LSU coach Johnny Jones knows the LSU men’s basketball team will have a new look compared to last season.
LSU begins the 2016-17 season practicing for two to two-hour practices on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. LSU is off on Sunday, Jones said.
The Tigers return this year after finishing 19-14 last season with a 12-8 record in the Southeastern Conference. Ben Simmons, Keith Hornsby, and Tim Quarterman, three of the five leading scorers from last year’s team, have departed for the NBA as LSU looks for production elsewhere.
“We’re ecstatic, and we’re really excited about the start of practice tomorrow,” Jones said. “These guys are really chomping at the bit for an opportunity to get back out on the floor. We’re hoping that the experience from some of the guys off of last year’s team will carry over.”
Sophomore guard Antonio Blakeney decided he’d return to LSU for his sophomore season. Blakeney averaged 12.6 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and added 22 steals last season as a freshman.
“That was music to my ears, when Antonio decided to return to our team,” Jones said.
Four incoming freshmen, and two junior-college transfers will be alongside Blakeney.
Jones hopes junior-college transfer Duop Reath, a 6-foot-10 rim protector, provides an inside threat at the rim, something LSU lacked last season.
“What we have this year is a solid rim protector,” Jones said. “Duop Reath provides that for us. That was something that we really missed last year and I thought showed in terms of our field goal percentage and other teams’ ability to score against us.”
Reath averaged 14.6 points per game and 8.4 rebounds his sophomore season at Lee College in Baytown, Texas.
The departures of Quarterman and Josh Gray, who graduated in May, leave an opening at the point guard position as LSU opens the season. Junior Jalyn Patterson and freshman Skylar Mays are expected to compete at the spot, with junior transfer Branden Jenkins potentially earning some time after he returns from injury later in the season.
“It will be very competitive at that spot,” Jones said. “Mays is a true point guard with the size and strength that he possesses. We look for him to come in and really push Jalyn Patterson, who will be another guy that we’ll look at to play primarily in that spot.”
Patterson averaged 22 minutes per game last season, 4.7 points and finished with a 33 percent 3-point field goal percentage.
Jenkins, who transferred from Lee College with Reath, recently underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus roughly a month ago. Jones stated that there is currently no timetable for his return, while a couple of months for recovery are expected.
LSU will begin with an exhibition match against Reinhardt University on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at the PMAC. The Tigers open the regular season against Wofford on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. in Baton Rouge.