One of the legends of Missouri State men’s basketball returned to campus last weekend, reminding us of good times in the program when wins were plentiful and crowds were large.
Blake Ahearn, who starred at guard for the Bears from 2003-07, was this year’s honoree by the Bears Basketball Network organized by Missouri State basketball alum Andy Newton. It marked the first time that Ahearn’s daughters Blake (age 13), McKenzie (12) and Charlie (10) saw dad’s old stomping grounds.
“The new place (Great Southern Bank Arena) is nice, but I’m kind of partial to Hammons Student Center,” Ahearn said of the Bears’ home gym during his playing days. “It’s fun to show them where their old man had some pretty good times.
“Here I am nearly 20 years later and I’m really proud my kids are getting to experience where dad went to school. It seems like yesterday … (though) it doesn’t look like yesterday, with the lack of real estate up top,” he added with a laugh, rubbing his bald head.
Ahearn remains Missouri State’s greatest shooter, with a school record 276 career 3-pointers. His career free-throw percentage (.946) and season percentage (.975) not only are school records but NCAA records. He’s eighth on the Bears’ career scoring list with 1,677 points.
Since playing for the Bears, Ahearn has lived quite the basketball life. He played professionally, including 19 games in the NBA with the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. He is one of only a handful of NBA players to have both Hall of Famers Pat Riley (12 games in 2007-08) and Gregg Popovich (three games in 2008-09) as head coaches.
“Forty-one states, 19 countries on four different continents is where I’ve played or coached basketball since I left Missouri State,” Ahearn said. “Throw a dart at a map. I’ve lived through a war in Ukraine, lived in China, been to the Vatican in Rome. I have some great life experiences that I never would have experienced without basketball.”
During eight seasons of playing professional basketball in the United States and overseas, Blake Ahearn played in 19 regular-season games with the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. (Photo by NBA.com)
But some of his best experiences have been the last two seasons without basketball in his life. After being let go after five seasons as a Memphis Grizzlies assistant in the summer of 2024, Ahearn and family moved back to his native St. Louis.
Family time has been the first priority after spending nearly every waking day of his life living and breathing basketball from the time he was old enough to dribble and shoot. He talked about missing father-daughter school dances during his time coaching in Memphis or with the Spurs’ G-League team in Austin, where he was head coach.
“The fact that I’ve been able to be around this year or two, if my girls one day are able to look back and say, ‘Remember when dad was able to be around for that year or two,’ it’s been worth it,” Ahearn said.
That said, the itch to get back into basketball is starting to intensify. Ahearn said the time is nearing to get back into coaching. He doesn’t limit it to any one level, though a return to the NBA would seem most likely as he’s turned down a couple of offers since departing from the Grizzlies.
For the one-time gym rat who charted his practice shooting in a journal and always shot 102 free throws per day — the two extra were to simulate game-ending situations with the game on the line — basketball remains in his DNA.
“I think you always miss it because it’s who you are,” Ahearn said. “You get your fixes by staying in touch with people and maybe watching games.
“I think that time is coming pretty quick. I had some opportunities but it wasn’t something that I was ready to do just yet. Here in the near future I think I’ll be back with the clipboard again.”
Taking a break, though, gave Ahearn a chance to recharge his batteries while also getting quality family time. Travel in pro basketball is relentless.
“To go back with a little different perspective, I think will be a good thing,” Ahearn said, adding that it’s hard to watch an NBA game simply for fun. “If I’m watching a team that I scouted, I’ll think ‘Here comes this play or that play.’ It’s hard when you’re watching a game not to dissect it a little bit, but it’s also fun when you’re sitting with the girls and they ask questions about what’s going on.”
Touching on a variety of topics during homecoming weekend as about three dozen Missouri State basketball alums — spanning the late 1960s through recent years gathered — Ahearn said few people know that he originally committed to Southern Illinois out of DeSmet High School in St. Louis.
A recruiting call from then-Bears assistant coach Ric Wesley, plus a connection with fellow St. Louisan Tamarr Maclin who already had spent two seasons playing for the Bears, started the ball rolling toward his flipping the commitment.
“There also were rumblings about Bruce Weber leaving SIU as coach, which he did,” Ahearn said. “But it’s about the people, about guys like Tamarr and the fans in Springfield. I like to say I got the best of both worlds — the last two years we were SMS and the first two years we were Missouri State. Classic old gear and new gear.”
On his free-throw record: After going 1-for-11 as a fourth-grader in a youth league game, Ahearn said his dad took him straight to the gym. It was the first of 102 foul shots, a tradition that lasted throughout his career.
His message to younger players who want to be better at the line is simple. “Practice and confidence. The more you practice, the more confident you get. There’s no secret sauce. That’s how it works. Work ethic and practice with a purpose.”
The NCAA snub still stings: Ahearn said he will never forget the Bears’ being left out of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, despite an RPI of 21 (no team has ever been rated higher and been snubbed).
“I remember sitting in (coach Barry Hinson’s) basement, waiting for the selection show, and wondering if we were going to be an eight or a nine seed,” Ahearn said.
Golf a priority for the kids: While Ahearn’s daughters all play youth basketball, golf is a bigger priority. All three have shot rounds in the 70s from the women’s tees.
“We work more on the wedge game and making the four-foot putts more than free throws,” Ahearn said of his daughters.
Seeing war up close: One of the most memorable chapters of Ahearn’s professional basketball career came while playing in Ukraine. The family had an apartment in downtown Kiev and he was on a road trip to China when civil unrest between Russia and Ukraine erupted in 2014. Several hundred civilians were killed in shootings near the residence.
“There were guys in hoodies and jeans walking around just shooting people. Absolute madness,” Ahearn said. “I flew back and went to pick the family up. We packed what we could and 29 hours later we were back in St. Louis. I got them out of there as quickly as possible.”
Ja Morant’s talent and troubles: Ahearn worked extensively with guard Ja Morant, an ultra-talented but often troubled and injured All-Star while in Memphis. He said Morant has “made some dumb decisions” due to hanging out with the wrong people, but he remains supportive of the 26-year-old.
“Ja’s a heck of a player. You’ve seen him do some things that are not the smartest thing in the world. But if my wife and I wanted to go out for dinner, I would feel completely comfortable with him coming over and watching my kids.”
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton755@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton