Visibly weary LSU coach Trent Johnson recapped the Tigers’ 2011-12 season less than 12 hours after arriving home from a season-ending 96-76 loss at Oregon on Tuesday night in the National Invitational Tournament’s first round.
After consecutive 11-win seasons and no postseason berths, LSU tallied 18 wins this year and returned to postseason play for the first time since 2008-09, Johnson’s first year at LSU. Johnson is now 67-64 in four seasons as the Tigers’ head coach.
Despite the recent setbacks, Johnson said he is “very confident” LSU will snap its three-year NCAA Tournament drought next spring.
“I dwell on the positives from this season and believe in the guys in that locker room,” Johnson said. “We had everything in front of us with three games left. That’s positive. We’ll learn from not getting it done.”
LSU graduates three seniors, with 6-foot-8 forward Storm Warren being the biggest contributor lost.
While Warren’s departure might suggest an interior void, Johnson said LSU desperately needs to improve its perimeter play.
That may start with four-star John Curtis recruit Malik Morgan, a dynamic 6-foot-4 shooting guard slated to join the Tiger backcourt next fall.
“Malik’s going to help us in the worst way,” Johnson said. “But we still need to bring in two, maybe three more guys who are game-ready.”
Junior center Justin Hamilton is expected to return next fall for a second campaign in purple and gold.
Hamilton, an Iowa State transfer, made an immediate impact this season, earning Second Team All-Southeastern Conference honors while averaging 13 points and seven rebounds per game.
A pair of freshman standouts, point guard Anthony Hickey and forward Johnny O’Bryant III, should also return next season, creating potential consistency in the Tigers’ starting lineup.
Hickey averaged nine points and four assists while starting every game, and O’Bryant fought off a mid-season hand fracture to add 8.5 points and seven rebounds per contest.
Johnson credited stabilizing recruiting classes for putting LSU in a position to create some momentum for the program. “The staggered classes and having equal number of upper- and underclassmen this season balanced the roster,” Johnson said. “The challenge will be to bring in even better players.”
The Tigers won seven conference games - more than LSU’s five combined SEC wins during the previous two seasons – to finish in eighth place in the league.
Johnson said the NCAA Tournament is an important goal, but that SEC titles remain the program’s foremost focus.
“I take pride in league championships,” said Johnson, who led LSU to the 2008-09 SEC title. “That’s what we play for here and will set up any other success we hope to achieve.”
 
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