For Darcy Malone, a picture is worth 10 seconds.
As an avid of user of the picture messaging app Snapchat, that’s all the LSU freshman center gets.
Malone, a native of Canberra, Australia, is known to take exorbitant amounts of time drawing on his photos to create elaborate and sometimes humorous pictures. His “snaps” are often screenshot and posted on his Twitter account, which has contributed to his rapidly growing following.
“My stepdad works as an artist, and he raised me a lot, so I guess I picked up things from him,” Malone said. “But I’ve always been more on the creative side, doodling in my math textbook and stuff like that.”
But Malone often draws on his snaps to keep himself busy, and the habit is just another quirk of the Aussie in America.
“Let’s just say when it’s really late at night and I have a lot of spare time on my hands, I make sure I waste all that spare time on completely trivial things like drawing ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ and stuff,” Malone said. “It’s all fun, and sometimes I try to make a pun out of it.”
Malone said the popularity of his Twitter account took off after former LSU punter and fellow Australian Brad Wing gave him several shout-outs. Since then, the freshman center has mastered the quick-hitting humor of social media, but he doesn’t need a keyboard or a cell phone to elicit a few laughs.
“He brings humor to the court, too,” said freshman forward Jordan Mickey. “He’s a really entertaining guy, but he still works hard.”
Mickey is a witness to Malone’s Snapchat prowess, and he said he once watched the Australian spend 30 minutes perfecting a picture. Junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III said he is always impressed by how detailed Malone’s Snapchats are, but he praised the freshman center’s abilities on the court as well.
Getting acclimated to college basketball has been a challenge for Malone, who claimed the sport is faster and more physical in the United States than it is in Australia. Since arriving at LSU, he focused on improving his strength in the low post, and the benefits of practicing against O’Bryant, a preseason First Team All-Southeastern Conference selection, are beginning to show, Malone said.
“You can’t really compete with experience,” Malone said. “The more I get to play against someone who is so experienced in the game, the more I get to experience and the better I become.”
Malone said he knew LSU was the place for him when he visited Baton Rouge last year. The 7-footer said he realized the Tigers’ potential when they upset No. 17 Missouri 73-70 on Jan. 30.
“After I came and saw the school, I knew it was the right choice to make,” Malone said. “The staff here really knows how to push everything about the school. They made sure I saw every part of the school, and I got to learn about culture.”
Joining several five- and four-star recruits in a top-10 recruiting class at LSU was an added incentive, Malone said. But the Aussie boasts a reputation of his own, with experience on the Australian U-17 team and averages of 25 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks per game in his senior season at the ACT Academy of Sport.
The freshman center may be a Twitter comedian and a source of comic relief on the court, but he treats his humor and his performance on the hardwood with the same attitude.
“[Drawing] takes a good bit of time,” Malone said. “I’m a perfectionist, and I like to get every detail right.”
“My stepdad works as an artist, and he raised me a lot, so I guess I picked up things from him … but I’ve always been more on the creative side, doodling in my math textbook and stuff like that.”

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Angela Major