Top-70 2026 prospect Tristan Reed plays ‘gritty, grimy’
By SAM LANCE
MESA, AZ — If there’s one word to describe the game of four-star class of 2026 big man Tristan Reed, it’s aggressive.
Reed — the 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward — showed his abilities at Nike EYBL Session 1, averaging 10.0 points and 4.3 rebounds to help Mokan to a 2-1 record. Reed also shot a whopping 68.4% from the field, doing most of his damage around the rim. Most notably, he played with constant energy and was flying all over the court.
“That’s what I focus on, trying to be gritty, grimy,” Reed told ZAGSBLOG. “And I think that’s going to help me out.”
Right now, Reed said his best trait is rebounding. He’s working on developing his outside game.
“This game is becoming a positionless game,” Reed said. “If I want to make it far and do well at the next level I have to do that and show that.”
This summer, Reed will have a big role for Mokan as the program looks to win Peach Jam. Last year Reed played up on the 17u squad, who didn’t have a great year and missed out on the Peach Jam field. He’s looking to change that outcome this AAU season.
Reed is the younger brother of UConn center Tarris Reed, who averaged 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Huskies last season as a junior. His other older brother, Trevor Reed, plays at Division III Denison University and is coming off his sophomore season. The four-star said watching his brother play for one of college basketball’s biggest brands is “amazing.”
“Seeing all the clips of coach [Dan] Hurley crashing out and seeing my brother in the background, it’s fun,” Reed said. “He’s up there, he’s enjoying his time and living out his dream.”
As kids, the Reed brothers used to play against each other all the time. Specifically, Reed said Tarris would beat up on him sometimes.
“So I got mad, ran in the house,” Reed recalled. “That was like 6th grade so we haven’t played in a long time. It’s been a while. But next time he comes home I’m going to play him 100%.”
As for his recruitment, Reed said Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Ohio State, St. Louis, and Iowa with its old staff came out to see him during the high school season. He’s taken unofficials to Iowa, Missouri, Ohio State and St. Louis.
Here’s his breakdown of the programs involved:
Iowa: “I talked to one of the new coaches at Iowa a couple days ago (they offered). I haven’t seen much or heard much about the program, but they are just genuine people. I’m looking forward to building a relationship with them.”
Kansas State: “I like coach [Jerome] Tang. He’s a funny guy. He’s a great guy I think. And coach [Rodney] Perry, of course he coached at Mokan. 17u coach when Tarris was there. My mom loves coach Perry. They sent Tarris down to Link with him. So we have a great relationship.”
Michigan: “Under coach [Dusty] May, I’ve only spoken to coach May one time. I mostly talk to coach [Kyle] Church the assistant. They always make the joke, ‘You probably know Ann Arbor more than we do.’ Because they are new up there. So I’m just looking forward to building our relationship.”
Michigan State: “Coach Saddi [Washington], he was the assistant at Michigan, so I’ve always had a great relationship with him. I’ve talked to him a few times. So it’s going pretty well.”
Missouri: “I like Mizzou. It’s an hour and a half away down in Columbia. I mostly talk to coach [Kyle] Smithpeters. I have a great relationship with him. He FaceTime’s me sometimes. And coach [Dennis] Gates, I talk to him pretty often. I went to the KU-Mizzou game. It was crazy.”
Ohio State: “I like coach [Jake] Diebler because when coach [Chris] Holtmann — coach Diebler he was the assistant coach under coach Holtmann when he was there. My family always had a good relationship with him. It was just great to see him as head coach. And coach [Jamall] Walker, that’s who I’m in contact with the most. We have a great relationship, talk a few times a week.”
St. Louis: “Close knit. Coach [Corey] Tate, I’ve known him since I was little kid because we went to the same barber shop. At first it was Tarris, Trevor, now it’s me. I have a great relationship with them. Coach [Josh] Schertz is still building that, but it’s 30 minutes from my house. Can’t beat it.”
Reed will be looking to start his official visits in June when there’s no AAU basketball and will also take some in the fall. When he starts going on officials, Reed is looking at how he would fit into the playing style and how he relates to the coaching staff.
“They’re unlimited,” Reed said. “So I just want to just take visits, just see the difference, comparing and stuff.”
Reed doesn’t have any specific timelines for his recruitment. He’ll go on his visits, narrow it down and commit sometime next year.
The power forward is ranked the No. 66 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. His favorite hobby is doing anything outdoors. Reed’s favorite NBA player is Victor Wembanyama.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram
The post Top-70 2026 prospect Tristan Reed plays ‘gritty, grimy’ appeared first on Zagsblog.