Kerry Blackshear Jr. bent over to throw up as he tried to finish his morning workout, urging his father to let him go home for a nap before returning to the court for his afternoon practice.

His father, Kerry Blackshear Sr., played professional basketball for 10-plus seasons around the world, taking his family with him to Spain, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Blackshear Jr., just in elementary school at the time, was able to grow up with the basketball by his side.

“(He went) to the gym early in the morning to get shots up everyday, I’d always go with him,” Blackshear Jr. said. “Just the habits that he built, being able to do that everyday.”

Blackshear Jr., now a freshman at Virginia Tech, went back and forth between traveling with his father and living in Florida until the sixth grade when he moved back to Florida permanently.

The time Blackshear Jr. spent around his father and other professionals on a day-to-day basis was paramount to his growth as a stretch-forward for the Hokies (12-10, 4-5 Atlantic Coast), who will face Syracuse (15-8, 5-5) on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

“His IQ and skill set come from watching his dad,” VT head coach Buzz Williams said. “He is the most skilled and has the highest IQ of any freshman that I’ve coached in my career.”

When the 6-foot-10 Blackshear Jr. arrived on campus, he was ahead of his freshmen counterparts, as he had the IQ of a collegiate basketball player already ingrained into his head.

Blackshear’s mother, Lamilia, is the third on the all-time rebound list at Stetson University. Blackshear Jr. said she always used to claim she was “the best in the house.” While his father was playing overseas, Blackshear Jr. was able to learn from her as well.

“It’s not like he went to his mom and she wanted to talk about cooking,” Williams said. “He went to talk to his mom about basketball in the same way he did his dad.”

Because his mother and father played different positions, the freshman stretch-forward was able to pick each of their brains when working on different skills. His mother worked with him on his inside game, while his father, a wing, gave him a different perspective.

The international style of basketball surrounded Blackshear as a young player. He watched power forwards who were as skilled ball-handlers as the point guards. It was a style he wanted to replicate.

“I just grew up watching a different type of basketball,” Blackshear Jr. said. “I got accustomed to that, everyone being able to dribble, pass and shoot. That was the main way I saw people play.”

At Maynard Evans (Florida) High School, Blackshear Jr. played a variety of positions. Athletic director Wanda Perdue, who coached Blackshear Jr.’s mother in high school, said the support Blackshear Jr. received from his parents was key to his success.

Several 6-foot-10 players are able to dominate at the high school level. But what made Blackshear Jr. stand out and make it collegiately is his versatility.

“Most big men, they get the rebound they look for the outlet,” Perdue said. “He got the rebound and he could take the ball up the floor, which made him more valuable at the next level … 6-10 at the next level is just another player.”

In his first season at Virginia Tech, Blackshear Jr. has played in all 22 games for the Hokies, starting two of them. He’s sixth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding, averaging 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

While he’s only led the team in rebounding twice and his scoring output doesn’t pop out, Blackshear Jr.’s upbringing has made him a difficult matchup for opponents.

“Inside he gives us our best skill set as a passer and as a scorer,” Williams said.

Published on February 1, 2016 at 11:13 pm

Contact Jack: jfupton@syr.edu