On Friday night, the LSU men’s basketball team will get a fresh start.
When the Tigers take on Morehouse at 7 p.m. on Friday, they’ll begin their quest improve on a 20-14 season with fresh talent and a robust coaching staff.
During the offseason, LSU brought in a talented class of freshman and transfers. The class is highlighted by junior guard Josh Gray, a transfer from Odessa College, and 7-foot-1, 270 pound freshman center Elbert Robinson III.
“I’m excited for it. I can’t wait, it’ll be really nice to play somebody else besides my own teammates,” said sophomore forward Jordan Mickey. “We can’t wait to get this season underway.”
Last season, Mickey played an average of 32.8 minutes per game and was second on the team in scoring per game with 12.7 points. The team’s leading scorer, Johnny O’Bryant III, left the Tigers to continue his career in the NBA.
With O’Bryant gone, LSU is looking for players to step up and pick up where he left off. At Odessa College, Gray scored 34 points per game and said he hopes to continue his success at LSU.
“The game’s not going to change, I dont expect anything new,” Gray said. “I know how to play ball, it’s just a different level. I’m just going to approach it as the same thing, the same ground roots. There’s nothing changing about the game of basketball.”
For junior guard Keith Hornsby, the exhibition game against Morehouse will be the culmination of a long transfer process from the University of North Carolina at Asheville to LSU.
Hornsby played two seasons in Asheville, but had to sit out the 2013-14 season when he transferred to LSU. He said he can’t get the game off of his mind, and he’s excited to see how the new players perform in a game situation.
“It’s been a long time coming. I’ve had a long time to think about this,” Hornsby said. “This game coming up is what I’ve been waiting for for so long. I’ve been thinking about it for so long, I just can’t wait to get out there and actually play.”
The beginning of the season not only brings a clean slate, but some nerves as well. Mickey said that although he has a season under his belt and the contest is just an exhibition match, there is always a high level of anticipation for the first game of the season.
“It’s exciting, but it also brings some nerves. It’s exciting knowing the season is here and it’s about to start. We want to start off on the right foot and get our season underway,” Mickey said. “I think we’ll have a pretty good crowd. It is the Alabama football game weekend, so I’m expecting a packed house.”