Bigger, faster, stronger — it’s the motto for the LSU basketball team when it comes to the players’ conditioning programs.
Since Johnny Jones’ introduction as coach at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, the Tigers have tried to inject some size and athleticism into the starting lineup.
“Being here with the weight and conditioning program has really helped me,” said freshman forward Jarell Martin. “I haven’t gained any weight, but when I came in, I was 14 percent body fat and I’m a lot lower than that now.”
Martin may claim he didn’t gain any weight lately, but the 6-foot-9-inch, 241 pound forward has added 21 pounds to his frame since his junior season at Madison Prep.
Junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III, who battles Martin in the post every day, says the freshman hasn’t even scratched the surface of how strong he could be.
“Jarell is stronger than he thinks he is,” O’Bryant said. “I don’t even think he realizes it. He’s around 240 [pounds] and he plays strong out there on the court, but adding that extra muscle over the summer has really helped him defensively.”
Freshman center Darcy Malone said even though he has a slow metabolism, the training staff at LSU encouraged him to eat as many as six meals a day to supplement the weight and conditioning program he was on.
Hailing from Australia, Malone hadn’t encountered some of the training regimens that are common here in the United States.
“One of the things that has helped me a lot is the bench press,” Malone said. “I had never really done anything like that, and it has improved my strength a lot. You wouldn’t believe this, but I’ve actually filled out a lot since I’ve been here, I was a little scrawnier before.”
The added strength and athleticism has helped Malone adjust to the quicker pace of the American game, which he said was the toughest thing to get used to upon his arrival.
Malone said he has gained around 16 pounds since coming to LSU and that added weight helps him battle O’Bryant on the block during practice.
Fellow freshman post player, forward Jordan Mickey, was also put on a special dietary program to go along with his weight training.
“They have me eating a bagel topped with peanut butter after every meal,” Mickey said. “I’ve put on about 12 pounds since I’ve been here and I’m in the best shape of my life so it really has helped me a lot.”
The smallest of the newcomers, freshman guard Tim Quarterman, has even added a significant amount of muscle to his lanky, 6-foot-6-inch frame. The guard came in at a willowy 160 pounds, but has since beefed up to 180, the most weight gained on the team.
Quarterman said the extra weight has helped him immensely on defense, as he doesn’t feel players can bully him around the court as much anymore due to his size.
While Mickey and Malone had more personalized plans, Quarterman’s instructions for gaining weight were simpler.
“I didn’t know I was going to pick up weight as fast as I did,” Quarterman said. “They just told me to eat a lot, not to miss any meals and when I can, eat an extra serving.”
O’Bryant said the added weight for all the newcomers will help the team greatly throughout the season.
“It’s going to help them a lot,” O’Bryant said. “With the type of practices we have and the amount of conditioning we do, it was bound to happen. The guys work so hard when they come in to practice that it is really paying off for them.”
“One of the things that has helped me a lot is the bench press … I had never really done anything like that, and it has improved my strength a lot. You wouldn’t believe this, but I’ve actually filled out a lot since I’ve been here, I was a little scrawnier before.”