Meet UConn Basketball Star Tarris Reed Jr.'s Parents, Darlene and Tarris Reed
· Yahoo Sports
Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty; Tarris Reed Jr./Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- University of Connecticut basketball star Tarris Reed Jr. was raised in St. Louis by his parents, Darlene and Tarris Reed
- After he was born in 2003, the couple welcomed two more sons, Trevor and Tristan, who also play basketball
- Tarris Jr. relies on his family for support, noting that even their constructive criticism comes "from a place of love"
Tarris Reed Jr. is making his parents proud.
Visit sweetbonanza.qpon for more information.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Tarris Jr. is the eldest of Darlene and Tarris Reed's three children. After he arrived on Aug. 5, 2003, they welcomed two more sons, Trevor and Tristan, per his University of Connecticut bio.
The deep sense of dedication the couple instilled in him as a child led Tarris Jr. to a successful collegiate basketball career, playing for Michigan for two years before transferring to UConn in 2024.
Both of his parents encouraged him to get into sports, though he had a hard time deciding which he liked best.
"He just wanted to put his mind to each sport, to be able to master something in that sport, and when he got to basketball, that’s what he fell in love with," Darlene told The Michigan Daily in November 2023.
She continued, "I watched him grow from a kid that really didn’t think he could play [basketball] ... for him to say ‘You know what, this is what I really want to do. I want to play basketball,’ and for him to grow in the game, [it] has been mind blowing.”
Here's everything to know about Tarris Reed Jr.'s parents, Darlene and Tarris Reed.
Darlene is a former track star
Tarris Reed Jr. and his mom Darlene.Credit: Tarris Reed Jr./Instagram
Tarris Jr. is far from the only athlete in his family. His mother was a track talent — something she attempted to pass down to her eldest son.
Tarris told CT Insider in April 2026 that the basketball star was "pretty quick for his age" and was running track in the Junior Olympics by the time he was 11 years old.
"I hated every second of it," Tarris Jr. admitted to the outlet.
But Darlene had taught him to "keep going and keep pursuing" with one of her major life lessons being: "if you start something, you've got to finish it."
So he continued, until he broke his wrist in seventh grade and set his sights on basketball.
Tarris is an engineer
Tarris Reed Jr. with his dad and brothers.Credit: Tarris Reed Jr./Instagram
The UConn star's father has spent his career as an engineer, and his mother works in finance, per CT Insider.
Tarris earned his bachelor's degree in industrial technology from Illinois State University in 1992, followed by his master's degree in engineering management operations from Washington University in St. Louis in 2008, according to his LinkedIn.
They share three children who all play basketball
Tarris Reed Jr. with his family.Credit: Tarris Reed Jr./Instagram
Darlene and Tarris have three sons — Tarris Jr., Trevor and Tristan — and they all play basketball.
Trevor is a Division III forward at Denison University in Ohio, and Tristan committed to Mississippi State University in 2025, per his Instagram.
His parents have continuously cheered on their eldest son from the sidelines and have high hopes for his future in the sport.
"There's a lot more to his game that the next level can allow him to expand on," Tarris told CT Insider. "If you listen and believe in the process and you're willing to buy in ... I think he's bought in."
Tarris Jr. was named after his father
Tarris Reed Jr. and his dad Tarris Sr.Credit: Tarris Reed Jr./Instagram
Tarris Jr. was named after his father, whose full name is Tarris Alvence Reed.
The UConn star is close to his dad, who often breaks down his games with him to talk about where he might improve, he told the University of Michigan in October 2023.
"Even though they give me constructive criticism at times, I want to hear it all the time," the college basketball star said. "I know it's all coming from a place of love. They want the best for me."
In an April 2023 Instagram post wishing his dad a happy birthday, Tarris Jr. wrote that he appreciated him "for everything."
Darlene required all of her kids to learn how to play an instrument
Tarris Reed Jr. with his family.Credit: Tarris Reed Jr./Instagram
Growing up in the Reed household meant following one very specific rule set by Darlene: everyone had to learn to play an instrument. When he was in fifth or sixth grade, Tarris Jr. picked the saxophone.
“It was a requirement in the family to play an instrument," his mother told The Michigan Daily. "You had to do something musically, whether it was singing, or playing the saxophone, he had to do something musically.”
The basketball star still plays the instrument to this day, noting the similarities between his two passions.
"[The] saxophone, it’s all about rhythm, it’s all about tuning,” Tarris Jr. explained. “So on the court that’s what it is ... You need to know where the defender is on the offensive side, where to be on defense, when the time is right."
He continued, "And that’s the biggest thing in music. You have to be able to play a specific note at this time, in this pitch, in this rhythm."
Read the original article on People