(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
Although the record may not show it, this Arizona State men’s basketball team has shown plenty of growth up to this point in the season. For instance, freshman guard Tra Holder has come the farthest of anyone on the team, sophomore forward Savon Goodman is showing signs of excellence during the recent stretch of games where he has become a beast on the glass.
One player has re-flipped the switch as of late, that being junior guard Gerry Blakes.
Blakes, who is now leading the team in scoring again with 11.4 points per game, has scored in double-digits in four of the past five games, including consecutive 20 point games in the ASU’s recent trip to the Washington schools.
“(I’m) just letting the game come to me,” Blakes said. “Not being what we call thirsty – trying to go after it so much – it’s just been coming to me and just being aggressive, just staying ready to make plays.”
Blakes has specifically thrived is at the end of games. Although it was a losing effort for the Sun Devils versus Washington State, Blakes played extremely well on the offensive end to keep his team in the game. In a winning performance against Washington, Blakes showed no signs of letting up as he was a big part in extending the lead and eventually sealing the victory.
“I’m not saying saying ‘Gerry, take over the game,’” Blakes said. “I just want to help my team win, and when an opportunity presents itself, I just try to make the most of it.”
Before the recent success, Blakes had only reached double-figure scoring twice in Pac-12 play. Before conference play began, Blakes had scored in double-figures in nine out of the 13 nonconference games, including three games in which he scored at least 20 points.
One of the reasons why Blakes may have struggled in the beginning of Pac-12 play is his transition to trying to play some point guard as well as shooting guard.
“I think I was born to be at this position and just score the ball,” Blakes said of playing off the ball. “Like coach always says I was born to score, so I try to make the most of that and live by that.”
Although this may be his motto for now, Blakes believes that at some point in his basketball-playing career, he will have to be capable of handling the point guard position.
“The point guard spot is something that I will eventually have to play after college basketball, I would say,” Blakes said. “Me just being in this program with the coaches that we have and the way that they emphasize playing the game always ensures me of playing the right way.”
Blakes getting comfortable in the lineup again could be a factor in his offensive rebirth, but it really just came down to getting back to the basics.
“I just got back to what got me here: reading Bibles,” Blakes said. “I actually watched the game versus Alabama when I had 21 (points) and nine (rebounds), and I just watched the mannerisms and the way I played and my aggressiveness. I just watched who that guy was, and I tried to implement that for the second half of Pac-12 play.”
Along with the scoring, Blakes’ rebounding numbers have also shown similar to his early season form, grabbing at least five rebounds in consecutive games for the first time since late December in the two game stretch against Detroit and Harvard, both ASU victories.
Looking forward to the last six games of the season, which features three of the top five teams in the conference, the Sun Devils are essentially reloaded with the same players. The team previously loaded with inexperience is reaching their peak, and these final six games before postseason play should say a lot about this ASU team for the future. The balance on the offensive end is something that is not only important, but crucial for the end of the season.
“Now we have other players that they have to key in on,” Blakes said. “Not just Shaq or Jon (Gilling) or Eric (Jacobsen), we have Savon Goodman bringing in great numbers and me just trying to be aggressive and being a key factor for our team.”
Team success is important to end on the right note, but the individual success of Blakes is vital for the Sun Devils to finish as strong as they hope to and carry that into the Pac-12 tournament.
