LSU basketball fans don’t have to look hard to find the Tigers’ primary source of production this season.
After turning down the NBA, sophomore guard Antonio Blakeney has been a lone bright spot for the Tigers this season.
Amid the 14-game losing streak, Blakeney is still producing at strong point total, averaging 27.6 points in LSU’s last five games. Blakeney scores 55 percent (15-of-27) of hiThree-point shots, and 56 percent (47-of-83) shots from the field. He has scored double figures in 22 of LSU’s 27 games this season.
Blakeney’s 31 points against Kentucky was one point shy of his career-high 32 points that he posted against Florida his freshman season. He followed it up with a double-double against Arkansas of 21 points and 12 rebounds, his first since November 2015.
In those five games, LSU went up against the Southeastern Conference’s highest ranked teams:Kentucky, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn. Blakeney has played over 35 minutes in three of those games.
For Blakeney, this seems to be nothing new.
“I’ve been really aggressive,” Blakeney said. “Just trying to get to the paint and playing how I play. Taking good shots.”
This aggressive route has worked.
In the past two games, Blakeney went 18-for-23 from the line — morethrow attempts than he took in the prior six games combined.
Blakeney gave his teammates credit for getting him those good shots.
“It comes from my teammates,” Blakeney said. “Skylar [Mays] finds me a lot in transition, running and getting a lot of easy points. That definitely helps as well.”
Blakeney’s 17.8 points per game slot has him at the fourth most points per game in the SEC and the ninth most three-point shots with 51.
He’s averaging 14.9 points in his career with the Tigers, and is the only LSU player with three 30-point games since the start of the 2010-11 season.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore has a player efficiency rating of 19.1 this season, nearly five points more than the 14.8 rating he finished with last season.
Coach Johnny Jones noted that both Blakeney and sophomore guard Brandon Sampson have started to realize how to find points.
“Sampson and Tone [Blakeney] have both started to understand that when you drive the ball, there are easy scoring opportunities to get fouled and get to the free throw line. Both of them have done a better job as of late. I think that’s a sign of maturity from them as well.”
Blakeney shining despite LSU’s disappointing season
February 23, 2017
Blakeney
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