2025 Center Eric Reibe Commits To UConn Over Indiana, Others

Indiana hosted and visited 7-footer Eric Reibe several times, but the class of 2025 prospect is headed to UConn to play for coach Dan Hurley, picking the Huskies over finalists including Indiana, Creighton, Kansas and Oregon.

Eric Reibe, the top-ranked center in the class of 2025, committed to UConn over finalists Indiana, Kansas, Oregon and Creighton. / Photo via @ereibe_22

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana will have to look elsewhere for a center on next year’s roster.

On Wednesday, Eric Reibe announced his commitment to coach Dan Hurley and the back-to-back national champion UConn Huskies. His top five also included Indiana, Creighton, Kansas and Oregon.

“First off, it was the special culture at UConn,” Reibe said on the 247Sports YouTube channel. “And their offensive play style suits me really well, and with my playmaking abilities to be at the top of the key, do handoffs, pick and pops, pick and rolls, find the open cutter. That fits perfectly with their unselfish team play, and we just saw that against Rhode Island."

"For me, I think it’s just the best place for me to develop as a basketball player and as a human being, and training my mental aspect is very important too. Then my relationship with the coaches is also really, really good. They also just won back-to-back natties, so that’s also part of it."

Reibe is a 7-foot center in the class of 2025 from The Bullis School in Potomac, Md., and he previously lived in Germany and Switzerland. He’s a consensus four-star recruit ranked No. 27 in the nation, No. 1 among centers and No. 1 in Maryland, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. 

Reibe joins shooting guard Darius Adams, a five-star recruit from La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., as the second member of UConn’s 2025 recruiting class. 

"At 7 feet tall, Eric Reibe is an extremely skilled big man with mobility and touch both inside and out," ESPN's Paul Biancardi said of Reibe. "His basketball IQ is high, and his rebounding is consistent. Won’t find any more skilled at his size."

Indiana currently has one commitment in the class of 2025, four-star forward Trent Sisley, who transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida after three years at Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Ind. After missing out on Reibe and five-star guard Jalen Haralson, who committed to Notre Dame, Indiana’s main high school recruiting targets appear to be Braylon Mullins, Mikel Brown Jr., Bryson Tiller and Nate Ament.

Reibe visited Indiana in September, along with Mullins and Sisley. Mullins, a five-star shooting guard, will announce his college decision on Oct. 23. He’s down to three schools: Indiana, UConn and North Carolina. Brown also visited Indiana in September, and Tiller recently included the Hoosiers in his top four. 

Coach Mike Woodson and Indiana’s staff may have to shift their focus to the transfer portal for a center as Reibe was their top high school target among centers. Following the 2024-25 season, Indiana will lose veteran front court players like Oumar Ballo, Langdon Hatton and Dallas James to graduation, making center a position of need heading into the 2025-26 season.

Woodson previously had success recruiting centers in the transfer portal, landing Oregon transfer Kel’el Ware, who developed into a first-round NBA Draft pick in Bloomington. And most recently, Ballo transferred to Indiana for his final season of college basketball after two first-team All-Pac-12 seasons at Arizona. 

Indiana could have at least six roster spots to fill heading into the 2025-26 season.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• BRAYLON MULLINS SETS DECISION DATE: Five-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins will decide between Indiana, UConn and North Carolina on Oct. 23. CLICK HERE

• BRYSON TILLER TOP 4: Bryson Tiller, the No. 16 player in the class of 2025, included Indiana in his top four schools. CLICK HERE

• JALEN HARALSON PICKS NOTRE DAME: Indiana’s recruitment of Jalen Haralson fell short as the five-star prospect picked Notre Dame over the Hoosiers and Michigan State. CLICK HERE

• TRENT SISLEY COMMITS TO INDIANA: Trent Sisley announced on Monday that he intends to play basketball at Indiana. CLICK HERE.

• 2024-25 SCHEDULE: Here's the 2024-25 Indiana men's basketball schedule, including game times, location and television designations. CLICK HERE