JC transfer Blakes transitioning well to ASU

JC transfer Blakes transitioning well to ASU

Published Nov. 30, 2014 1:01 a.m. ET

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Gerry Blakes relayed a quote from ASU coach Herb Sendek on his Twitter feed.

"Consistency," Sendek tweeted at the start of the season," is more important than occasional greatness."

Blakes has shown some of both in his first few weeks at Arizona State. Blakes is the first of ASU's four junior college transfers to make a scoring impact this season, and his career-high 23 points helped the Sun Devils (4-2) break a two-game losing streak in a 78-71 victory over Colgate on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena. 

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Blakes has set career scoring highs in his last three games, all coming as his comfort level has improved. It is natural for a player stepping up to the next level -- high school or junior college to NCAA Division I -- to need some adjustment time, and Blakes was not immune. But since scoring two points in only 10 minutes in a 68-44 victory over Loyola Marymount on Nov. 20, he has been more assertive. The Loyola Marymount game was the stepping-off point.

"Not being scared to make a mistake or do something wrong," Blakes said of his play since that game. "I wasn't tentative, but I just wasn't being aggressive. I wasn't being my natural self, just playing the game with total confidence.

"It took a couple of not-so-good games for me to realize that's not me. It's not that hard to just be me. You definitely have to get acclimated. After a few games, I got to be player I am supposed to be."

Blakes, 6-foot-4, played both guard spots in the past two years for former ASU guard Quincy Brewer at San Bernardino (Calif.) Community College; he was the Foothill Conference player of the year and the league's leading scorer while averaging 23.7 points a game in 2013-14. He has played only the off-guard spot at ASU while freshmen Tra Holder and Kodi Justice have spent most of the time at the point.

A left-hander, Blakes has scored a majority of his points while slashing to the basket from the left side, although he also has made 4 of 15 3-point attempts against Maryland, Alabama and Colgate. He led the Sun Devils with eight rebounds against Colgate, although he had five turnovers and was critical of his defense.

"Gerry is a talented player, but any time you transition to the Pac-12 there is a learning curve," Sendek said.

"No one has ever called into questioned Gerry's talent quotient or his ability to score the ball. That's why we recruited him. As he continues to get more comfortable with the additional mental parts that go into the game at this level and he gets feeling better about those things, his talent will continue to display itself."

Blakes' two free throws with 36.1 seconds remaining gave the Sun Devils a 77-71 lead against a veteran, game Colgate team that was led by guards Austin Tillotson (22 points, three 3-pointers) and forward Matt McMullen (18 points, three 3s).

With 58 points in the last three games, Blakes has taken over the team lead in scoring, averaging 12.3 points a game while shooting 47 percent from the field. Forward Jonathan Gilling (11.3) and center Eric Jacobsen (10.2) are the other Sun Devils in double figures. Gilling had eight points Saturday, and Shaquielle McKissic had 14. The team scoring lead will probably rotate throughout the season as the Sun Devils play to different players' strengths as matchups dictate, but that seems fine with all involved.

"I just want to be a basketball player and do whatever I can to help the team win," Blakes said.

The Sun Devils played without two members of their normal rotation Saturday -- Justice and forward Roosevelt Scott.

Justice, who started the 76-71 loss to Alabama in the third-place game of the BCE Classic on Tuesday at point guard, was forced to leave practice Friday because of back spasms, Sendek said. Justice felt better earlier Saturday but suffered tightness that did not allow him to play. It is not a disk issue, Sendek said, adding, "We do expect him to be back sooner rather than later." Scott left school Thursday to be with his mother and his family as his grandmother battles cancer.

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