Mulling his future in his hometown of Cleveland, Miss., LSU junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III turned to his mother, Angela Moore.
“Momma,” O’Bryant told her. “It don’t matter what round I go in. I could go in the first round or the second round. All I ever wanted was an opportunity.”
Now, the opportunity is there. O’Bryant announced Tuesday he will skip his senior season and enter the NBA draft — a decision he reached this weekend after meeting with his family in Mississippi.
Flanked at both sides by LSU coach Johnny Jones and Moore, O’Bryant thanked the Tiger program and called the chance to wear an LSU jersey an honor.
“I just felt like I put in the time and hard work and I was ready,” O’Bryant said. “I want to thank all the fans for their support when things wasn’t looking so good and everyone who played a part in it.”
O’Bryant toyed with the notion of declaring for the NBA draft after last season, but ultimately announced he would return for his junior season, citing he needed to improve his endurance and mid-range game before jumping to the professional level.
After a season where he paced the Tiger offense with 15.4 points per game and added a second consecutive First-Team All Southeastern Conference honor, O’Bryant said he feels the improvements are marked.
“I was in better shape this season,” O’Bryant said. “I heard some positive things. My numbers went up. I shot a better field goal percentage and I looked better out there on the court.”
While Jones said O’Bryant’s departure creates an obvious void for his 2014-15 squad, he was excited for his newly minted NBA prospect.
“We would love to have him back, but we’re really excited for him and know he’ll have a bright future playing on the professional level,” Jones said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do in terms of preparation and getting better.”
O’Bryant said he didn’t wait on evaluations or grades from NBA teams to make his decision. Jones added the junior got his evaluations last season and improved upon the critiques at a great rate.
While freshman Jarell Martin reiterated that he will return to Baton Rouge for his sophomore season, there is another Tiger who is waiting on those evaluations.
Freshman forward Jordan Mickey said after the press conference he is still undecided on his future and is waiting on feedback from the NBA — although he hasn’t officially sent his requests off.
“I’m just playing it by ear now,” Mickey said. “My family will be down here next weekend and we’ll talk more about it then.”
Both Mickey and Martin were synonymous in their praise for O’Bryant, who Martin called a great leader on and off the floor.
And with the influx of transfer guards Keith Hornsby and Josh Gray, O’Bryant said next year’s LSU team has the potential to be great, further complicating his decision.
“I would have loved to play with Keith Hornsby and Josh Gray,” O’Bryant said. “But at the same time, I think it’s time for me to move on and have another guy fill my role.”