of the tournament, Mallette asked to pray over the team and the situation.

“They really know Him, and they have a relationship with the Lord,” Hollins said about Mallette and Wrightsell. “I wouldn’t be overstepping by saying He’s not just a part of their life, He is their life.”

Alabama and Michigan tip off at 7:35 p.m. ET Friday on TBS.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<

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Basketball

‘By the grace of God,’ Bones Hyland playing key role for Timberwolves, 8 years after house fire

By Cole Claybourn Mar 25, 2026

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland, March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

There was a time when Bones Hyland wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to play basketball again. On March 25, 2018, Hyland (then a high school junior) was forced to jump out of a second-story window as flames engulfed his Wilmington, Delaware, home.

He tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in the process, and his baby cousin and grandmother passed away in the fire.

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“I cried my eyes out,” he recently told The Athletic. “But I knew it wasn’t the end for me. God always got the last say-so.”

Eight years later to the day, he’ll take the court Wednesday night for the Minnesota Timberwolves, looking to continue being a spark off the bench as they face the Houston Rockets. After spending some time in the G-League the past few seasons, Hyland has played 63 NBA games this year, with a good chance to top the career-best 69 he played his rookie year.

And he’s provided real production for the Timberwolves while star guard Anthony Edwards and point guard Mike Conley have been out with injuries. Hyland has scored 17 or more points in each of the past four games, including 23 in a win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

“The way Bones is playing right now, it’s really important we keep him in this group when Ant comes back,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said after Sunday’s game. “That means a couple things: one is finding more minutes for him, and two, letting him do his thing. The most important thing is we’re playing fast right now, and we’re playing to the strengths of this roster.”

ON A HEATER RN 😳 pic.twitter.com/PCbrmVKMLi

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 23, 2026

Hyland was a high school star at St. Georges Tech in Middletown, Delaware, about 30 miles south of Wilmington. His legend grew from stories and videos that surfaced from pick-up games, aided by a vibrant personality. He was so popular in the area that the hospital was overrun by visitors following the fire and leg injury, The Athletic reported.

He rehabbed his knee and returned for his senior season, where he averaged 26 points and 4.6 assists. He went on to play two seasons at VCU, where he was the 2021 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year as a sophomore. The Denver Nuggets selected him No. 26 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and he was selected to the 2022 All-Rookie second team.

His time in Denver ended roughly when his playing time dwindled and he clashed with coaches about his role.

“It was one of those situations where I had to really mature as a person,” Hyland told The Athletic. “I felt like I knew it all at a young age. I was playing a lot. I wanted to play a little bit more. Sometimes, that happens as a player. You’re competitive — you want to play more. Every player in the NBA wants to play more than what they’re getting.”

He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2023, then traded to the Timberwolves almost exactly two years later. Needless to say, he’s looking for a chance to carve out a more permanent role with the Timberwolves after spending some time with the Iowa Wolves of the G League.

It’s why he plays with such urgency, and at this point, he has little fear in his game after what he’s endured in his life.

“It’s like I see food at the rim,” Hyland told The Athletic. “If I’ve got one-on-one in transition, I’m going right at him. It’s me and you, and I’m going to win that battle.”

That type of attitude can earn respect from coaches and teammates quickly. That appears to be the case in Minnesota.

“I love having him on the team,” Finch said. “He’s the same every day. He’s a super happy guy. He’s one of these guys who brings joy to the game in the way that he plays it.”

A major reason for that positive attitude is Hyland’s faith in God and gratitude for life after knowing how differently things could’ve ended eight years ago.

“By the grace of God, I was able to have a second chance at life,” Hyland told The Athletic. “So why not come in and smile every day and put a smile on people’s faces? Because my life was almost taken, so you never know what someone else is going through.”

Thank you God for a breath of fresh air & new challenges everyday. It’s all apart of who you become in life. Never Doubt Jesus!

— Bones Hyland (@BizzyBones11) April 8, 2025

half of y’all are scared to worship GOD because your scared of what your friends might say. But late in the mid night hour GOD will always answer your calls..🙏🏽

— Bones Hyland (@BizzyBones11) November 18, 2018

He thanks God on social media, and when he checks into a game, he makes the shape of a cross on his chest to show how thankful he is that God gave him the chance to live and continue playing basketball.

“So that’s something that I thank the Lord for keeping me here and keeping me going,” he told ESPN in 2022 after a game in which some of the firefighters who saved his life attended. “That’s something I play for each and every day. I try to go out there and play with joy and that swag and just be me at all times.”

At times, especially around the anniversary of the fire, he can still smell and even taste the smoke again. It’s a memory that will likely never fade, he said.

But being on the court helps him cope. As he’s matured in life since that incident, he’s also matured as a basketball player. A big part of that is being coachable and understanding how to play within a specific structure. For Minnesota, that looks like more passing, more playmaking and wisely harnessing the aggression that helped make him who he is.

“When I’m out there, I’m going to give that energy to my teammates and let them know they can count on me, they can trust me and I want them to feel my energy so they can pick up my energy if their energy is down,” Hyland said.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<

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Basketball

Star center Raegan Beers leads Oklahoma to Sweet 16, knows she’s ‘living an answered prayer’

By Kevin Mercer Mar 24, 2026

Oklahoma's Raegan Beers, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Oklahoma is one of 16 teams left standing after a busy first weekend in the women’s NCAA Tournament, as the No. 4-seeded Sooners advanced past Idaho, 89-59, and Michigan State, 77-71, to earn a date with No. 1 seed South Carolina in the Sweet 16 on Saturday. Back in January, Oklahoma handed South Carolina one of its three losses on the season.

In order to take down the powerhouse Gamecocks again, Oklahoma will need another stellar performance from star center Raegan Beers. The 6-foot-4 senior from Littleton, Colorado, has registered double-doubles in both NCAA Tournament games so far while shooting 65% (13 for 20).

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Beers had a team-leading 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Vandals on Friday, and against the Spartans on Sunday she poured in another 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds (a team high) to help OU overcome a five-point halftime deficit and win. Beers also had four steals and two blocks.

BEST BIG IN THE COUNTRY! @RaeganBeers // 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/qATbU8hNLj

— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) March 23, 2026

SOONERS KEEP ON DANCIN' 🔥

4-seed Oklahoma takes down 5-seed Michigan State in Norman 💥 pic.twitter.com/UQVFnS79St

— espnW (@espnW) March 23, 2026

In the postgame press conference, Beers was asked why she was emotional at the end of the game.

“Gratitude,” she said as she got teary-eyed, reflecting on her final game at OU’s Lloyd Noble Center. “I love this place. I love these people. … This is a really cool team — a coaching staff that has poured a lot into me for two years that I’m so, so grateful for, and a team that has just loved on me since the minute I came last year and this year. They continue to develop you as people and not just as basketball players, which I really appreciate.”

Beers transferred to Oklahoma ahead of the 2024-25 season after two with Oregon State, and her arrival in Norman has lifted the Sooners on the court; they’ve now advanced to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years, their first two appearances in the tournament’s second weekend since 2013.

But perhaps even more impactful to the Sooners than Beers’ post presence has been her locker-room presence. Sitting next to Beers in Sunday’s press conference was her teammate, Payton Verhulst, who took time in her comments to compliment her friend.

“Raegan’s just a really special teammate and person,” Verhulst said. “Like not even speaking of basketball, [journalists] get to write and see everything she does on the basketball court, but she’s such a great person, and I genuinely mean that. Like, she’s one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met and ever played with.”

After Oklahoma’s tough loss in the Sweet 16 last season, Beers made sure to express her gratitude to people around her, and to God for making it all possible.

“It’s so cool to have that (support), because it just solidifies where you are and the program I chose,” she said. “… The core of my family was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re gonna love it there, and I know you’re gonna love it there.’ My high school coach has poured into me all year, texting me every single day I think for the past two weeks. To have that is such a blessing.

“The Lord has truly given me a gift to play basketball with people that I love, surrounded by so many people that I love, and I cannot be more thankful for them.”

She includes a banner photo with the words “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” on her X account, echoing the Bible verse Psalm 139:14. She also declares that “I am His” and lists the Bible verse Isaiah 43:1 in her Instagram bio.

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Beers, who is very involved with OU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter, was a guest on an episode of Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast in February 2025. She talked on the podcast about the importance of prayer in her decision to transfer.

“I trusted that the Lord was going to get me through it,” she said, “and He did because He does every time. He’s gotten me this far through a bunch of different things, so it was my job to put it on Him and say, ‘All right, this is Yours. This is Your burden.’ … It was really a moment of just trusting the Lord and being like, ‘I know you’re going to be before me and behind me and with me all the time’ (Deuteronomy 31:8).”

As she reflected on that time of uncertainty and transition, Beers said God answered her prayers very clearly.

“It was a moment after a game — I don’t remember which game — but it was a moment where I was just like, ‘Wow, I prayed for this a couple months ago. I was praying for this and I’m living it now,'” she said. “‘Take a second. You are living an answered prayer.'”

"I'm now living an answered prayer." – @RaeganBeers

Hear more from @OU_WBBall's Raegan Beers on this week's What's Up podcast! #boomersooner #beadavid https://t.co/38w3bP9ARo pic.twitter.com/sh2YcSPRGn

— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 17, 2025

As she lives in thankful recognition of God’s incredible work in her life, Beers and her Oklahoma teammates now head to Sacramento, California, the site of their showdown with South Carolina. Tipoff between the Sooners and Gamecocks is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET Saturday.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<