Hot Prospect: Dejuan Blair

Posted by admin on May 29, 2009

Pittsburgh ● Sophomore ● Forward ● 6-7 ● 265 ● 4/22/89
15.7 ppg ● 12.3 rpg ● 1.2 apg (2008-09)

Highlights: All-America, All-Region and All-Big East performer… Consensus Freshman All-America selection in 2007-08… Is one of only two players in school history to register multiple 20-20 performances in a career… Billy Knight (2) is the other player… In his two-year career, has 35 career double-doubles, 17 20- point scoring games and 41 double figure rebounding contests… Three 20-rebound games ties the school record for a career (3, Jerome Lane, 1984-88).

2008-09 (Sophomore): First Team All-America selection by the Associated Press… Became Pitt’s first First Team AP All-America pick since Don Hennon (1958)… First Team All-America selection by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA)… Wooden All-America Team selection and one of three finalists for the John R. Wooden National Player of the Year Award… Sports Illustrated First Team All-America selection… First Team All-America selection by The Sporting News… State Farm NABC All-America Team selection, one of only 10 players named to the team… CollegeHoops.net mid-season Second Team All-America selection… East Regional All-Tournament Team selection… Preseason Associated Press All-America honorable mention honoree… One of four finalists for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award… Wooden and Naismith All-America finalist and one of 15 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Award (USBWA national player of the year)… USBWA District 2 Player of the Year and All-District 2 Team selection… NABC All-District Second Team selection… Big East co-Player of the Year (shared the honor with Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet)… All-Big East First Team selection… Two 20-20 performances on year (Notre Dame and at Connecticut), the most in school history for a season… Two 20-rebound games on year tie the season school record (set by Jerome Lane in 1987-88)… Set school-record for total rebounds in back-to-back games with 41 (23-UConn, 18-DePaul), surpassing the previous record of 38 set by Jerome Lane in 1986-87… 21 double-doubles on year…

He averaged 16.8 points, hit 55.1 percent (27-49) from the floor and grabbed 13.8 rebounds per game in Pitt’s four NCAA Tournament games… Scored 27 points (10-17), grabbed 16 rebounds (seven offensive), dished out three assists in NCAA Tournament First Round vs. East Tennessee State, 3/20… The 27 points ranked as the seventh-best scoring performance in Pitt’s NCAA Tournament history and the 16 rebounds ranked tied for the third-most… Named Big East Player of the Week after he averaged 21.0 points, 20.5 rebounds, 8.0 offensive rebounds and shot 55.9% from the floor against both Connecticut and DePaul (Feb. 23)… Registered his second career and Pitt’s 10th all-time 20-20 performance with 22 points and a career-high 23 rebounds (career-high 17 defensive) at UConn, 2/ 16… The 23 rebounds set the school’s record for most rebounds in a Big East game and ranked third highest rebounding total in school history… It also ranked as the third-most rebounds in a game in Big East history… Scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds (nine offensive) at DePaul, 2/7.

2007-08 (Freshman): Consensus Freshman All-America selection…CollegeInsider.com All-America Freshman team selection…Rivals.com Freshman All-America Third Team selection…CollegeHoops.net Freshman All-America honorable mention selection…Honored as the Big East’s co-Rookie of the Year… Selected to the NABC All-District 2 Second Team…Big East All-Rookie Team selection and All-Big East honorable mention honoree… Three-time National Freshman of the Week selection by Rivals.com (Nov. 13, Dec. 12, Dec. 18)… Three-time Big East Rookie of the Week selection (Dec. 17, Dec. 23, Jan. 14)… Became the first player in school history to both surpass the 400-point and 300-rebound marks as a freshman… Ranked No. 39 nationally in rebounds per game (9.1 rpg.)… Ranked among Big East leaders in rebounding (4th), field goal percentage (7th), steals (11th), offensive rebounding (1st, 3.89) and defensive rebounding (9th)… Set Pitt freshman season records for games started (36), games played (37), rebounds (337) and field goals made (168)…

He is also ranked among school freshman season leaders in minutes played (4th-963), points (2nd-429), scoring average (4th-11.6), field goal attempts (2nd-313), field goal percentage (5th-.537), free throws made (2nd-93), free throw attempts (2nd-149), rebound average (3rd, 9.1), steals (3rd-62) and steals average (3rd-1.7)… Became just the second freshman in school history to grab over 300 rebounds in a season… Became just the third freshman in school history to pull down 20 or more rebounds in a game at Pitt since Sam Clancy (20) achieved the feat on Feb. 22, 1978… Scored 20 points (9-11 FG) with 14 rebounds (10 offensive) and four steals in debut vs. Houston Baptist, 11/9. His 20 points and 14 rebounds both ranked second among Pitt’s all-time freshman debut performance lists: Ricardo Greer (21 points in 1997) and Sam Clancy (16 rebounds in 1977).

Is he Jazz material?

8 Comments

rad II on May 29, 2009 said:

This guy and Maynor are my favorites; I can only hope they are around when the Jazz pick.

tman11 on May 29, 2009 said:

one of them will be around at 20 no need to worry about that. Now i’m realy against the jazz going big in this draft as some of you may know, but if they do go big there is no question on who they should take Bliar. every ones is comparing him to millsap i dont see that i see him being more like a charles barkly affair. he does operate well with the pick and role but put him down on the block and let him post guys up. he is a little bit taller then millsap and he has about 30 pounds on him. besides giffrin who i think is going to be a bust he has the body ready for the NBA. he would fit well with Sloan to he is aggressive and leaves it all out on the court. Thats what jerry loves.

cdog on May 30, 2009 said:

all we need is a rebounder defensive guy we have enough offensive guys.

tman11 on May 30, 2009 said:

i agree that is until memo and boozer leave then your going to need and offensive threat in the post. But blair isn’t goin to really be and offencsive threat he hits people throws his body around gets blocks rebounds. i would be surprised if he saw much playing time his first season any way and if he did he isn’t getting more then 5 pionts a game

Jared on June 01, 2009 said:

As far as the draft goes, I don’t really think that there are any impact players other than Blake Griffin in this years draft. One thing that Blair has is that he is nasty and tough, two things that the Jazz need a good sized helping of. However, I don’t think that Blair is the answer for our match-up against the Lakers, and I sure hope that the front office is trying to figure that one out.

tman11 on June 01, 2009 said:

blair is still undersized he is just wide but of course no ones the answer this yearfor improvement are rookies don’t get playing time any ways. I know i was reading on a espn website how they said kosta was a bust i disagree i think there is ptotental for him to be an allstar calaber player. no one in the draft will help the jazz out next year. But if you looking down the line blair or manyor will be impact players if drafted by the jazz.

thecharismaking on June 02, 2009 said:

I dont want anybody who isnt 7 foot and blocks shots

tman11 on June 02, 2009 said:

hahahahah & feet where are you reading the kids has a 7′3 arm span but he is only 6′8 tops. i would like to see him with us cause he is big 6′8 290 wich means he is as brod as shag if not brodder. haha a true big man i love it but, we still need a piont gaurd. Bliar isn’t goint to be there at 20 any ways he is going 11 to the pacers. Indiana has show there love for big guys like the jazz so they will most likely take Blair

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