After a 2006 offseason that featured only one addition to the LSU men’s basketball roster (walk-on guard Greg Terrebone) and several departures (Tyrus Thomas, Darrel Mitchell, David Fleshman), LSU coach John Brady and his staff have been hard at work trying to restock the team’s already experienced lineup.
Forwards Glen Davis and Darnell Lazare will not return to the team next season because of the NBA Draft and graduation, respectively, but according to ESPN.com LSU has already signed five players – four forwards and a guard – to help fill the void.
Anthony Randolph (6 feet 10 inches, 210 pounds)
Randolph seems to be the player primed to step in and fill Davis’ shoes. Ranked the No.17 player in the class of 2007 by rivals.com, the Dallas product averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game his junior season at Woodrow Wilson High School in 2005-2006.
Randolph is the fourth five-star recruit the Tigers signed over in the past four seasons. Davis was a five-star prospect when he came out of University Lab High School in 2004, and sophomores Tasmin Mitchell and Magnum Rolle were also five-star athletes in 2005.
After signing Randolph in November, Brady said in a news release he believes Randolph makes the 2007 class one of LSU’s best.
“Anthony Randolph is a tremendous signee for us,” he said. “He certainly solidifies this class and makes this recruiting class as good as any we have had at LSU. He’s long, athletic … even at 6 feet 9 inches, he can play with the ball in his hand. We are extremely excited about bringing him in as a part of the LSU basketball program.”
Marcus Thornton (6 feet 4 inches, 195 pounds)
The disappointment of LSU’s basketball season obviously did not have an effect on Thornton’s college choice. The Tara High School graduate officially committed to LSU on Wednesday, giving the Tigers their only guard signee of this recruiting season.
After graduating from Tara in 2005, the Baton Rouge native played two seasons at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, and averaged 26.6 points per game this past season.
“Based on their team when I watched them this year, they need a guard who can score from anywhere on the floor, and that’s the kind of player I am,” Thornton told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “I can get to the basket and finish in transition and be a pressure release for big guys inside.”
Thornton’s other top collegiate possibilities were Kansas University and the universities of Florida and Maryland.
D.J. Wright (6 feet 7 inches, 220 pounds)
Wright will make the 1,300- mile journey from Sault St. Marie, Ontario, to play for the Tigers this fall. He considered a number of Big East schools, such as the University of Pittsburgh and St. John’s and Syracuse universities, before signing a letter of intent to play for LSU. Wright is ranked No. 39 in ESPN’s list of top small forwards.
Brady said he expects Wright to help cure the Tigers’ outside shooting problems.
“Perimeter shooting will be a big need for us, and with the signing of D. J. Wright we have taken a step forward in eliminating some of the issues,” Brady said. “He is also athletic enough to defend a couple of different type of players in this league, and we are looking forward to him coming in.”
Garrett Green (6 feet 9 inches, 210 pounds)
Green is highly regarded as one of the best-shooting big men in the class of 2007. The Woodlawn Hills, Calif., native averaged 12 points and eight boards per game his junior season at Taft Union High School. He also considered attending Texas A&M University and the University of Wyoming before deciding on LSU.
Quintin Thornton (6 feet 9 inches, 230 pounds)
Thornton will come to LSU after two years of basketball experience at Odessa Junior College in Odessa, Texas. He averaged 10 points and 13 rebounds per game while leading Edgewater High School in Orlando, Fla., to a Class 6A State Championship in 2005. Other players considering continuing their basketball careers at LSU are Jai Lucas and Michael Sanchez.
ESPN.com ranks Lucas as the No. 3 point guard in the country. The universities of Kentucky and Maryland are among the Bellaire, Texas, native’s top schools under consideration.
The Web site also lists Sanchez as the No. 18 power forward in the nation. Kansas and North Carolina State University are a few of the other schools competing for Sanchez’s services.
—–Contact Tyler Batiste at [email protected]
Tigers sign five top recruits to replace losses
March 22, 2007