LSU senior guard Andre Stringer watched the tipoff of his first game in an LSU uniform from the sidelines.
In 2010, the 5-foot-9 freshman out of Jackson, Miss., wouldn’t get his first taste of playing time under the PMAC lights until he was subbed in for former LSU guard Aaron Dotson three minutes into the game.
By the end of the night, Stringer led LSU with 21 points through 25 minutes of playing time — fourth most on the team that day.
Stringer only watched one more tipoff from the bench that inaugural season. 
Since his first start against Tennessee-Martin in November of 2010, Stringer started 79 of the 91 games he played in prior to the start of his senior season.
Fast-forward to 2014.
Stringer is now within striking distance of LSU’s top 25 all-time scorers list, and he’s No. 3 all-time with 218 career 3-pointers and No. 10 with 301 assists since giving Dotson that first breather.
“As far as my legacy goes, I just want to be remembered as a team player and someone who plays hard and is there for his team and willing to sacrifice anything for the team,” Stringer said.
Unfortunately for Stringer, that sacrifice took shape in the form of him giving up the starting role he held for three and a half seasons.
Stringer lost his starting position after LSU coach Johnny Jones made several lineup changes following a devastating loss to Tennessee, in which Stringer didn’t score a single point. It’s been the only time in his collegiate career he failed to light up the scoreboard.
For the first time in his career, Stringer has assumed the role of sixth man, coming off the bench in the last 12 outings.
“That’s just a coach decision and what we think is best for our basketball team,” Jones said.
Stringer said he and Jones didn’t have a long conversation when he received his new role. It was explained that the move is what Jones felt was best for a team that needed a change, and Stringer accepted that with full confidence in his coach.
But Stringer isn’t discouraged by his new role. In fact, he                embraces it.
“I’ve been in the trenches a lot of times in my life, and I’ve learned that it’s better to be positive,” Stringer said. “It’s not frustrating to be coming off the bench. Coach has his decision to make and I’m behind him 100 percent any time he makes those decisions.”
In the six games that followed Tennessee, Stringer threw down 66 points, including a 23-point outburst at Ole Miss. 
Stringer still receives roughly the same number of minutes he did as a starter, but instead of being just another guy in the starting lineup, he now commands the second unit.
“I don’t think it had anything to do with how I was playing,” Stringer said. “I just think [Jones] wanted to shake a few things up and try some different things, try some new lineups against certain teams. I said I’m fine with that.”
Stringer’s field goal percentage has jumped from .398 through his first 13 games as a starter this season to .458 in the 12 games off the bench. He averages a full point more per game and, as a team, LSU is scoring four more points per game.
But even in the midst of his best statistical season, Stringer remains steadfast behind his coach’s decision.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m all about victories and wins,” Stringer said. “The most important thing to me is taking my role and trying to implement it for my team. If my role is coming off the bench and trying to score when I get in, getting guys involved, I’ll be fine with that.”
“I just want to be remembered as a team player and someone who plays hard and is there for his team and willing to sacrifice anything for the team.”