In his first start since Jan. 2, LSU freshman forward Johnny O’Bryant III made his presence known Saturday against the No. 1 team in the nation.
O’Bryant led the Tigers in points and rebounds, with 12 and nine, respectively, in a 74-50 loss to Kentucky.
O’Bryant’s 12 points against the Wildcats tied his second-highest output of the season.
A broken hand suffered during a Jan. 4 practice kept O’Bryant off the court for most of the month.
While he was sidelined, LSU coach Trent Johnson said O’Bryant couldn’t fully practice with the rest of the team, forcing him to come up with a separate workout.
“It’s been all lower body,” Johnson said. “It was high-level cardiovascular. Whether it was stairs, whether it was upper mezzanine, he just would run.”
Running was important for a player who Johnson said struggled to adjust to the speed of the college game.
“I think early in the season he wasn’t in good shape, and he was struggling with how hard and how fast the game was played,” Johnson said. “As of late, he was just coming around and getting in great shape.”
O’Bryant was cleared to return to the court one day prior to the Tigers’ bout at No. 17 Mississippi State, and Johnson didn’t hesitate to get his young forward back out on the court.
The freshman played 20 minutes against the Bulldogs, accounting for six points and four rebounds.
According to O’Bryant, the pain hasn’t slowed him down since his return.
“It wasn’t bothering me,” he said after the Kentucky game. “[My hand] got hit a couple times, but I just fought off the pain.”
While O’Bryant was sidelined, Johnson said he knew the injury was “hurting more than [O’Bryant] leads on,” but said he could also tell O’Bryant was itching to return to the court.
 
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