The challenge of finally beating Kansas, a program that’s gone 4–0 against UConn all-time, just got a whole lot tougher for Dan Hurley and his team. Program captain and leading scorer Tarris Reed Jr. has officially been ruled out, extending a month-long injury saga surrounding the Huskies’ star center.

What happened to Tarris Reed Jr.?

The Huskies announced that senior center Tarris Reed Jr. will miss the game because of an ankle injury, marking the fourth time he’s been sidelined this season. Reed had already missed the opener with a hamstring issue. After that, the former Michigan big man came back in a big way, averaging more than 20 points over the next three games. But his momentum was cut short when he injured his ankle during the Nov. 19 win over BYU, forcing him to miss two more contests.

He finally returned on Friday against Illinois, stepping onto the floor at the iconic Madison Square Garden, but he clearly wasn’t himself. Reed scored just two points on 0-for-3 shooting and was limited to 15 minutes as coach Dan Hurley eased him back into action.

“Tarris remains game-to-game and is out tonight,” the program said in its statement.

It’s definitely a big loss for UConn as Reed was averaging 15.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. But the good news for Dan Hurley is that he already has a strong backup ready to step in. In the three games Reed has missed this season, German freshman Eric Reibe has stepped into the starting center role, and he’s delivered every time.

Reibe is coming off one of his most efficient outings of the season against Illinois, putting up eight points on 4-for-7 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots. The German freshman is averaging 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game this season, and he’s already shown he can step up when needed, leading the Huskies in scoring against both Arizona and Bryant.

Another player Dan Hurley has turned to in Reed’s absence is Le Moyne transfer Dwayne Koroma. The forward is averaging 10.8 minutes this season, putting up 3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get an extended run with Tarris Reed Jr. sidelined.

That said, fans online are still worried about Reed Jr.’s injury and are already wondering when he’ll be able to return.

When can UConn expect Tarris Reed Jr.’s return?

The program, as mentioned above, has listed Reed Jr.’s status as “day to day” instead of giving a clear return date like they normally would. And that’s where the concern comes in. A day-to-day injury can mean one day… or it can drag on for months, as we recently saw with Caitlin Clark.

While that might sound worrying at first, journalist David Borges later clarified that Reed did not re-aggravate his ankle injury. Instead, the staff is simply being cautious to make sure he’s fully healthy moving forward.

With the Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson also ruled out, UConn might breathe a little easier despite losing its program captain. But whether the Huskies can finally break their winless streak against Kansas is still up in the air. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!