LSU Forward Tari Eason Earns SEC Player of the Week Nod

Eason averaging a team high 15.6 points per game, becomes second Tiger to earn player of the week honor

Tari Eason has very quickly turned into one of the steals out of the transfer portal this offseason. The Tigers' transfer from Cincinnati was recognized for his hot start to the 2021 season by earning an SEC Player of the Week nod from the conference. 

Eason joins fellow forward Darius Days as the second LSU player to be honored with a player of the week nod this season. In the Tigers 69-53 win over Georgia Tech, Eason scored a career high 23 points, six rebounds and two steals in LSU's quest to a 9-0 start. 

With just two games being played in December, Eason is shooting 15-of-22 from the field and 13-of-16 from the free throw line to bring his average up to 15.6 points a contest to go along with 7.7 rebounds. Eason is currently No. 8 in the SEC in scoring while also shooting 52.6% from the field, good for No. 4 in the conference. 

While he's undoubtedly been one of the Tigers' best offensive weapons, where he truly does a ton of damage is on defense, particularly when LSU is pressing. Eason has an uncanny ability to get his hands in passing lanes and make game altering blocks, which is why he's top 10 in both steals and blocks in the SEC. 

Will Wade has been extremely impressed with how quickly Eason has adapted to life in the SEC but said watching just five minutes of his tape, it was easy to see how talented Eason was. One area that will continue to raise his game to the next level is developing more of a consistent three point shot, something Wade believes is coming.

"I don't think there's anybody that would question he's not one of the best players on our team," Wade said. "He plays huge minutes and plays down the stretch. He's starting to shoot and make open threes which is really the next progression. He's continuing to progress and there's a bunch more steps he can take to get better."