With expectations higher and a clear talent upgrade from year one, Johnny Jones’ second season went much like his first.
A marquee home win was overshadowed by befuddling road losses. Junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III struggled with foul trouble all season. And consistency was nowhere to be found.
The Tigers finished 20-14 and 9-9 in the Southeastern Conference and won their first postseason game since 2008-09, a 71-63 victory against San Francisco in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.
Although on paper the season was only a one-win upgrade, Jones termed the season a success, given the hurdles and youth the team had on the floor most of the time.
“The team that we had, the young guys that we had in our program, you’d have to certainly think that we’ve moved forward,” Jones said. “At times, we had three freshmen out there on the floor in terms of the starting lineup. When you talk about progression, you’d have to think that we’ve had the ability to take these kinds of steps.”
An 87-82 win against eventual NCAA runner-up Kentucky while Winter Storm Leon crippled Baton Rouge gave the Tigers’ faint NCAA tournament hopes a jolt in mid-January, but they lost three of their next five to watch those quickly fade.
After a dismal six-point performance in front of a hometown crowd during an 88-74 loss at Ole Miss on Jan. 15, junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III found a new gear, pacing the team with 15.4 points per game.
O’Bryant, who posted eight double-doubles, garnered first team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row. He announced his intentions to enter the NBA draft after the season, leaving a void in the middle for Jones’ 2014 squad.
Jones does return the freshmen duo of Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin, both of whom garnered All-SEC Freshman Team honors in their first season in Baton Rouge.
Mickey, who announced his decision to return for his sophomore season on April 23, was also named to the All-SEC Defensive Team after blocking an SEC-leading 96 shots.
Martin was hindered by an early season ankle sprain, but when healthy during the SEC gauntlet, averaged 11.4 points per game in conference.
Along with the rising sophomore sensations, LSU will add the services of scrappy transfer guard Keith Hornsby, who was ineligible this season under NCAA transfer rules.
Add in consensus top-70 center Elbert Robinson and junior college transfer Josh Gray, and Jones’ Tigers will have a different look next season, all the while searching for the veteran leadership vacated by the graduation of Andre Stringer and Shavon Coleman.
“I think it’s really important when you look at Jarell and Jordan. … I know the important roles that they played on their high school teams to get them to championship levels and expect them to step up, take more of that leadership role with our team,” Jones said. “I think their leadership is going to be very important for our team moving forward.”