Louisiana State University’s basketball history has been one of hit-and-miss. From Bob Pettit’s teams in the mid-50s, Pistol Pete Maravich’s in the late-60s, and Shaquille O’Neal’s in the early-90s, the Tigers have had eras of true greatness. The most recent of their success came in a 2005-06 season led by Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Tyus Thomas. The tandem carried the Tigers to a Final Four appearance, and national respect.
That respect has decimated since then. Other than the 2008-09 season, LSU has had six consecutive seasons that can be considered subpar. The Tigers fired Trent Johnson in 2012, and hired Johnny Jones. Jones has roots with Louisiana State, playing for the school from 1980-1984. After his playing days, he became an assistant for his coach Dale Brown for 13 years.
Jones’ roots have paid off this season. After two rebuilding, double-digit loss years, the Tigers are sitting at 11-3 with the rest of a relatively weak SEC schedule left. With two key seniors now graduated from last year, Johnny O’Bryant III and Andre Stringer, they have been led by sophomores Jarrell Martin and Jordan Mickey. Both Martin and Mickey have stepped their games up. Martin has raised his scoring seven points, while averaging 17.5 PPG and 8.8 RPG this season. Mickey has hovered around his freshman statistics, but is averaging 15.8 PPG and 10.8 RPG. They are both the building blocks that Jones needed to jump-start this LSU program.
The recruiting trail has been the real reason for Jones’ success, though. Martin and Mickey were both part of Jones’ first class, both with local ties in the south. Martin, a five-star forward, is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mickey, a four-star power forward is from nearby Arlington, Texas. Jones’ second class came with a four-star center in Elbert Robinson, who, non-coincidentally, is from Garland, Texas. All three players are now main contributors for the Tigers.
The main reason for LSU’s bright future is the recruits coming in next season. The number one player in the country, according to ESPN, Ben Simmons, has already signed to play for Johnny Jones. This left a lot of time for him to talk one of his buddies into joining him in Baton Rouge. Antonio Blakeney, a five-star SG and was once committed to Louisville, was a teammate of Simmons’ on their AAU team Each 1 Teach 1. Eventually, Blakeney announced he was joining Simmons to be a Tiger.
Simmons and Blakely are both southerners as well; Simmons more literally. He grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and has been bestfriends with Utah Jazz point guard Dante Exum since childhood. Simmons enrolled to Montverde Academy in Florida to finish out his high school career. Blakeney is from Orlando, Florida.
Jones’ prowess in recruiting the south for talent has given him, and the school, a chance to compete nationally for the next few years.
On top of all the exciting pieces that have been added, or are being added in the future, LSU got more good news this past week: Craig Victor, a New Orleans native and four-star recruit, is transferring to the Tigers after spending this season as an Arizona Wildcat. Victor seriously considered LSU in high school, but chose Arizona in the end. He is heading back to Louisiana, and will only help the Tigers moving forward.
Coach Johnny Jones has the Louisiana State Tigers looking up, while trying to bring them back to the signature eras of LSU basketball. The Tigers have a real chance to do that, with a talented team, new recruits, and quality transfers coming to Baton Rouge. The real challenge for Jones will be to keep the success going, and not allowing a drop-off in the future. Look for LSU to be a team to watch in the next few years.
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