LSU coach Johnny Jones hit the recruiting trail during his first season in Baton Rouge, assembling the fifth-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
Freshman forward Jarell Martin, rated the No. 11 player in 2013 by ESPN, is the crown jewel in Jones’ first recruiting effort. Martin is joined in the frontcourt by forwards Brian Bridgewater and Jordan Mickey as well as center Darcy Malone. Jones also added depth to his backcourt by inking four-star guard Tim Quarterman.
Bridgewater is currently academically ineligible to participate and is awaiting a ruling on his appeal to the NCAA Clearinghouse, according to Jones. He will not practice with the team until the appeal is heard.
EXPERIENCED CORE RETURNS FOR LSU
While the freshmen bring a youthful flair to the squad, LSU will rely on its returning starters to carry the load early in the season.
The Tigers return the bulk of their experience in the backcourt. Junior guard Anthony Hickey and senior guard Andre Stringer possess a wealth of maturity and play-making abilities.
“Andre grew up a lot last year, and I think it’s really shown through the summer and at the beginning of school this year,” Jones said. “It’s his senior year, and I think he wants to make sure that he has the opportunity to go out the right way. … He’s done it through example and the way he’s worked, and he’s been a little more vocal than he’s been in the past.”
Junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III, a First Team All-Southeastern Conference coaches’ selection last season, looks to improve on his sophomore campaign, during which he recorded 15 double-doubles. Senior forward Shavon Coleman is the only other senior beside Stringer on the roster, and Jones said Coleman will pick up valuable minutes at the wing. 
TIGERS BOAST NEWFOUND SIZE
The Tigers were a relatively undersized team last season, but the arrival of the freshman class and transfer students has beefed up Jones’ roster.
Eight players on LSU’s roster are 6-foot-6-inches or taller allowing Jones to devise many different rotations and lineups. The lack of size on the 2012 squad severely limited the number of players Jones utilized, but he said he felt comfortable playing 10 or 11 players this season.
“With the way this team is put together and how capable these guys are, on any given night, any one of them can give you some really positive minutes,” Jones said.
Junior forward John Odo, who sat out last season as a transfer student, will finally get to show off his 6-foot-9-inch frame in Baton Rouge. Odo will most likely split time at center with Malone, a 7-footer from Australia.