HARTFORD, Conn. — There is a new big man coming to Storrs.

Eric Reibe, ranked the second-best center in the Class of 2025 by ESPN, announced his commitment to the UConn men’s basketball program on Wednesday on a YouTube live stream hosted by 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein.

“First off it was the special culture at UConn and their offensive play style suits me really well. And with my playmaking ability, to be at the top of the key and do handoffs, pick-and-pops, pick-and-rolls, find open cutters — that fits perfectly with their unselfish team play we just saw (in Monday’s exhibition) against Rhode Island,” Reibe said, after unzipping his jacket and revealing a UConn T-shirt underneath.

“I think it’s just the best place for me to develop as a basketball player and a human being, training my mental aspect is very important too. My relationship with the coaches is of course really, really good and they also just won back-to-back nattys, so that was also part of it,” he said.

Reibe narrowed down his list to five schools before picking UConn, including Creighton, Indiana, Kansas and Oregon.

He explained that he was born in Germany and moved to Switzerland at 8 years old, where he began playing basketball, and eventually moved back to play in Germany. Reibe moved to the U.S. when he was 16.

“My main focus (throughout the recruiting process) was to just train hard and just get better every single day. I didn’t pay attention to all of the outside stuff, I just wanted to get better every single day. Compete, try to win everything, and the rest will come by itself,” he said, reflecting a popular mindset in Storrs.

The 7-footer who plays at The Bullis School in Potomac, Md., is a few inches shorter but similar in size to Bristol native Donovan Clingan, who helped the Huskies to two national titles before being selected seventh overall in the 2024 NBA draft. Reibe, pronounced “Rye-Buh,” is ranked 33rd in his class and fourth at his position by the 247Sports composite rankings, and 23rd overall by ESPN.

UConn will have lost Samson Johnson to graduation by the time Reibe moves onto campus, though Tarris Reed Jr., the Michigan transfer, will have another year of eligibility.

Finkelstein’s scouting report describes Reibe as: “A nearly seven-foot-southpaw with a naturally sturdy build, he can dribble, pass and shoot. He’s already a major floor-spacing threat with easy range to the arc that allows him to pull opposing big men away from the rim as a stretch-five. He’s a good passer who can make reads, hit cutters from various spots on the floor, and play out of dribble-hand-off action.”

“He’s a massive target in the post, very hard for opposing defenders to get around, and often able to shoot over top of them,” the report continues. “He also has soft hands, good footwork and is very difficult to double-team because of his passing ability. He also understands offensive actions, spacing and should so be a very quick fit for offensive structure at the next level.”

Reibe is the second player to commit to UConn in the 2025 class, joining guard Darius Adams, who announced his commitment on Sept. 30. Another high-profile target for the Huskies, guard Braylon Mullins, has cut his list to three schools and will decide between UConn, Indiana and North Carolina on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

“(UConn is) getting a kid with high-effort and a great working ethic, I want to win everything, I want to be fully in the UConn culture, I want to get better every single day no matter how I’m feeling,” he said. “And I just can’t wait to be on campus and play in front of the best fans in the country. I’ll bring everything I have, all the energy I have. And I’m happy to be a (expletive) Husky.”

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