Episcopal High junior Brian Bridgewater rarely stops smiling.
“I’m a laid-back guy,” the 6-foot-5, 230-pound power forward said. “Laughing is just a natural thing for me. That brings out my age.”
Bridgewater revealed that Arizona, Oklahoma and LSU are his current top three schools.
Naturally, LSU has shown heavy interest in the forward with a tight end’s build, given his hometown ties.
But the Tiger connection runs even deeper. Bridgewater’s older brother, Brad Bridgewater, donned purple and gold from 1998 to 2003.
The elder Bridgewater, a 6-foot-8 forward, never reached his high potential as a Tiger, largely because of a torn ACL he suffered prior to his junior season. He averaged 3.7 points per game in his career.
But the younger brother said his family ties give LSU no leg up in landing him.
“Not at all,” he said. “A lot of people might think that, but I don’t want to be tied to a legacy, necessarily. I want my own path.”
Coaches and teammates said Bridgewater would likely choose Arizona if he had to decide immediately.
Bridgewater also took up football for the first time last fall, lining up as a tight end and slot receiver.
“Football is real fun,” he said, laughing. “On the first day of practice, I got hit going across the middle. That was a wake-up call for me.”
Vincent Dellocono, Brian’s three-year running mate as the Knights point guard and Episcopal quarterback, said Bridgewater’s athleticism made him a difficult guard on the gridiron.
“At first, you could tell he was raw,” Dellocono said. “But his progression was insane. He was incredible by the end of the year. As a quarterback, it was a lot of fun to throw to him.”
Bridgewater said he wants to focus on one sport — likely basketball — but LSU is pursuing him hard as a possible dual-sport signee.
Unselfish to a fault on the floor and amicable off it, Bridgewater is an ideal teammate, according to his peers and coaches.
“Brian is humble [and] doesn’t have a big head,” Beckman said. “Those guys in the locker room wouldn’t let him. He certainly doesn’t bring all the arrogance and baggage superstars in high school usually have.”
The primary critiques of Bridgewater’s game include being undersized for a power forward and the lack of a consistent mid-range game.
Bridgewater said he has used his AAU trips with the Houston Hoops and this junior season to sharpen a perimeter game.
“I’m being recruited a lot as a [small forward],” he said. ” I’m practicing my ball handling and shooting from the outside every day. I need to expand my game.”
With coaches calling him weekly, texting him daily and sending him letters, the pressure on Bridgewater as a sought-after recruit ramps up with each school that expresses interest.
The 17-year-old said he has taken a few pointers from his older brother on how to handle the process.
“I get some tips from Brad, things like, what to look for in a coach,” Brian said. “I don’t get to talk with him much, though, since he’s still in Australia playing pro ball.”
While the younger Bridgewater said he will play no favorites with the Tigers in his recruitment, the junior acknowledged that LSU does hold a special appeal.
“I remember going to a lot of games in the PMAC and getting to see guys like Jabari Smith and Stromile [Swift] throw it down,” he said. “Those were some fun times. I’ll always love LSU, whether I end up there or not. It’s like home.”
 
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Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected]