Four-star sophomore Tarris Reed emerging as a Midwest priority

One of the top young big men in the Midwest, four-star Tarris Reed is emerging as a priority target for many high major programs.

A 6-foot-8 sophomore at St. Louis (Mo.) Chaminade, Reed averaged 14.5 points and 8.3 rebounds a game and felt good about his performance.

"I think I played really well this year," Reed told Rivals.com. "I came out of my comfort zone from my freshman year. Over the summer I was working on my game, working with older players like Tyler Cook, Xavier Sneed and Mamadi Diakite from the college and NBA levels. It helped me improve my game from inside to outside and overall I think I did a little bit of everything."

Reed already holds offers from Missouri, Nebraska, St. Louis and UMKC with others like Kansas and Purdue showing attention. His high school has a rich tradition of producing high level players and those who have made it to the highest level stay connected.

"Brad Beal came back to Chaminade and talked to the whole team during the middle of the season," said Reed. "He just really inspired us and helped us to keep on going. We were at a point where we were really down. We had just lost two games in a row and Brad came in and helped us get the best."

This weekend, Reed would have been playing in Nike's EYBL with MoKan Elite, but Covid-19 has everything on hold so he's doing his best to stay ready and to keep improving.

"I'm just doing squats, working on my legs and I have a hoop at my house. I'm getting up shots every day. I'm working on hooks, mid range, threes a little bit of everything."

Reed has taken unofficial visits to Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and St. Louis, he discussed them.

Kansas: "I went for Late Night. It was actually fun and two of the MoKan players Dajuan Harris and Christian Braun play on the team so most of the MoKan family popped out. It was honestly a great experience. It was fun and felt like home."

Missouri: "The coaching was amazing. When coach Cuonzo Martin was running practice I could see that he was a very strict coach and he wanted things done a certain way. I liked that. Last year with my MoKan summer team my teammate Jevon Porter, his dad works with the coaching staff and he first introduced me to them last year during camp."

Nebraska: "(Fred Hoiberg) made a really good impression. He told us a lot about him and about how he played in the NBA and was a Draft pick. He showed us pictures of him with Michael Jordan and took us around the facility and introduced us to himself and it felt like home."

Saint Louis: "It feels amazing, it feels just like home. They've invited me to a couple of games and it was awesome. The atmosphere was amazing. Like when they played Dayton even though they lost it was still amazing and I got to go back and talk to coach (Travis) Ford and coach (Corey) Tate."

It was going to be a big spring and summer for Reed. He's got a big and strong frame, knows how to play physical around the rim and has a rapidly expanding game away from the hoop.

Things will pick up even more for him once coaches get to watch him more and given that he's still finishing up his sophomore year he's in no rush to make a decision.

"We've just been creating different accounts to get to coaches so they can get me information and so we can give them stuff too," said Reed. "There's no rush. I'm looking for a program with a great coaching staff and great facilities. I'm looking for great people and a strong academic institution as well."