Before the season began, some argued the LSU forward tandem of sophomores Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey, 2014 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team members, could form one of the best frontcourts in college basketball.
In hindsight, it’s hard to discredit that prediction. Martin and Mickey are third and fifth, respectively, in points per game in the Southeastern Conference. But the question of depth still remains in the frontcourt.
LSU coach Johnny Jones has tried multiple frontcourt options throughout the season, but inexperience continues to hinder any progress. With the intensity of SEC play consistently ramping up, prolonged minutes for young big men doesn’t seem to be an option.
Jones utilizes only a seven-man rotation — four guards, two forwards and a center — for much of the 40 minutes of any given game. The center in the rotation is sophomore Darcy Malone, who has started the past five games.
Jones seemed to see something in Malone in 16 minutes of action in the Tigers’ double-overtime win against Georgia on Jan. 10. While the Australian averages only a rebound and just more than a point per game, he does the little things that please his coaches and teammates.
“What I’m more excited about is that his teammates trusted him,” Jones said after LSU’s win against South Carolina on Wednesday. “Early in the game, you had Jordan Mickey catch it high, throw a low post pass and [Malone] finish it … That means your teammates really trust you. That’s big. Darcy has been playing with a great deal of confidence.
“It doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but he allows your offense to flow smoother because his knowledge and understanding of where he’s supposed to be … He’s really given us some positive minutes on the floor.”
Still, Malone has averaged only 14 minutes per game in his five starts this season, leaving Martin and Mickey, who both average more than 30 minutes per game, to shoulder the load in the post.
Before Malone became the Tigers’ fifth option in the starting lineup, senior forward John Odo started 10 of the first 13 games. But the 6-foot-10 Odo didn’t have the kind of production Jones was looking for, so in stepped Malone against the Bulldogs.
“I sort of knew prior to the game that I would be called upon to play,” Malone said after the game. “I didn’t know how many minutes. I didn’t know it was going to go into overtime, of course. I just tried to get myself ready for however many minutes I [would] play. If it was one or it was 40, that’s how you warm yourself up.”
Even more surprising than Malone’s increased minutes is the absence of 7-foot-1 freshman center Elbert Robinson III. Robinson, an ESPN four-star rated center out of Garland, Texas, started the first four games of the season but has appeared only in six of the last 16 games.
Sophomore forward Brian Bridgewater’s 18 appearances is the most for any post off the bench. Despite his large frame at 6-foot-5, his minutes continue to be sporadic, and he didn’t play in two of the past four games.
Martin, though, said he would advise each big man to take advantage of the opportunity to play when he gets it.
“Come out playing the role,” Martin said after the Tigers beat Ole Miss on Jan. 14. “Come out being aggressive. Just be really aggressive, box out and get rebounds.”
In the absence of freshman guard Jalyn Patterson, who suffered an injury against Vanderbilt on Jan. 24. Jones continued to mix it up, bringing in freshman forward Aaron Epps off the bench against South Carolina. Despite not registering a basket in seven minutes of action, the 6-foot-9 Epps grabbed two rebound and was the seventh and final man off the bench.
Jones said he liked what he saw from Epps, who hadn’t appeared in a game since LSU lost to Missouri on Jan. 8.
“[Epps] did a great job,” Jones said. “He had a tremendous practice. He knew he was going to be in a little bit different role today. When you talk about a freshman who sits there for a few games and then come out there and play like he did with a sense of urgency, there was no let up, no slippage or anything when he was out there on the floor. That was a huge positive for us.”
Despite a 16-4 overall record and a 5-2 mark in conference, LSU may need to expand its rotations against deep squads, such as Kentucky coach John Calipari’s “Platoon System,” which employs two five-man groups.
Jones said extended minutes for his primary seven was not a part of his plan, but his team will continue to work to improve its depth down low.
“We have to really pick our spots and our moments on how we are going to play it,” Jones said. “It takes away some of the press you may want to do … With the caliber of competition we play against, when they find you resting, they have an opportunity to attack you, and you can’t have a lot of downtime on the floor. So we got to get guys back out there on the floor to get us back in the rotation.”
You can reach James Bewers on Twitter @JamesBewers_TDR.