Blake Ahearn

Blake Ahearn (born May 27, 1984) is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Missouri State.

Blake Ahearn

Ahearn during his first tenure with the Dakota Wizards
Memphis Grizzlies
Position	Assistant Coach
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(1984-05-27) May 27, 1984 St. Louis, Missouri
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school	De Smet Jesuit (Creve Coeur, Missouri)
College	Missouri State (2003–2007)
NBA draft	2007 / Undrafted
Playing career	2007–2015
Position	Point guard
Number	6, 18, 2
Coaching career	2015–present
Career history
As player:
2007–2008	Dakota Wizards
2008	Miami Heat
2008	San Antonio Spurs
2008	→Austin Toros
2008–2009	Dakota Wizards
2009	Estudiantes Madrid
2010	Bakersfield Jam
2010	Erie BayHawks
2010	Teramo Basket
2010–2011	Erie BayHawks
2011–2012	Reno Bighorns
2012	Utah Jazz
2012–2013	Dongguan Leopards
2013–2014	Budivelnyk Kyiv
2015	Capitanes de Arecibo
2015	Santa Cruz Warriors
As coach:
2015–2016	Clayton HS
2016–2017	De Smet Jesuit HS
2017–2020	Austin Spurs
2020–present	Memphis Grizzlies (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player: NBA D-League champion (2015) Ukrainian SuperLeague champion (2014) Ukrainian Cup champion (2014) NBA Development League Rookie of the Year (2008) NBA Development League All-Star MVP (2009) 2× First-team All-MVC (2006, 2007) MVC Freshman of the Year (2004) As coach: NBA G League champion (2018)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States Pan American Games 2011 Guadalajara National team

High school career

Ahearn attended Immacolata School in St. Louis for grade school. He then went to De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He played three years of varsity. He averaged 17.7 points per game as a junior and 18.5 as a senior. He was an All-Metro Selection his junior and senior years and an All-State selection his junior year. In his junior year, he broke his hand in the divisional semifinal game. He was unable to play for the duration of his junior year. His team was state runner-up his junior year losing to Missouri powerhouse Vashon High School in the state championship game.[1]

College career

Ahearn played collegiately for the Missouri State Bears from 2003–2007. He was poised to finish his career with four straight NCAA free-throw titles but failed, and finished with an accuracy of 92.5% during his senior year. He finished his college career as a 94.6% free throw shooter, 435 for 460, all-time best percentage.[2] He also holds a single-season record at 97.5%. He made 60 consecutive free-throws twice in his career (December 20, 2003, through February 14, 2004, and December 19, 2004, to February 26, 2005) which are school and Missouri Valley Conference records. He missed his final attempt against the San Diego State Aztecs in the NIT on March 24, 2007, his final college game. He holds the record for career three-pointers at Missouri State with 276 and was selected the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Freshman of the Year (2004), also being a two-time all-MVC first teamer (2006 and 2007).[2] He came within one game each season of making the NCAA tournament and failed to reach any. His team lost in double overtime to Northern Iowa in the MVC Tournament finals his freshman year and to Creighton in the MVC finals his sophomore year. His team was rated 21st in the RPI his junior year and a 33rd his senior year, which included a win over #7 in the nation Wisconsin.

Professional career

2007–08 season

NBA D-League

In the 2007–2008 season, Ahearn played with the NBA Development League's Dakota Wizards. He worked his way to the starting lineup, averaging 19 points, with a 96% free-throw percentage, shooting 49% from the field and 44% from 3-point range in 41 games.

NBA

On March 21, 2008, Ahearn was signed to a 10-day contract by the NBA's Miami Heat, whose roster had been depleted by injuries.[3] On March 27, Ahearn scored a team-high 15 points in a loss to the Detroit Pistons.[4]

On April 10, Ahearn was named the Rookie of the Year of the D-League and All-NBA Development League Second Team.[5]

2008–09 season

Despite posting a solid NBA preseason during which he averaged 8 points per game, Ahearn was cut by the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 23, 2008. After being waived by the Timberwolves he joined the Dakota Wizards. On November 16, Ahearn was signed by the San Antonio Spurs becoming the 2008–09 season's first D-League call-up.[2] Ahearn was in camp with the Wizards prior to signing with the Spurs.[2] On November 30, Ahearn was assigned to the Spurs' D-League affiliate Austin Toros.[6]

The Spurs waived Ahearn on December 15, 2008, and he re-joined the Dakota Wizards. He was selected to play in the D-League All-Star Game on February 14, 2009, where he was awarded MVP alongside Courtney Sims.[7]

2009–10 season

The following season Ahearn signed a contract with Estudiantes Madrid in Spain, until he moved back and played for Bakersfield Jam and for Erie BayHawks in the NBA Development League.

2010–11 season

On August 1, Ahearn signed a contract with the Italian team Teramo Basket but he was waived after a few games.

On December 29, he re-signed with the Erie BayHawks.

2011–12 season

Blake started the 2011–12 season participating for the United States Basketball Team in the 2011 Pan American Games. The United States won the Bronze medal with a win over the Dominican Republic in the Medal Rounds. Blake was second on the team in scoring, averaging 10 points per game, including a team-high 21 points vs Brazil in round robin play.[8]

After the games, Blake signed with the Erie Bayhawks in the NBA Development League. On draft day Blake was traded to the Reno Bighorns.[9]

Blake attended training camp with the Los Angeles Clippers during the first part of the D-League season. He then returned to the Bighorns.

During the 2011–12 season Blake led the NBA-D League in scoring at 23.8 points per game[10] He was selected to play in the D-League All-Star Game and had 21 points and 8 assists during the game. Blake also set the NBA and NBA D-League mark of 110 consecutive free throws during his season in Reno.[11] Blake set the all-time career points record for the NBA Development league in 2012.[12]

On April 10, the Utah Jazz signed Blake Ahearn to a 10-day contract.[11] On April 20, he was signed for the remainder of the season.[13]

2012–13 season

In September 2012, Ahearn signed with the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.[14] On October 22, 2012, Ahearn was waived by the Indiana Pacers.[15]

In December 2012, he signed with the Dongguan Leopards of the CBA.[16]

2013–14 season

On August 12, 2013, Ahearn signed with Budivelnyk Kyiv.[17]

2014–15 season

On December 18, 2014, Ahearn signed with Capitanes de Arecibo for the 2015 BSN season.[18] However, he left the club in February 2015 after appearing in just three games.

On March 11, 2015, he was acquired by the Santa Cruz Warriors.[19] On April 26, he won the D-League championship with the Warriors.[20]

Coaching career

In 2015, Ahearn became head boys' coach at Clayton High School in Clayton, Missouri. Following a 7–17 season there he was hired to coach his alma mater, De Smet Jesuit.[21]

On August 1, 2017, Ahearn was named the head coach of the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League.[22]

On June 20, 2020, the Memphis Grizzlies announced that they had hired Ahearn as assistant coach.[23]

NBA career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007–08	Miami	12	0	14.8	.263	.294	.968	1.6	1.6	.5	.0	5.8
2008–09	San Antonio	3	0	6.3	.333	.500	1.000	.3	.7	.3	.0	2.7
2011–12	Utah	4	0	7.5	.286	.222	.000	.5	.3	.0	.0	2.5
Career		19	0	11.9	.273	.298	.970	1.2	1.2	.4	.0	4.6

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2012	Utah	3	0	2.7	.667	1.000	.000	.0	.7	.0	.0	1.7
Career		3	0	2.7	.667	1.000	.000	.0	.7	.0	.0	1.7

Career statistics

Domestic leagues statistics

Season	Team	League	GP	MPG	FG%	3PT FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007–08	Dakota Wizards	D-League	41	29.1	.533	.446	.965	2.0	3.4	.7	.0	19.0
2008–09			43	39.1	.462	.419	.959	2.3	5.1	.7	.0	22.7
	Austin Toros		6	34.5	.375	.531	.914	2.3	6.0	.8	.0	18.8
2009–10	CB Estudiantes	Liga ACB	13	25.1	.294	.414	.983	1.1	.8	.7	.1	14.2
	Bakersfield Jam	D-League	17	32.9	.459	.277	.932	2.1	4.1	1.2	.1	14.3
	Erie Bayhawks		13	45.0	.426	.440	.961	4.5	6.7	1.2	.3	25.7
2010–11	Teramo Basket	Lega A	6	24.5	.286	.345	1.000	1.7	1.3	.5	.0	9.3
	Erie Bayhawks	D-League	34	33.7	.450	.357	.958	2.6	5.9	1.0	.1	16.7
2011–12	Reno Bighorns		37	37.5	.523	.409	.962	2.6	5.1	1.1	.1	23.8
2012–13	Dongguan Leopards	CBA	17	28.6	.468	.333	.905	3.1	3.4	.9	.0	23.0
2013–14	BC Budivelnyk	SuperLeague	20	24.8	.449	.383	.853	1.7	3.2	.7	.2	11.6
2014–15	Santa Cruz Warriors	D-League	10	19.4	.429	.390	.944	1.7	2.4	.6	.0	8.9

International statistics

Season	Team	League	GP	MPG	FG%	3PT FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2013–14	BC Budivelnyk	Euroleague	9	20.8	.378	.361	.905	1.6	1.7	.0	.1	9.6
		EuroCup	10	23.7	.525	.457	.978	1.5	2.6	.6	.0	15.0
2014–15	Capitanes de Arecibo	Americas League	3	25.0	.125	.316	.750	2.0	2.3	1.0	.0	8.7

References

1. Alum Blake Ahearn Signs With Miami Heat
2. Spurs Sign Blake Ahearn
3. Butler logs first 20-point game since return as Wiz crush hapless Heat
4. Pistons rally past Heat and clinch division title
5. Ahearn Named NBDL Rookie of the Year Archived September 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
6. San Antonio’s Blake Ahearn Assigned To Austin Toros Archived 2008-12-26 at the Wayback Machine
7. "All-Star History: NBA D-League All-Star Game". NBA.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
12. "Ahearn Becomes NBA Development League's All-Time Leading Scorer". NBA.com. 2012-01-21. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
14. Pacers Sign Three Free Agents
16. Blake Ahearn jugará junto con Haislip en los DongGuan Leopards de China (in Spanish)
17. "BUDIVELNIK KIEV lands scorer Ahearn". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
18. Blake Ahearn signs with Capitanes de Arecibo
19. Santa Cruz Warriors Acquire Blake Ahearn
20. "Title Wave: Santa Cruz Wins NBA D-League Championship". NBA.com. April 26, 2015. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
21. Thornton, Larry (July 14, 2014). "Former Spartan Blake Ahearn hired as De Smet's new coach". ksdk.com. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
22. "Blake Ahearn Named Head Coach of the Austin Spurs". NBA.com. August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
23. "Grizzlies Add Assistant Coach". NBA.com. June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.

External links

• Eurobasket.com profile
• NBA D-League profile