In the event of a serious cut, modern medicine says it’s best to bandage the injury immediately, then let time pass before painfully ripping the bandage off to let the scab heal.
But in the case of LSU’s 80-67 loss to Southern Methodist University in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament on Monday, a fatal wound to the Tigers’ season, the best course of action is to begin the healing process immediately by putting the loss in the past and turning toward a promising future.
Since Johnny Jones will almost certainly return for his third campaign as head coach, the logical way to begin the process is to figure out which members of this team will also be a part of the 2014-15 club.
Guards Andre Stringer and Shavon Coleman are both lost to graduation. There’s no reason to think point guard Anthony Hickey won’t return for his senior season, but LSU’s trio of talented forwards — junior Johnny O’Bryant III, freshmen Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey — all must choose between returning to LSU or declaring for the NBA draft.
For O’Bryant, it’s a decision he’s wrestled with before. Following last season’s conclusion, O’Bryant weighed his options before turning down the NBA in favor of improving his game during his junior year.
After leading the Tigers in scoring for a second consecutive season, the lure of the NBA may be too strong for the
offensive-minded forward to resist again.
O’Bryant hasn’t announced anything publicly at this point, but earlier this month, he told reporters he thought his game had improved enough to make the jump to the next level.
The eye test concurs. For such a strong forward, O’Bryant has a polished offensive game that includes an arsenal of post moves and the ability to step out and hit mid-range jump shots.
He occasionally struggles with double-teams, and his lack of quickness makes him a liability at defensive end, but considering the lack of progress in those areas as this season went on, it’s unlikely another season of college ball will help.
Because of his weaknesses, O’Bryant is unlikely to become a lottery pick in the draft, but his skill set profiles well as a late-first or early second round pick.
A serious injury is the only way returning for his senior year would drastically change that projection, so his decision boils down to whether he wants to start his paid career now or risk it for one more shot at making the NCAA tournament.
At this point, I’d handicap it as a coin flip if he stays or goes.
While O’Bryant may have found his ceiling as a collegiate ballplayer, the two freshmen still have plenty room to grow. Unless their families need the money as soon as possible — in which case no one should fault them for leaving — both Martin and Mickey would benefit from another season at LSU.
Martin’s career got off to an inauspicious start with an injury in the season-opener against UMass that set him back for a good portion of the season. He came on late in the season and showed flashes of brilliance but wasn’t consistent enough to warrant being a high draft pick.
Earlier this month, Martin told reporters he planned to return for his sophomore season. He would benefit greatly by doing so, especially if O’Bryant leaves and Martin learns to be more assertive as the likely focal point of the Tigers’ offense.
Again, assuming money isn’t the deciding factor, Martin will likely be back.
Mickey is more of a wild card because he has yet to indicate leaning one way or the other. He had the type of freshman season that often spells one-and-done, but another season at LSU would actually help his draft stock.
Mickey is a dominant shot-blocking power forward at the college level, but standing at a lanky 6-foot-8, NBA teams would likely want him to play small forward.
His length and athleticism would allow him to be a defensive difference maker right away at the next level, but to be a complete NBA small forward, his ball handling and jump shot need some work.
With a more polished offensive game, Mickey could be a lottery pick in 2015, but if all three left right now, Mickey would likely still be the highest selected of the bunch, making his decision the toughest.
If Jones gets two of the three back, LSU should continue to improve next season, although it’s understandable if that sentiment is beginning to sound like a broken record.
James Moran is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from
Beacon, N.Y.