As the calendar year comes to a close, Johnny Jones’ vision is finally becoming a reality.
After steering the Tigers to a 19-12 record last season, the second-year coach expedited the rebuilding process by bringing home a top-10 recruiting class to join an experienced corps of returning players in 2013. A feverish hype rapidly took hold in Baton Rouge as players were named to national watch lists and All-Southeastern Conference teams.
Despite its narrow season-opening loss at Massachusetts on national television, LSU (5-2) garnered a handful of top-25 votes in the early weeks of the season. Some experts even projected the Tigers as a tournament-caliber team, but the subsequent trio of victories against weaker in-state opponents did little to validate that claim.
But LSU returned to the national stage at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., two weekends ago with one more chance to prove itself in the form of non-conference wins against stiff competition.
The Tigers did just that, claiming third place in a field of teams, including championship contenders and perennial tournament squads.
“At the end of the day, I thought our kids would be a more confident team because they can look back and understand the fact that we had that number of mistakes, played the way that we played and have more focus at the end of that basketball game,” Jones said. “We possibly could’ve been in the finals playing for the championship on Sunday evening.”
LSU opened the tournament by dismantling St. Joseph’s 82-65 as four Tigers turned in double-digit scoring clips. In the second round, the Tigers led No. 21 Memphis by as many as eight points in the second half, but LSU’s season-high 24 turnovers allowed Memphis to snatch a 76-69 victory.
The Tigers finally grabbed a signature win when they won bronze in a 70-68, overtime victory against Butler. Junior guard Anthony Hickey capped a late rally with a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, and the Tigers outlasted the Bulldogs in the final period despite being out-rebounded for the first time all season.
“We knew that [Butler] was going to be a challenge for us,” Jones said. “I thought our guys went about and conducted themselves in the right way in that basketball game. Being down late, understanding they were playing a team that was going to execute at the highest level, we created some turnovers and had some easy scoring opportunities.”
For all of LSU’s success, it may have yet to witness the full potential of freshman forward Jarell Martin. A former five-star recruit from Baton Rouge, Martin joined the Tigers surrounded by high expectations.
But Martin sprained his ankle 33 seconds into LSU’s season opener and watched from the bench as LSU fell to Massachusetts in a nail-biter. After sitting out the following two games, the freshman returned against Southeastern Louisiana but is averaging only eight points and three rebounds per game.
Fellow freshman forward Jordan Mickey stole the spotlight, accumulating three straight double-doubles to start his college career while earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Mickey’s emphatic blocks and highlight dunks have turned him into a fan-favorite, and he leads LSU with 33.4 minutes per game.
The Tigers are currently on a two-week break that will culminate in a home showdown against Louisiana-Monroe on Dec. 14.
The average Rating Percentage Index of LSU’s five remaining non-conference opponents is a dismal 158. But Alabama-Birmingham clocks in at No. 48, and a Dec. 21 matchup with the Blazers presents another chance for the Tigers to reassert themselves in the national picture.
“To have UAB coming in here and getting off to a tremendous start this year, we look forward to that challenge,” Jones said. “All of these games are really going to prepare us for a very challenging and tough conference schedule.”