Whenever an All-Southeastern Conference player like LSU forward Johnny O’Bryant III is lost to the professional ranks, a major role on the low block opens up.
Luckily for LSU, three of its biggest guys are excited about stepping up and taking the reins in improving on a 20-14 season that ended in a second-round loss to Southern Methodist University in the National Invitation Tournament.
When practice began Wednesday, sophomore forwards Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey and freshman center Elbert Robinson began their quest not only for a berth in the NCAA Tournament, but also to fill the O’Bryant-sized hole in the Tigers’ squad.
“[LSU] coach [Johnny] Jones has been telling me I have to step up and be a leader,” Martin said. “He feels like I can lead this team like I led my team to a state championship in high school. I feel like I can do that here and take responsibility for this team.”
Martin, who was widely regarded as one of the top high school basketball players in the country when he was recruited, looks at improving on a 2013-2014 season that saw him average 10.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 26.2 minutes per game.
Over the summer, Martin dropped to 233 pounds through a mix of yoga and running with a conditioning coach. The weight loss could be the catalyst for a big season, according to Jones.
“I think with one year under his belt, he’s continuing to grow,” Jones said. “He’s shed several pounds, he’s become quicker out there on the floor and become more explosive. He’s continued developing, and we look forward to some great things from Jarell in his sophomore campaign.”
Robinson is another player who got rid of extra weight during the offseason. When his senior season of high school ended, the 7-foot-1-inch Robinson weighed a hefty 330 pounds, the same as senior football offensive guard Hoko Fanaika.
He came to campus weighing 301 pounds but has slimmed down to 265 pounds, losing 36 pounds since his arrival at LSU.
“They had me doing a lot of conditioning, working out and just eating right,” Robinson said. “I cut down on sweets and I ate healthier with more vegetables and everything.”
As a junior at Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas, Robinson averaged 14 points, 12.5 rebounds and six blocks per game. As a senior, he averaged 11.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game. Although his production dropped, he still earned District MVP and Defensive Player of the Year accolades, along with being named Class 5A All-State .
Coming into the 2014-2015 season, Robinson said he hopes the improvements he made in the summer will help prepare him for college basketball and the SEC.
“I feel like I’m mid-way [to where he wants to be skill-wise]—the hardest adjustment is learning the plays,” Robinson said. “I have to make sure to keep getting my arms wider and sealing my man off. Those are the biggest things.”
The player facing the highest expectations of any returning Tiger may be Mickey. His freshman season resulted in All-SEC Freshman Team, All-SEC Defensive Team and All-SEC Second Team honors, and he joined Shaquille O’Neal as the second player in LSU men’s basketball history to block at least 100 shots in a season.
Mickey is seventh in career blocks at LSU after his freshman campaign, where he averaged 12.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. He made 53.3 percent of his shots, putting him second in the SEC for shot percentage. Even after a statistically stellar season, Mickey said he wasn’t satisfied and put in more work to get better.
“I went to the Nike camps and the Adidas camps [this summer], so I definitely tried to improve my game,” Mickey said. “I worked on my shooting and ball handling, being able to take it out to the perimeter on bigger guys and post up and work up on my close game more to be a better all-around player.”
Mickey decided against joining O’Bryant in the NBA Draft in hopes of coming back and improving his game further. He said he’s happy with his decision, and he hopes it will be a big year for the Tigers.
“We have some different things we can do with this team this year,” Mickey said. “We can go small and put four guards in and have me out there, or we can go big with Elbert, myself and Jarell. We have different matchups we can do this year, and it’ll be fun to see what we’re able to do.”
You can reach Michael Haarala on Twitter @haarala_TDR.