Former Michigan big man Tarris Reed Jr. announces transfer destination

When Connecticut begins its bid for a third straight national championship, a former Wolverine will be part of that quest.

Big man Tarris Reed Jr. announced his commitment to the Huskies in a social media post Wednesday after taking a visit to Storrs this past weekend.

Reed made the decision nearly a month after he entered the transfer portal on March 19 in the wake of Michigan’s historically awful 8-24 season and Juwan Howard’s firing.

“I chose UConn for its winning culture, commitment to player development and coaching style,” Reed told On3. “Coach (Dan) Hurley’s tough coaching style is known for pushing players into uncomfortable situations, making the uncomfortable seem comfortable. UConn provides the ideal setting and coaching for me to maximize my potential both on and off the court.”

Reed averaged nine points, a team-high 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a sophomore, while shooting 51.9% from the field and 58.6% from the free-throw line. The 6-foot-10 big man was one of two Wolverines to appear in all 32 games, with 31 starts.

As the lone true center on Michigan’s roster this past season, Reed also saw his playing time double — from 12.6 minutes as a freshman to 26.6 minutes in Year 2 — as he stepped into a full-time starter role following Hunter Dickinson’s transfer to Kansas.

During Reed’s two years in Ann Arbor, the former four-star recruit averaged 6.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks and made 31 starts in 66 career games.

At UConn, Reed will join a Huskies team that finished 37-3, won the Big East regular-season and tournament titles and completed a dominant NCAA Tournament run — with each win coming by at least 14 points — to repeat as national champs.

He’ll also look to fill another major void after the departure of another talented big man. This time, he’ll help replace Donovan Clingan, a cornerstone of UConn’s back-to-back championship teams who declared for the NBA Draft last week.

Reed has two years of eligibility remaining and is the third former Wolverine to transfer, along with Dug McDaniel (Kanas State) and Youssef Khayat (Bowling Green). After George Washington III withdrew from the transfer portal last week, one more Michigan player remains in it: Terrance Williams II, who also declared for the NBA Draft.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins