LaVell Blanchard

LaVell DeAaron Blanchard (February 23, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a four-time All-Big Ten Conference performer and 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year for the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. He is known for having been the fifth player to ever lead a National Collegiate Athletic Association team in both scoring and rebounding four times. He earned the Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the home of the University of Michigan. Currently Athletic Director at Manchester Junior/Senior High School.

LaVell Blanchard
Personal information
Born (1981-02-23) February 23, 1981
Ann Arbor, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High schoolPioneer (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
CollegeMichigan (1999–2003)
NBA draft2003 / Undrafted
Playing career2003–2014
PositionForward
Career history
2003–2005Viola Reggio Calabria
2005–2006EWE Baskets Oldenburg
2007ASVEL Basket
2007–2008Stade Clermontois BA
2008–2009AEL Limassol
2009–2010Khimik
2010Igokea
2010–2011Torpan Pojat
2012Santa Cruz/Rados/Pioneer
2012Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca
20139 de Julio de Río Tercero
2013Importadora Alvarado Ambato
2014Gaiteros del Zulia
2014Piratas de Quebradillas
Career highlights and awards

High school

As a junior at Pioneer High School, he was a 1998 Boys Basketball All-USA honorable mention.[1] As a senior, Blanchard held a 3.8 grade point average and led the boys basketball team to a Class A Michigan High School Athletic Association state championship by averaging 27.7 points, 13 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks. He was a first team 1999 USA Today All-USA high school basketball team selection along with Donnell Harvey, Jay Williams, Joseph Forte and DerMarr Johnson.[2] He was named the boys basketball National Gatorade Player of the Year.[3] He was also a McDonald's All-American and a Magic Roundball Classic selection.[4] He was one of the top 5 players available in the April late National Letter of Intent signing period.[5] Blanchard was considered destined to play for Virginia until assistant coach Bobby Gonzalez took the head coaching job at Manhattan. He then considered California and Penn State.[6]

College

Blanchard was one of three freshman starters for Michigan along with future NBA veteran Jamal Crawford.[7] Blanchard led the team with 404 points and 221 rebounds in 28 games played, although Crawford had a higher average points per game.[8] He earned the 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award and was a 3rd team All-Big Ten Conference player according to the media and was co-Freshman of the Year (Brian Cook) according to the coaches for the 1999–2000 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team.[9][10]

As a sophomore, he posted a career-high 30 points to lead Michigan past the 14th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes 70–69.[11][12] Blanchard led the team with 499 points and 235 rebounds in 28 games played.[8] He was a 2nd team All-Big Ten performer for the 2000–01 team.[9]

He was one of 14 finalists for the 12-man 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Championship USA Basketball team,[13] but he did not make the final roster.[14] He was one of 10 preseason Playboy All-Americans.[15] He posted a career-high five three point shots and a season-high 26 points in the first round of the 2002 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament in a 72–51 victory over Northwestern.[16] Blanchard led the team with 430 points and 184 rebounds in 29 games played.[8] He was a 3rd team All-Big Ten performer for the 2001–02 team.[9]

On January 22, 2003, he scored 24 second-half points on his way to a 28-point night when Michigan extended its winning streak to 12 straight games with a 75–63 win over Minnesota. Michigan had trailed by 5 points near the middle of the second half.[17][18] Michigan would extend the win streak to 13, getting off to a 6–0 conference start before losing.[19] The team continued to battle for the conference title well into February. They took sole possession of first place when Blanchard contributed 20 points in a 78–67 victory over 24th ranked Purdue on February 19.[20][21] Blanchard led the team with 485 points and 205 rebounds in 30 games played.[8] He was a 1st team All-Big Ten performer and co-captain for the 2002–03 team.[9] During his senior season, Michigan was banned from postseason play due to the University of Michigan basketball scandal.[22][23] His 43.3 Three Point Field Goal Percentage led the Big Ten Conference in conference games.[24]

Blanchard was the fifth player to lead an NCAA team in scoring and rebounding four times.[25] Prior to the 2003 NBA Draft, Blanchard had an official workout with the Atlanta Hawks.[26] Blanchard was not drafted.[27]

Pro career

He spent his first two professional seasons playing for Viola Reggio Calabria in the Lega Basket Serie A.[25][28] He played the 2005–06 season with EWE Baskets Oldenburg of the Bundesliga and was a participant in the 2006 German Bundesliga All-Star Game.[25][28] In October 2006, he signed with the Toronto Raptors.[29] After failing to make the team he spent the rest of the season with ASVEL Basket of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball and then the 2007–08 season with Stade Clermontois BA,[25][28] He participated in the 2008–09 EuroChallenge as well as the Cypriot League with Proteas EKA AEL.[30] In 2009, he was a Cyprus League Regular Season Champion, Cyprus League Cup winner and a Eurobasket.com Cyprus League All-Imports Team selection.[25] He then moved to Ukraine.[31] He began the 2009–10 season with BC Khimik in Yuzhny, Ukraine,[32] but moved to Bosnia to play with KK Igokea in Aleksandrovac, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[33][34] He was an honorable mention Eurobasket.com 2009–10 All-Bosnia and Herzegovina League Honoree for Igokea.[35] He spent 2010–11 playing with BC Torpan Pojat of Helsinki, Finland in the Korisliiga.[36] In March 2012, he signed with Santa Cruz/Rados/Pioneer of the Brazil Gaucha League.[37] Blanchard joined Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca for the 2012–13 Liga Nacional de Básquet season.[38] He then played briefly with 9 de Julio de Río Tercero also of Liga Nacional de Básquet.[39]

Notes
  1. "Boys basketball: 1998 All-USA honorable mentions". USA Today. 1998. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  2. "Harvey named national player of the year". USA Today. May 21, 1999. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  3. "Gatorade® National Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Jabari Parker". PR Newswire. April 12, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  4. "PSL Prep All-Americans". Detroit Public School League. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  5. "Clark Francis On Recruiting: College Basketball". USA Today. April 5, 1999. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  6. "Coaching carousel has impact for recruits". USA Today. April 12, 1999. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  7. "Colleges: Men's Basketball; Boilermakers Advance To Maui Title Game". The New York Times. November 24, 1999. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  8. "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book: Through The Years". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. pp. 46–47. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  9. "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book: All-Time Accolades" (PDF). CSTV.com. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  10. "Morris Peterson Named Big Ten Coaches' Player Of The Year: Mateen Cleaves joins Peterson on the all-conference first team". MSUSpartans.com. CBS Interactive. March 6, 2000. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  11. "College Basketball: Men's Roundup; No. 9 Georgetown Upset For First Loss of Season". The New York Times. January 21, 2001. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  12. "Michigan vs. Iowa". USA Today. January 20, 2001. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  13. "Boozer, Jones, and Duhon Begin Training For USA Basketball World Championship For Young Men Team: 14 Top Collegians To Compete For 12 USA Roster Positions In Dallas". TheACC.com. July 21, 2001. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  14. "USA Men's U21 World Championship All-Time Roster By Affiliation". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  15. "Blanchard Named Preseason All-American by Playboy". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. June 26, 2001. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  16. "College Basketball: Men's Roundup; La Salle Dims Temple's Hopes Of Reaching N.C.A.A. Tourney". The New York Times. March 8, 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  17. "College Basketball: Men's Roundup; North Carolina St. Upsets No. 3 Duke; No. 6 Kansas Is Stunned by Colorado". The New York Times. January 23, 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  18. "Minnesota vs. Michigan". USA Today. January 22, 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  19. "College: Men's Basketball; Cook Rallies No. 13 Illini And Stops Wolverines". The New York Times. January 30, 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  20. "Basketball: Men's College Roundup; No. 4 Louisville Is Upset At Home by Memphis". The New York Times. February 20, 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  21. "Michigan vs. Purdue". USA Today. February 19, 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  22. Zillgitt, Jeff (March 13, 2003). "It's unpleasant now but Georgia made right call for now and future". USA Today. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  23. Moran, Malcolm (January 27, 2003). "No limit on winning at Michigan". USA Today. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  24. "Big Ten Basketball 2009–10 Media Guide". BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. p. 34. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  25. "LaVell Blanchard Basketball Career". Latinbasket.com. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  26. "2003 NBA draft player workouts". USA Today. 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  27. Friedman, Brad (June 20, 2003). "Scouting the small forwards". USA Today. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  28. "Study Abroad: University of Michigan". EuroLeagueAdventures.com. February 10, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  29. "Transactions – October 1". USA Today. October 2, 2006. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  30. "LaVell Blanchard (Proteas EKA AEL)". FIBA. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  31. "FIBA EuroChallenge Capsule Previews: Group B". BallinEurope. November 23, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  32. "LaVell Blanchard (BC Khimik Yuzhny)". FIBA. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  33. "Bosnia – Igokea tab Lavell Blanchard". MLBB.gr. March 18, 2010. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  34. "LaVell Blanchard inks with BC Igokea Aleksandrovac: The player parted ways with Khimik". Sportando.net. March 18, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  35. "Eurobasket.com All-Bosnia and Herzegovina League Awards 2009–10 – by Eurobasket". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  36. Rothstein, Michael (April 29, 2011). "The pro adventure: Where and how Michigan basketball players fared in the pros this year". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  37. "LaVell Blanchard and Roberto Mafra arrived in Santa Cruz". Eurobasket. March 16, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  38. "LaVell Blanchard llega a Weber Bahía Estudiantes". BahiaBasket.com. October 1, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
  39. "9 de Julio cortó a Blanchard". pasionxelbasquetblog.com.ar. February 20, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013. El cuerpo técnico del equipo de Río Tercero decidió prescindir de los servicios del estadounidense Lavell Blanchard, por lo que deberá terminar la Liga Nacional con dos extranjeros.
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