Tari Eason named to Naismith Trophy midseason team

Tari Eason has been a menace.

LSU Tigers forward Tari Eason made the decision to leave Cincinnati after his freshman season, it was a good decision for him and his new team.

Will Wade has used him in a variety of ways from starter to the first off the bench. Eason provides the energy and a lot of big plays. We saw plenty of that on Tuesday night in College Station. After missing the second free throw show, he got the ball right back and dunked it home. An unconventional three-point play but if it works, don’t fix it.

He was key to stopping the skid as they traveled to Texas to take on the Aggies. In the 76-68 victory at Reed Arena in College Station. Eason recorded a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds. He consistently has scored over 20 points in a game more than any other Tiger.

Eason has scored 20 or more points in a game seven times this year. He has failed to hit double-digits in just three of his 23 games.

Tari Eason Stats

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Comparing his stats to his per 40-minute numbers.

Eason Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks
Season 16.3 7.0 1.0 1.9 1.1
Per 40-min 26.3 15.8 2.4 4.2 2.5

Simply put, Tari Eason has been a menace on the floor for Will Wade. Given injuries to Xavier Pinson and Darius Days, he has been needed to provide the scoring along with Eric Gaines and Brandon Murray.

Eason has been so impactful he was named to the Naismith Trophy midseason team. The trophy is given annually to the nation’s best player and no question Eason should be among those in contention.

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