LSU men’s basketball fans may need a refresher course on freshman guard Ralston Turner.
A stress reaction in his foot kept him out of sight and sometimes even out of mind while he missed LSU’s first five Southeastern Conference games.
But all the 6-foot-6-inch guard has done this season is lead the team in points per game, posting 21 in his first college basketball game ever, and record double-figure scoring nights in 11 of his first 15 contests.
Turner plans to return Saturday night to take on his home state team as LSU (10-10, 2-3) seeks to snap a three-game losing streak against Alabama (12-7, 4-1) in Coleman Coliseum.
“I wanted to help my team out so bad, but obviously I had the injury and I was very limited,” Turner said. “I’m excited to be back with my guys.”
There’s one person who hasn’t forgotten about Turner — LSU coach Trent Johnson.
“Ralston’s presence will relax a lot of guys,” Johnson said. “Before he got hurt, he was our best player.”
But Johnson, who said Turner could start if progress continues before Saturday, knows the team needs more than the addition of one player to get back to its winning ways.
“He’s a freshman, so he’s not going to come back Saturday and carry us to the promised land,” Johnson said.
Turner grew up 118 miles north of Tuscaloosa in Muscle Shoals, Ala. He started practicing last Saturday to prepare for the homecoming.
“I felt like I could have played two or three games ago, but Coach Johnson made the decision to hold me out,” Turner said. “I’d rather sit out and miss five games instead of missing the rest of the games.”
LSU is fresh off a three-game skid after being beaten handily by Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee. The trio of teams outscored LSU, 235-148.
“For the first time there was a sense of ultimate frustration with the group because they didn’t expect themselves to be in this situation,” Johnson said about the atmosphere Wednesday night in Tennessee.
The Volunteers tore up the Tigers’ defense Wednesday night and never trailed in the game’s 40 minutes.
“Throughout the past three games, we need to get more of an inside presence, and that’s just a matter of the guards getting open and giving the ball to the post,” said freshman guard Matt Derenbecker.
Junior forward Storm Warren, who is questionable for Saturday’s game, joined Turner on the bench throughout the Tennessee contest.
Warren played increasing minutes in the four games before Tennessee, but he ran gingerly during the Ole Miss contest and was put back into a boot for the Tennessee game to protect his right Achilles.
“It’s real tender, and the only way it’s going to completely heal is if he stops working out and stops playing for a month,” Johnson said. “Storm wants no part of that.”
Follow Michael Lambert on Twitter @TDR_Lambert.
 
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]