With the start of the season just more than a month away, the LSU men’s basketball team is hard at work trying to combine a veteran core with a top-10 recruiting class to make the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament team since 2009.
Nowhere is this process more evident than in the front court, where First Team All-Southeastern Conference junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III and senior Shavon Coleman are surrounded by five freshmen and a transfer junior.
The Tigers’ leading scorer and rebounder last season, O’Bryant has taken it upon himself to be a more vocal leader and to use his experiences to help the younger players learn the game, much like former LSU forward Malcolm White did for him, O’Bryant said.
“Things are not always going to go your way when you are a freshman or any time in college, but you have to have guys that are there for you,” O’Bryant said. “Malcolm was like that for me, so that’s how I’m going to be.”
Among O’Bryant’s pupils is freshman forward Jarell Martin — the No. 11 recruit according to ESPN. While Martin is listed at 6 feet 9 inches and 241 pounds, LSU coach Johnny Jones said he is the type of player that could play any position on the court.
O’Bryant agreed with Jones’ sentiment, saying Martin has shown great versatility since arriving at LSU.
“[Martin] will play at the next level someday,” O’Bryant said. “He can do so much, that’s what amazes me. He can knock down the deep three, he can take his man off the dribble, he can cut back door [and] he can post up low.”
ACTIVE DEFENSE
Junior guard Anthony Hickey made a name for himself last season by picking the pockets of opponents. Hickey finished with 2.9 steals per game — an SEC best and third overall in the NCAA.
Hickey may have some competition in that department this year as some of the freshmen are expected to be impact performers on defense.
Freshman forward Jordan Mickey’s 6-foot-8-inch frame allows him to cover larger players. But throw in a 72-inch wingspan and freakish athleticism, and he could be a matchup nightmare.
“Mickey has that next level of athleticism,” O’Bryant said.
When Hickey heads to the bench, the Tigers will use a variety of players to make up for his play making ability. One of the likely choices is freshman guard Tim Quarterman, a true point guard who is familiar with Jones’ aggressive up-tempo style of play from high school.
Quarterman said the Tigers’ overall athleticism should benefit the defense.
“This team is going to be really good at defense because we have really long defenders and everybody is so competitive that they don’t want the other person to score,” Quarterman said.