All but two UConn Basketball players have returned to Storrs for the preseason workouts. Those players are Eric Reibe and Jacob Furphy, who are playing in the U19 FIBA World Cup in Switzerland. Reibe is playing for Germany and Furphy is playing for Australia. The two have already played against each other when their respective teams faced off in friendly matchups leading up to the tournament.
In an article from Joe Arruda of the Hartford Courant, it was stated that Hurley and his staff planned to visit Switzerland in order to watch Reibe and Furphy in person:
“I’m excited to see them,” Hurley said in Brooklyn last week, after Liam McNeeley became his fifth first-round NBA Draft pick. “That’ll be a great setting to see them play in, in the under-19. Excited to get those guys. They both looked good in the friendlies and they’ve actually been playing against each other in the friendlies and training together, so they’ve been hanging out a lot together.”
On Wednesday, Furphy and Austrailia faced the Dominican Republic in the Round of 16 where they came out with a massive 106-96 win. Furphy was a dominant force in the game, posting 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 9 of 15 from the field including 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. To add to his stand out stat line, Furphy scored 10 of his 24 points in a span of just a minute and a half.
Jacob Furphy had a great game in Australia’s win over the DR in the round of 16
— nbadraftpoint (@nbadraftpoint) July 2, 2025
24 points
4 boards
3 assists
2 steals
9-15 FG
5-7 3P
The UConn commit has gone under the radar as one of the best scorers in this event, even scoring 10 points in a minute and 30 seconds tonight pic.twitter.com/XXccSi70FW
The performance from Furphy, or "Tazzy" as he has been nicknamed, on Wednesday should leave UConn fans salivating. He has gone under the radar for the most part as a dominant scorer but showcased what he is capable of. With time under Hurley and his coaching staff, there is no telling the impact that Furphy could and will have on the Huskies next season and beyond.
Reibe and Furphy are slated to face off again when Germany takes on Australia in the quarterfinals on Friday. The game can be viewed on the FIBA YouTube channel at 8:30 AM ET tomorrow morning.
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