LSU’s men’s basketball recruiting class of 2011 may only have one member at the moment, but the Tigers could see a substantial increase in the class’ quality by the end of the week.
Scout.com recruiting analyst Evan Daniels said elite power forward Johnny O’Bryant will officially announce his commitment Thursday, and LSU ranks high on his list.
“Johnny has apparently made his decision but hasn’t gone public with it,” Daniels said. “Everyone seems to think that LSU is in pretty good shape.”
Rivals.com reported last week that O’Bryant will commit to LSU, choosing the Tigers over Ole Miss and Maryland. The Cleveland, Miss., native ranks No. 13 in ESPN’s recruiting numbers and received a five-star rating from Scout.com.
At 6 feet 9 inches and 235 pounds, O’Bryant’s intimidating presence in the post could play an early impact in the Southeastern Conference, Daniels said.
O’Bryant made an official visit to LSU on Sept. 18, and relationships made during that visit could factor into his decision.
“He has a great relationship with those guys at LSU, and I’m sure they showed him a great time,” Daniels said.
Even as a highly touted recruit, O’Bryant does not pose a risk to make an early jump to the NBA, Daniels said. He still has things to improve before he can make the professional leap.
“He’s certainly got the potential to be an early leave kind of guy,” Daniels said. “But he needs to find a balance position-wise, and I think he needs to continue his post skills and get better at scoring inside.”
O’Bryant would join three-star shooting guard John Isaac as the Tigers’ second commitment from the class of 2011. Isaac committed to LSU in March 2009 but missed his entire junior season because of a torn ACL.
Even though the class lacks quantity, the addition of O’Bryant could signify a positive trend in recruiting for LSU coach Trent Johnson.
“It’s a big step in the right direction,” Daniels said. “O’Bryant is thought of pretty highly in basketball recruiting circles, and he’s a heck of a talent. Any time you can go out and grab a guy of his caliber it means a lot.”    
With a wealth of youth on their roster, Daniels believes the Tigers may be done on the recruiting trail for this class.
“If they get Johnny, they’ll be pretty close to being done,” he said.
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Contact Hunter Paniagua at [email protected]