LaVell Blanchard explained

LaVell Blanchard
Position:Forward
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lbs:231
Nationality:American
Birth Date:23 February 1981
Birth Place:Ann Arbor, Michigan
High School:Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
College:Michigan (1999–2003)
Draft Year:2003
Career Start:2003
Career End:present
Years1:2003–2005
Team1:Viola Reggio Calabria (Italy)
Years2:2005–2006
Team2:EWE Baskets Oldenburg (Germany)
Years3:2007
Team3:ASVEL Basket (France)
Years4:2007–2008
Team4:Stade Clermontois BA (France)
Years5:2008–2009
Team5:AEL Limassol (Cyprus)
Years6:2009–2010
Team6:Khimik Yuzhny (Ukraine)
Years7:2010
Team7:Igokea (BiH)
Years8:2010–2011
Team8:Torpan Pojat (Finland)
Years9:2012
Team9:Santa Cruz/Rados/Pioneer (Brazil)
Years10:2012
Team10:Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca (Argentina)
Years11:2013
Team11:9 de Julio de Río Tercero (Argentina)
Highlights:
  • Eurobasket.com All-Bosnia and Herzegovina League (2010)
  • Cyprus League Cup winner (2009)
  • Bundesliga All-Star (2006)
  • 4x All-Big Ten Conference (1st team: 2003; 2nd team: 2001; 3rd team: 2000 and 2002)
  • Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year (2000)
  • Gatorade Player of the Year (1999)

LaVell DeAaron Blanchard (February 23, 1981) is an expatriate American professional basketball player who most recently played for the 9 de Julio de Río Tercero of the Liga Nacional de Básquet. He has previously played in several leagues in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine. 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.

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]

As a sophomore, he posted a career-high 30 points to lead Michigan past the 14th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes 70–69.[10] [11] 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.

He was one of 14 finalists for the 12-man 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Championship USA Basketball team,[12] but he did not make the final roster.[13] He was one of 10 preseason Playboy All-Americans.[14] 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 .[15] 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.

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 . Michigan had trailed by 5 points near the middle of the second half.[16] [17] Michigan would extend the win streak to 13, getting off to a 6–0 conference start before losing.[18] 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.[19] [20] 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.[21] 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. Prior to the 2003 NBA draft, Blanchard had an official workout with the Atlanta Hawks.[25] Blanchard was considered an unlikely late second round selection despite his solid character.[26]

Pro career

He spent his first two professional seasons playing for Viola Reggio Calabria in the Lega Basket Serie A.[27] 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.[27] In October 2006, he signed with the Toronto Raptors.[28] 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, which is a lower division French team.[27] He participated in the 2008–09 EuroChallenge as well as the Cypriot League with Proteas EKA AEL.[29] In 2009, he was a Cyprus League Regular Season Champion, Cyprus League Cup winner and a Eurobasket.com Cyprus League All-Imports Team selection.[30] 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 until his services were discontinued in February.[39]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Boys basketball: 1998 All-USA honorable mentions. 2012-04-13. 1998. USA Today.
  2. News: Harvey named national player of the year. 2012-04-13. 1999-05-21. USA Today.
  3. Web site: Gatorade® National Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Jabari Parker. 2012-04-13. 2012-04-12. PR Newswire.
  4. Web site: PSL Prep All-Americans. 2012-04-13. Detroit Public School League.
  5. News: Clark Francis On Recruiting: College Basketball. 2012-04-13. 1999-04-05. USA Today.
  6. News: Coaching carousel has impact for recruits . 2012-04-13. 1999-04-12. USA Today.
  7. News: Colleges: Men's Basketball; Boilermakers Advance To Maui Title Game. 2012-04-13. 1999-11-24. The New York Times.
  8. Web site: University of Michigan Basketball Record Book: Through The Years. 2012-04-13. 46–47. CBS Interactive. MGoBlue.com.
  9. Web site: Morris Peterson Named Big Ten Coaches' Player Of The Year: Mateen Cleaves joins Peterson on the all-conference first team.. 2012-04-13. 2000-03-06. MSUSpartans.com. CBS Interactive.
  10. News: College Basketball: Men's Roundup; No. 9 Georgetown Upset For First Loss of Season. 2012-04-13. 2001-01-21. The New York Times.
  11. News: Michigan vs. Iowa. 2012-04-13. 2001-01-20. USA Today.
  12. Web site: 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.. 2012-04-12. 2001-07-21. TheACC.com.
  13. Web site: USA Men's U21 World Championship All-Time Roster By Affiliation. https://web.archive.org/web/20100901004400/http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/mu21_affil_roster.html. dead. September 1, 2010. 2012-04-12. USA Basketball.
  14. Web site: Blanchard Named Preseason All-American by Playboy. 2012-04-13. 2001-06-26. CBS Interactive. MGoBlue.com.
  15. News: College Basketball: Men's Roundup; La Salle Dims Temple's Hopes Of Reaching N.C.A.A. Tourney. 2012-04-13. 2002-03-08. The New York Times.
  16. News: College Basketball: Men's Roundup; North Carolina St. Upsets No. 3 Duke; No. 6 Kansas Is Stunned by Colorado. 2012-04-13. 2003-01-23. The New York Times.
  17. News: Minnesota vs. Michigan. 2012-04-13. 2003-01-22. USA Today.
  18. News: College: Men's Basketball; Cook Rallies No. 13 Illini And Stops Wolverines. 2012-04-13. 2003-01-30. The New York Times.
  19. News: Basketball: Men's College Roundup; No. 4 Louisville Is Upset At Home by Memphis. 2012-04-13. 2003-02-20. The New York Times.
  20. News: Michigan vs. Purdue. 2012-04-13. 2003-02-19. USA Today.
  21. Web site: University of Michigan Basketball Record Book: All-Time Accolades. 2012-04-12. CSTV.com.
  22. News: It's unpleasant now but Georgia made right call for now and future. 2012-04-13. 2003-03-13. USA Today. Zillgitt, Jeff.
  23. News: No limit on winning at Michigan. 2012-04-13. 2003-01-27. USA Today. Moran, Malcolm.
  24. Web site: Big Ten Basketball 2009–10 Media Guide. https://web.archive.org/web/20100703173409/http://www.bigten.org/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/big10/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/BT. dead. July 3, 2010. BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. 34. 2010-09-02.
  25. News: 2003 NBA draft player workouts. 2012-04-13. 2003. USA Today.
  26. News: Scouting the small forwards. 2012-04-13. 2003-06-20. USA Today. Friedman, Brad.
  27. Web site: Study Abroad: University of Michigan. 2012-04-13. 2010-02-10. EuroLeagueAdventures.com.
  28. News: Transactions – October 1 . 2012-04-13 . 2006-10-02 . .
  29. Web site: LaVell Blanchard (Proteas EKA AEL). 2012-04-13. FIBA.
  30. Web site: LaVell Blanchard Basketball Career. 2012-04-13. Latinbasket.com.
  31. Web site: FIBA EuroChallenge Capsule Previews: Group B. 2012-04-13. 2009-11-23. BallinEurope.
  32. Web site: LaVell Blanchard (BC Khimik Yuzhny). 2012-04-13. FIBA.
  33. Web site: Bosnia – Igokea tab Lavell Blanchard. 2012-04-13. 2010-03-18. MLBB.gr.
  34. Web site: LaVell Blanchard inks with BC Igokea Aleksandrovac: The player parted ways with Khimik. 2012-04-13. 2010-03-18. Sportando.net.
  35. Web site: Eurobasket.com All-Bosnia and Herzegovina League Awards 2009–10 – by Eurobasket. 2012-04-13. Eurobasket.com.
  36. Web site: The pro adventure: Where and how Michigan basketball players fared in the pros this year. 2012-04-13. 2011-04-29. AnnArbor.com. Rothstein, Michael.
  37. Web site: LaVell Blanchard and Roberto Mafra arrived in Santa Cruz. 2012-04-12. 2012-03-16. Eurobasket.
  38. Web site: LaVell Blanchard llega a Weber Bahía Estudiantes . 2012-01-01. 2012-10-01. BahiaBasket.com.
  39. Web site: 9 de Julio cortó a Blanchard . 2013-05-22. 2013-02-20. pasionxelbasquetblog.com.ar. 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..