LSU Basketball: Looking back at the Tigers career of Garrett Temple

A native of Louisiana, Garrett Temple was a key player toward LSU basketball’s success during each of his seasons which he played in Baton Rouge, and has since gone on to have a lengthy NBA career. Let’s take a look back at Temple’s time with the Tigers, a span in which he was one of LSU’s top two-way players.

Looking back at the LSU Basketball career of Garrett Temple

Temple originally came to LSU as a member of the Tigers 2004 recruiting class, where he was rated as a three-star point guard out of in-state University Lab School in Baton Rouge, LA. Once at LSU however, Temple would have to wait until the 2005-06 season to truly make an impact, as the former three-star would go on to redshirt his 2004-05 freshman year with the Tigers.

In that 2005-06 season, Temple would go on to start in 35-of-36 games for an LSU team that reached the Final Four. That season, Temple would average 5.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.1 SPG.

Temple would go on to enjoy a breakout 2006-07 season, one that could’ve been his single-greatest in an LSU uniform. Starting in all 32 games which he played, Temple would average a career-high 8.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.1 BPG, while also shooting 81.4% from the free throw line.

As a redshirt junior in 2007-08, Temple would start in 29-of-31 games for the Tigers, averaging 6.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.3 SPG. Temple would also shoot 78.3% from the free throw line, as well as be named SEC All-Defense that season.

During his redshirt senior season, Temple would go on to start in all 35 games which he played for LSU, averaging 7.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.7 SPG. Shooting 80.5% from the free throw line, Temple was also named SEC All-Defense for the second consecutive year, and would rank top five in the conference in both total assists and steals, as well as assists and steals per game.

Across his five seasons with LSU basketball, Temple would start in 131-of-134 games which he played, and would average a career mark of 6.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.4 SPG. Temple would also hold a career 78.3% mark from the free throw line, and would go undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft.

As mentioned previously, Temple has gone on to have a successful professional career since, despite going undrafted out of LSU, and recently concluded his 13th NBA season with the New Orleans Pelicans, which was his 11th different team. For his NBA career overall, Temple has appeared in 716 career games across that span, averaging a combined 6.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.7 APG.