LSU forward Tari Eason is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft and hiring an agent, thus forgoing his remaining college eligibility, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Eason is currently No. 15 on ESPN’s best available players list and No. 14 on Kevin O’Connor’s latest big board for The Ringer.
The 6’8″ sophomore put up big numbers off the bench for the Tigers, averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks on .521/.359/.803 shooting in 33 games (24.4 minutes). Eason’s per-minute averages are quite eye-opening and he was among the SEC’s leaders in several categories.
Eason has had a unique journey to becoming a potential lottery pick, as he was only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Givony writes. After a decent freshman season at Cincinnati, he opted to transfer to LSU after the Bearcats switched coaches.
He emerged as one of the most improved players in the country this season and helped lead LSU to a 22-12 season. The No. 6 seed Tigers ultimately fell to Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Eason said he has a strong competitive fire and hopes to become an elite two-way player.
“I hope NBA teams were able to see how passionate I am about this game and competitive fire,” Eason said, per Givony. “I hate losing more than I enjoy winning. I’ll do whatever it takes for my team to secure a win. I also hope they saw that the defensive part of my game is just as important to me as my offensive game. I want the NBA to know that I intend to be an elite two-way player and I will never be complacent. There is never an end to getting better. Never.”
Givony states that Eason was able to guard all five positions at the collegiate level and showcased an intriguing blend of explosiveness, creativity and skill offensively.
This kid talks a great game, if he can play as good as he says, he will have a very good career in the league, work ethic is a vital quality & he has that!