Blake Ahearn

Blake Ahearn

Blake Ahearn during his tenure with the Dakota Wizards.
No. 6 – Budivelnyk Kiev
Position	Point guard
League	Ukrainian SuperLeague Eurocup
Personal information
Born	(1984-05-27) May 27, 1984 St. Louis, Missouri
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school	De Smet Jesuit (Creve Coeur, Missouri)
College	Missouri State (2003–2007)
NBA draft	2007 / Undrafted
Pro playing career	2007–present
Career history
2007–2008	Dakota Wizards
2008	Miami Heat
2008	San Antonio Spurs
2008	→Austin Toros
2008–2009	Dakota Wizards
2009	Estudiantes Madrid
2010	Bakersfield Jam
2010	Erie BayHawks
2010	Teramo Basket
2010–2011	Erie BayHawks
2011–2012	Reno Bighorns
2012	Utah Jazz
2012–2013	Dongguan Leopards
2013–present	Budivelnyk Kyiv
Career highlights and awards
First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference twice, Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year NBA Development League Rookie of the Year (2008) NBA Development League All-Star MVP (2009)
Medals Men’s Basketball Competitor for  United States Pan American Games Bronze 2011 Guadalajara National team

Blake Ahearn (born May 27, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for Budivelnyk Kyiv of the Ukrainian SuperLeague.

High school career

Ahearn attended Immacolata School in St. Louis for grade school.^{[citation needed]} He then went to De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He played three years of varsity. He averaged 17.7 points per game as a junior and 18.5 as a senior. He was an All-Metro Selection his junior and senior years and an All-State selection his junior year. In his junior year he broke his hand in the divisional semifinal game. He was unable to play for the duration of his junior year. His team was state runner-up his junior year losing to Missouri powerhouse Vashon High School in the state championship game. ^[1]

College career

Ahearn played collegiately for the Missouri State Bears from 2003–2007. He was poised to finish his career with four straight NCAA free-throw titles but failed, and finished with an accuracy of 92.5% during his senior year. He finished his college career as a 94.6% free throw shooter, 435 for 460, all-time best percentage.^[2] He also holds a single-season record at 97.5%. He made 60 consecutive free-throws twice in his career (December 20, 2003 through February 14, 2004 and December 19, 2004 to February 26, 2005) which are school and Missouri Valley Conference records. He missed his final attempt against the San Diego State Aztecs in the NIT on March 24, 2007, his final college game. He holds the career record for career three-pointers at Missouri State with 276, and was selected the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Freshman of the Year (2004), also being a two-time all-MVC first teamer (2006 and 2007).^[2] He came within one game each season of making the NCAA tournament and failed to reach any. His team lost in double overtime to Northern Iowa in the MVC Tournament finals his freshman year and to Creighton in the MVC finals his sophomore year. His team was rated 21st in the RPI his junior year and a 33rd his senior year, which included a win over #7 in the nation Wisconsin.

Professional career

2007-2008 season

NBA D-League

In the 2007–2008 season, Ahearn played with the NBA Development League's Dakota Wizards. He worked his way to the starting lineup, averaging 19 points, with a 96% free-throw percentage, shooting 49% from the field and 44% from 3-point range in 41 games.

NBA

On March 21, 2008, Ahearn was signed to a 10-day contract by the NBA's Miami Heat, whose roster had been depleted by injuries.^[3] On March 27, Ahearn scored a team-high 15 points in a loss to the Detroit Pistons.^[4]

On April 10, Ahearn was named the Rookie of the Year of the D-League and All-NBA Development League Second Team.^[5]

2008-2009 season

Despite posting a solid NBA preseason during which he averaged 8 points per game, Ahearn was cut by the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 23, 2008. After being waived by the Timberwolves he joined the Dakota Wizards. On November 16, Ahearn was signed by the San Antonio Spurs becoming the 2008-09 season's first D-League call-up.^[2] Ahearn was in camp with the Wizards prior to signing with the Spurs.^[2] On November 30, Ahearn was assigned to the Spurs' D-League affiliate Austin Toros.^[6]

The Spurs waived Ahearn on December 15, 2008, and he re-joined the Dakota Wizards. He was selected to play in the D-League All-Star Game on February 14, 2009.

2009-2010 season

The following season Ahearn signed a contract with Estudiantes Madrid in Spain, until he moved back and played for Bakersfield Jam and for Erie BayHawks in the NBA Development League.

2010-2011 season

On August 1, Ahearn signed a contract with the Italian team Teramo Basket but he was waived after a few games.

On December 29, he re-signed with the Erie BayHawks.

2011-2012 season

Blake started the 2011-2012 season participating for the United States Basketball Team in the 2011 Pan American Games. The United States won the Bronze medal with a win over the Dominican Republic in the Medal Rounds. Blake was second on the team in scoring, averaging 10 points per game, including a team high 21 points vs Brazil in round robin play. ^[7]

After the games Blake signed with the Erie Bayhawks in the NBA Development League. On draft day Blake was traded to the Reno Bighorns. ^[8]

Blake attended training camp with the Los Angeles Clippers during the first part of the D-League season. He then returned to the Bighorns.

During the 2011-2012 season Blake led the NBA-D League in scoring at 23.8 points per game^[7] He was selected to play in the D-League All-Star Game and had 21 points and 8 assists during the game.^{[citation needed]} Blake also set the NBA and NBA D-League mark of 110 consecutive free throws during his season in Reno.^[9] Blake set the all-time career points record for the NBA Development league in 2012.^[10]

On April 10th the Utah Jazz signed Blake Ahearn to a 10-day contract.^[9] On April 20th he was signed for the reminder of the season.^[9]

2012-2013 season

In September 2012, Ahearn signed with the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.^[11] On October 22, 2012 Ahearn was waived by the Indiana Pacers.^[12]

In December 2012, he signed with the Dongguan Leopards of the CBA.^[13]

2013-2014 season

On August 12, 2013, Ahearn signed with Budivelnyk Kyiv.^[14]

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

References

External links