dejuan blair

College Pittsburgh Conference Big East Sport Basketball Position Center Jersey # 45 Class Sophomore Career 2007–present Height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Weight 265 lb (120 kg) Nationality USA Born April 22, 1989 (1989-04-22) (age 19)

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania High school Schenley High School, Pittsburgh Awards 2009 Big East Player of the Year (with Hasheem Thabeet)

DeJuan Blair (born April 22, 1989 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an All-American college basketball player. He is currently a sophomore (second-year) center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team. [1] Blair is considered a future NBA player. [2] Contents [hide] 1 Early years 2 High school career 2.1 Recruiting 3 College career 3.1 2008 3.2 2009 3.3 College statistics 4 Impact on the city of Pittsburgh 5 References //

Early years

Blair, the oldest of four children (one of whom died in infancy), grew up in Pittsburgh's Hill District, literally in the shadow of the university—his childhood home is a mere 600 yards (550 m) from the Pitt campus.[3] Although he was the smallest of his siblings at birth, he was the largest child in his class by the time he started school. Basketball was, figuratively speaking, in his blood—both of his parents played at Schenley High School, which was located in the Hill District until 2007, and his uncle ran the nearby Ammons Recreation Center, where he learned to play the game.[3]

High school career

Blair played as a four year starter at Schenley High. While there he scored 1,563 career points and finished with an overall 103-16 team record, including a 57-0 record within the Pittsburgh City League. He was named the AP player of the state and made first team all state his junior and senior year. Blair led Schenley to the 2007 PIAA Class 4A state championship, the first state title for a City League team since 1978; in the final against Chester (and his future Pitt teammate Nasir Robinson), he had 18 points, 23 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots.[3] He was also named Pittsburgh City League Player of the year three times.

Blair's basketball accomplishments were not limited to school. He also played in the summer leagues at Pittsburgh's Kennard Park, known for their rugged competition. Blair remembered a championship game in which his team played against a team led by current Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who was also a highly regarded basketball prospect: "They were taking bets — I got DeJuan, I got Terrelle. I had 56 that night. We won."[3]

Recruiting

Blair was heavily recruited coming out of high school. Besides Pitt, other schools pursuing him included Florida, Kansas State, Indiana, Marquette, Miami, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Tennessee.

His parents admitted that if they had their way, Blair would have gone to Tennessee. They liked Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl, and thought it would be a good idea for their son to leave the city. Blair himself had problems making up his mind; while considering