Tag: Tari Eason

Tari Eason continues to climb boards ahead of 2022 NBA draft

Eason ranked No. 11 on the most recent 247Sports draft board.

With the NBA draft lottery being completed on Wednesday night and the combine going on this week in Chicago, next month’s draft will be here before we know it.

For LSU fans, all the eyes will be on forward [autotag]Tari Eason[/autotag]. The transfer from Cincinnati had a breakout sophomore season, winning the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award, and he is likely to hear his name called in the first round of the draft.

Originally slated as a mid-to-late round pick, Eason has seen his stock increase quite a bit in the last few weeks. He’s now seeing fairly regular lottery projections and in the most recent draft board from 247Sports’ Travis Branham, he sits at No. 11.

Key attributes: Defensive versatility, NBA-ready body, athleticism, motor

Stats: 16.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.1 BPG, 1.9 SPG (52.1% FGs, 35.9% from three)

Tari Eason has a chance to be one of the best defenders in this entire class and he has found ways to be productive on the offensive end as well. He isn’t the most polished scorer but his size, strength, athleticism and activity level create scoring opportunities and he has developed his jumper.

Eason is certainly a dominant defensive player as he was a semifinalist for national player of the year in that category. He also finished in the top 10 among SEC players in terms of scoring average.

He could boost his stock even more in Chicago this week, but regardless, his wait on June 23 shouldn’t be very long.

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Tari Eason goes top-10 in this recent NBA mock draft

Eason’s stock seems to be rising as we’re just over a month out from the draft.

The 2022 NBA draft is just over a month away, and one player who could continue to see his stock rise in that span is [autotag]Tari Eason[/autotag].

The former LSU forward has an interesting profile as far as a potential lottery pick is concerned. He came off the bench for the Tigers during his lone season in Baton Rouge after transferring in from Cincinnati, but that didn’t stop him from having a dominant campaign.

He led the Tigers in scoring with 16.9 points per game, which also ranked sixth in the SEC. He was named the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year and was one of the nation’s top defensive players in addition to his scoring prowess.

His well-rounded skill set makes him an intriguing prospect in this year’s draft, and in the latest mock from CBS Sports’ David Cobb, he’s projected as the ninth pick to the San Antonio Spurs.

Eason enjoyed a breakout sophomore season after transferring to LSU from Cincinnati. He can score at all three levels and is a high-upside, versatile defender. His college coaches employed him as a sixth man, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Eason cast in the same role at the next level. At 6-8, he’s like a perimeter-oriented Montrezl Harrell in terms of motor, grit and the type of role he may play.

While some may use the “sixth man” stigma against him, there’s nothing wrong with drafting a guy with a clearly defined role in mind, and it’s certainly a role that allowed Eason to flourish during his second college season.

He was one of 76 players invited to the combine next weekend, which will give him the chance to boost his stock even further. But for a player who was originally seen as a mid-late pick in the first round, Eason’s profile is beginning to rise, and we may see more high projections like this one in the coming weeks.

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2022 NBA draft: Jabari Smith has highest odds of becoming No. 1 pick

Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick this year, according to @Tipico.

On Sunday, the first major deadline of the NBA pre-draft process arrived as the date marked the last opportunity that underclassmen could declare as early-entry candidates.

The top prospects all opted to enter the draft as the deadline offered little drama regarding their respective decisions. Some decided to hire an agent and forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility while others left the door open to return to school.

With the first step in the pre-draft process this year completed, Rookie Wire took a look at the prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick, according to the Tipico Sportsbook. The odds will certainly change before the draft on June 23 but here is how things stand now.

Here’s where Tari Eason is heading in the latest NBA mock draft

Eason is going to Chicago with the 18th pick in the latest ESPN mock.

After a strong start, it was a disappointing finish to the season for LSU basketball, which fired coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] ahead of the NCAA Tournament, where it suffered a first-round exit against Iowa State.

While the season didn’t go as many fans hoped, there was one silver lining all year: forward [autotag]Tari Eason[/autotag]. A transfer from Cincinnati, Eason had solid if a bit underwhelming production as a true freshman with the Bearcats, but he had a breakout season in 2021-22 with the Tigers.

He averaged a team-high 16.9 points with 6.6 rebounds while being named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year and given a First Team All-SEC selection. After an impressive sophomore season, Eason is heading to the 2022 NBA draft, where he’s projected as a first-round pick in the latest mock from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz.

The pair has Eason heading to the Chicago Bulls with the 18th pick, just a few picks outside of the lottery. Here’s what Schmitz says about him.

The Bulls ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency in the regular season, and they could without question use another versatile wing defender like Eason, one of the most productive and efficient all-around players in the NCAA as a 20-year-old junior. While likely more of a 4/3 at the NBA level (a spot currently occupied by Patrick Williams), Eason played a fair amount of small-ball 5 in college and could give the Bulls a different look with his length and foot speed, as they’re used to playing in deep drop coverage with Nikola Vucevic at the 5. Eason isn’t the most polished ball handler or decision-maker and had his fair share of no-show games at LSU. But the fact that he can add value as a transition finisher, rebounder, cutter, occasional spot shooter and defender at 6-8 with a 7-1 wingspan alongside a perimeter creator like DeMar DeRozan makes him an intriguing fit in Chicago.

For a team that needs help on defense, landing Eason — a semifinalist for the national defensive player of the year award — would be a solid pickup in the middle of the first round. As Schmitz mentions, he’s one of the most versatile prospects in this draft and can do a lot in addition to his defensive acumen.

Eason is the only LSU player Givony and Schmitz have off the board in their full two-round mock draft, meaning they currently have an undrafted projection on forward [autotag]Darius Days[/autotag], who chose to enter the draft instead of returning for an extra fifth season of eligibility.

We’ll have to wait until the draft on June 23 to find out where Eason will play his professional ball, but regardless, it would be a major shock if he’s still on the board at the conclusion of the first round.

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Shaq says he supports his son Shareef O’Neal’s decision to transfer from LSU

The elder O’Neal and former LSU star voiced his support for his son, who entered the transfer portal last week.

LSU expected to see some attrition this offseason in the aftermath of the decision to fire men’s basketball coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag]. But nobody expected quite the roster turnover we’ve seen in Baton Rouge over the last couple of weeks.

Since the Tigers lost to Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, new coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] has seen the entire roster depart, either to the 2022 NBA draft (in the case of [autotag]Tari Eason[/autotag] and [autotag]Darius Days[/autotag]) or the transfer portal.

Among the latter group is LSU legacy [autotag]Shareef O’Neal[/autotag], whose father [autotag]Shaquille O’Neal[/autotag] had a legendary career with the Tigers before going on to have an even more legendary career in the NBA.

The younger O’Neal, who joined the Tigers as a transfer from UCLA two years ago, was never able to make much of an impact on the court and entered the transfer portal last week. In an appearance on The Big Podcast, Shaq voiced his support for his son’s decision to transfer.

“Wherever he decides I’m behind him,” Shaq said. “He’s a grown man making a decision and has kinda had a lot of basketball bad luck… We go to LSU where I thought they would take care of him but they didn’t, they have their own problem down there. I hope wherever he goes he gets a shot.

“I have a Giannis (Antetokounmpo) with a jump shot, that’s how I raised him… but people don’t know.”

That’s quite a lofty comparison, but O’Neal certainly has the talent. The former top-50 recruit has disappointed to this point in his career, though.

O’Neal was originally committed to Arizona in high school before the same investigation that is ironically now plaguing LSU resulted in the termination of coach Sean Miller. He ended up in Westwood, where he averaged just 10.2 minutes, 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13 games as a true freshman.

In Baton Rouge, those numbers haven’t changed much. He registered a career-high in points this past season with 2.9 per game, but his average minutes per game dropped from 14.9 to 9.2.

O’Neal will be a senior in 2022-23 but has an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. He will hope to finally shake the “basketball bad luck,” as his father put it, at his next stop.

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LSU star Tari Eason declares for 2022 NBA draft

Eason led the Tigers with 16.9 points per game in 2021-22.

In a move that was widely anticipated, star LSU forward [autotag]Tari Eason[/autotag] announced on Friday that he will forego his final two seasons of college eligibility and enter the 2022 NBA draft.

Eason is commonly projected to be a first-round pick in June’s draft, where he is mocked as high as the late lottery selections. He announced his decision in a post on Twitter.

“I’m grateful for so much,” he wrote. “To my LSU guys, for every drop of blood and sweat and for being at my side for the daily grind: I appreciate you! I learned so much from y’all, you’re my brothers now. To my coaches, for pushing me and showing me hot to be better on and off the court: I appreciate you. Thank you LSU for taking a chance on an unknown kid! And to the fans who laced ’em up with me every fame: I appreciate you!!!”

A transfer from Cincinnati, Eason averaged just 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman with the Bearcats last season, but he exploded onto the national radar this season. He led LSU with 16.9 points per game, and he was named the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year as well as being a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

Eason helped guide the Tigers to a 12-0 start to the season but after a mediocre finish in which they were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in an upset, coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] was fired.

Eason becomes the latest key contributor to depart in the wake of that, as guards [autotag]Brandon Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Xavier Pinson[/autotag] entered the transfer portal on Thursday. Eason’s departure to the NBA likely would have happened regardless, though.

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Projected first-round pick Tari Eason to hire agent, enter NBA draft

Eason was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.1 blocks and one assist in 33 games.

LSU Tigers sophomore Tari Eason told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will hire an agent and declare for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Eason was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.1 blocks and one assist in 33 games. He recorded four games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, the most by a Tigers player since 2015.

The 6-foot-8 forward emerged as a tremendous defensive player this season, ranking fourth in the country in defensive rating (83.2) and fifth in defensive box plus/minus (5.7). He was one of 10 players named as a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Eason is projected to be selected late in the lottery by most mock drafts. He is also highly efficient, boasting a 33.4 PER, which ranked fifth in the country, and is improving as a shooter after converting on 35.9% on 2.4 attempts per game from 3-point range.

Underclassmen have until April 24 to declare for the NBA draft.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Where ESPN has Tari Eason going in their latest mock

Tari Eason just missed out on being a lottery pick in ESPN’s latest mock.

With the season now over, LSU basketball players can start thinking about their futures. For some, that could involve a future in the NBA.

One such player is likely to be star Tigers forward Tari Eason. ESPN released its latest mock draft on Monday, where it had Eason slated to be picked at No. 15 by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Coming into the year, Eason wasn’t really heralded as a future first-round pick. He was just a transfer from Cincinnati, where he often saw limited minutes.

At LSU, he quickly established himself as one of the top players in the SEC, and maybe the country. Eason exceled defensively, where he was recognized with post-season accolades for his defensive efforts, as well as being named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year and a First Team All-SEC pick.

In a year where LSU was as inconsistent as ever, Eason was the one constant. Even in some of the team’s tough losses, it could count on Eason to be a factor on both sides of the court.

Eason’s athleticism will give him a chance to be a factor at the next level, even if his shooting can leave some to be desired.

If Eason is selected in the first round, it would be the second draft in a row that LSU has had a first-round pick after the Brooklyn Nets took guard Cameron Thomas with the 27th pick in 2021.

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LSU vs. the World: How Tigers players are mentally preparing for tournament run

The Tigers players aren’t phased by the “dark cloud” surrounding the team entering the NCAA Tournament.

Let the madness begin.

On Friday at 6:20 p.m. CT, the LSU Tigers will tip-off against the Iowa State Cyclones in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament.

There has been a lot of noise surrounding the program lately with the firing of former head coach Will Wade a week before the tournament started. A lot of questions have been posed about how this team would respond to the adversity that they faced heading into a game against a good Iowa State squad.

That’s not a concern for the team, though, senior forward Darius Days said.

“A lot of people may feel there’s a dark cloud around LSU basketball and that’s how it’s been since I got there,” Days said, per Sports Illustrated’s Glen West. “We had a couple of shirts made ‘LSU vs. the World’ so at all times that’s how we feel.

“I feel pretty confident in the team, been working hard and not letting the distractions keep us away from our goal, winning a national championship. We’ve been locked in with each other, leaning on each other but we’re gonna on alright.”

Star forward Tari Eason, one of the top players in all of college basketball, concurred.

“We had meetings before the season on how to make us tight, a close knit group so I think when adversity hits, the best thing about this team is we only get stronger,” Eason said. “This week has been a little hectic with the new changes to the staff but I feel like everybody’s doing their part to step up. The assistant coaches, the players, we’re all trying to step up and rally together to make this a special run.”

Kevin Nickelberry was named the interim head coach after Wade was fired and he made it a priority to sit down and speak with the guys about how some things have changed while others remain the same. The team has adopted the mantra of  ‘LSU vs. The World’ because that is how the team views this possible run in March Madness.

Point guard Xavier Pinson elaborated on what the message has been from the coaching staff during this tumultuous time.

“The message has been just to play basketball,” Pinson said. “We can only control what we can control, we’re players so we keep the same goals and objectives.”

There may be a “dark cloud” surrounding the LSU program from the outside looking in, but from the players’ perspective, they are ready to go to war.

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Tari Eason named SEC Sixth Man of the Year by coaches, Days and Murray also receive honors

Eason led the Tigers in scoring coming off the bench and was also named to the First Team All-SEC list.

It’s been a phenomenal season in Baton Rouge for forward Tari Eason, who transferred in this past offseason from Cincinnati, and he’s earned himself some hardware courtesy of the SEC coaches.

On Tuesday ahead of the start of the SEC Tournament in Tampa, Eason was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year while also being selected to the First Team All-SEC list. Meanwhile, forward Darius Days was selected for the Second Team All-SEC list, and guard Brandon Murray cracked the All-Freshmen team.

Despite coming off the bench, Eason has been the most impactful player for the Tigers this season. He’s averaging 16.9 points (sixth in the league) and 6.9 rebounds (eighth). He also has 12 games this season with 20+ points, eight of those coming in SEC play.

Eason was also named to the Second Team All-SEC list by the Associated Press.

Days, a senior, is averaging 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds. He’s scored in double figures in each of the last 11 games. Murray is also averaging double-figure points with 10.1. He hit 37 threes this year, and his career-high in points came against Texas A&M, when he scored 21.

LSU is set to begin its SEC Tournament run on Thursday, when it will take on the winner of No. 12-seeded Missouri and No. 13-seeded Ole Miss. The Tigers are the No. 5 seed in the conference.

Here’s the full All-SEC list and postseason awards from the coaches.

SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS
First Team
JD Notae, Arkansas
Jaylin Williams, Arkansas
Walker Kessler, Auburn
Jabari Smith, Auburn
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Tari Eason, LSU
Iverson Molinar, Mississippi State
Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee
Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt

Second Team
Jaden Shackelford, Alabama
Colin Castleton, Florida
TyTy Washington Jr., Kentucky
Sahvir Wheeler, Kentucky
Darius Days, LSU
Kobe Brown, Missouri
Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee
Quenton Jackson, Texas A&M

All-Freshman Team
Charles Bediako, Alabama
JD Davison, Alabama
Jabari Smith, Auburn
TyTy Washington Jr., Kentucky
Brandon Murray, LSU
Devin Carter, South Carolina
Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

All-Defensive Team
Keon Ellis, Alabama
Jaylin Williams, Arkansas
Walker Kessler, Auburn
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

Coach of the Year: Bruce Pearl, Auburn
Player of the Year: Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jordan Wright, Vanderbilt
Freshman of the Year: Jabari Smith, Auburn
Sixth-Man of the Year: Tari Eason, LSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Walker Kessler, Auburn

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