Blake Ahearn

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

Blake Ahearn
Ahearn during his first tenure with the Dakota Wizards
Memphis Grizzlies
PositionAssistant coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1984-05-27) May 27, 1984
St. Louis, Missouri
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolDe Smet Jesuit
(Creve Coeur, Missouri)
CollegeMissouri State (2003–2007)
NBA draft2007: undrafted
Playing career2007–2015
PositionPoint guard
Number6, 18, 2
Coaching career2015–present
Career history
As player:
2007–2008Dakota Wizards
2008Miami Heat
2008San Antonio Spurs
2008→Austin Toros
2008–2009Dakota Wizards
2009Estudiantes Madrid
2010Bakersfield Jam
2010Erie BayHawks
2010Teramo Basket
2010–2011Erie BayHawks
2011–2012Reno Bighorns
2012Utah Jazz
2012–2013Dongguan Leopards
2013–2014Budivelnyk Kyiv
2015Capitanes de Arecibo
2015Santa Cruz Warriors
As coach:
2015–2016Clayton HS
2016–2017De Smet Jesuit HS
2017–2020Austin Spurs
2020–presentMemphis Grizzlies (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place2011 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 33rd his senior year, which included a win over #7 in the nation Wisconsin.

Professional career

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]

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
 †  Won an NBA championship *  Led the league ‡  NBA record

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007–08 Miami 12014.8.263.294.9681.61.6.5.05.8
2008–09 San Antonio 306.3.333.5001.000.3.7.3.02.7
2011–12 Utah 407.5.286.222.000.5.3.0.02.5
Career 19011.9.273.298.9701.21.2.4.04.6

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2012 Utah 302.7.6671.000.000.0.7.0.01.7
Career 302.7.6671.000.000.0.7.0.01.7

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007–08 Dakota 411529.4.486.439.960*2.03.5.7.019.0
2008–09 Austin 6634.3.444.531.914*2.36.0.8.018.8
2008–09 Dakota 414138.7.445.420.957*2.45.0.7.022.7
2009–10 Bakersfield 171032.8.367.277.932*2.14.11.2.114.3
2009–10 Erie 131345.1.433.440.961*4.56.71.2.325.7
2010–11 Erie 312533.7.406.354.962*2.75.81.1.216.9
2011–12 Reno 373737.5.469.409.962*3.55.11.1.123.8
2014–15† Santa Cruz 9021.2.397.375.9441.92.7.7.09.6
Career 19514734.7.444.404.956‡2.54.8.9.119.9

Domestic leagues statistics
Season Team League GP MPG FG% 3PT FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2009–10CB EstudiantesLiga ACB1325.1.294.414.9831.1.8.7.114.2
2010–11Teramo BasketLega A624.5.286.3451.0001.71.3.5.09.3
2012–13Dongguan LeopardsCBA1728.6.468.333.9053.13.4.9.023.0
2013–14BC BudivelnykSuperLeague2024.8.449.383.8531.73.2.7.211.6

International statistics
Season Team League GP MPG FG% 3PT FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013–14BC BudivelnykEuroleague920.8.378.361.9051.61.7.0.19.6
EuroCup1023.7.525.457.9781.52.6.6.015.0
2014–15Capitanes de AreciboAmericas League325.0.125.316.7502.02.31.0.08.7

References
  1. http://www.desmet.org/s/109/desmet.aspx?sid=109&gid=1&pgid=364&cid=1859&ecid=1859&crid=0&calpgid=408&calcid=4528 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.
  8. "2011 Pan-Am Basketball: Blake Ahearn Leads USA to Victory over Brazil". 27 October 2011.
  9. "Erie BayHawks trade Ahearn, McCullough to Reno | GoErie.com/Erie Times-News". www.goerie.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  10. "Utah Jazz to Sign Blake Ahearn". 9 April 2012.
  11. "Jazz to Sign Blake Ahearn to a 10-Day Contract". NBA.com.
  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.
  13. "Jazz Signs Blake Ahearn for the Remainder of the Season". NBA.com.
  14. Pacers Sign Three Free Agents
  15. "Pacers Exercise Option on George, Release Three Players". NBA.com.
  16. Blake Ahearn jugará junto con Haislip en los DongGuan Leopards de China Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine (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.
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