It’s been a dominant season for LSU’s Tari Eason, and he may be bringing home some hardware at the end of the year. He has been named one of the semifinalists for Naismith Defensive Player of Year, one of ten semifinalists for the award.
Along with his team-leading 16.5 points per game, Eason has 31 blocks and 55 steals. The forward is averaging 1.1 blocks and two steals per game this season.
Eason is the type of player that Tigers coach Will Wade likes: a long, athletic player that can play on both sides of the floor. He is a transfer player from Cincinnati, and the sophomore played his first season with the Bearcats last year before transferring to LSU.
Here are your 2022 Naismith Men's College Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalists!💥💪🏻
Stay tuned to find out who will be the winner of this year’s award, which will be announced on April 3rd🎖👀https://t.co/8xBoNjmSkM pic.twitter.com/EF8fEFAUaD
— The Naismith Trophy (@NaismithTrophy) March 1, 2022
While with the Bearcats, Eason played in 23 games, starting in eight. He averaged 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and also shot 46% from the field. His 1.3 blocks per game ranked fourth in the American Athletic Conference.
With his 16.5 points per game this year, Eason rose his game to another level. He is shooting 52% from the field and 36% from three-point land, helping the Tigers to a 20-9 record so far this season.
He is a threat on both sides of the floor and is getting better. Eason’s ability to play both ways will be a critical factor in him potentially getting drafted. If he can continue to improve his three-point shot, his draft stock will rise.
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