On Wednesday, LSU will play one of the biggest, most physical teams in the Southeastern Conference when the Tigers go to Starkville, Miss., to play No. 18 Mississippi State.
So it would help if freshman forward Johnny O’Bryant – all 6-foot-9, 262 pounds of him – is available to play.
LSU will find out if that will be the case today.
Tigers coach Trent Johnson said in a Monday news conference that O’Bryant, who has not played in an SEC game because of a broken left (non-shooting) hand, will have his hand examined at 1 p.m. today by LSU’s medical staff and if the exam goes well, he’ll play against the Bulldogs.
“If he’s cleared,” Johnson said, “he’ll get right back out there.”
His size would be a huge help for LSU (12-7, 2-3) against the large front line of MSU (16-4, 3-2).
The Bulldogs will present the Tigers with perhaps the SEC’s premier front line with 6-11, 249-pound Arnett Moultrie and 6-10, 280-pound Renardo Sidney. Moultrie, a junior transfer from Texas-El Paso, leads the SEC in rebounding (11.2 a game) and is fourth in scoring (16.4 ppg).
Johnson said Moultrie, who shoots 56 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free throw line, possesses a rare combination.
“He’s not only a great athlete, but he plays with skill,” Johnson said.
Sidney averages 10.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Expected to be a star this year, the former blue chip prospect in high school has taken on a more secondary role with the arrival of Moultrie.
O’Bryant, a native of Cleveland, Miss., would give LSU a chance to match up physically if he can return to the lineup next to 7-foot junior center Justin Hamilton, who has been LSU’s best player in SEC play.
When O’Bryant injured his non-shooting hand prior to the SEC opener against Ole Miss, he was averaging 7.9 ppg and 6.2 rpg. The former McDonald’s All-American has had moments of brilliance, like his 21-point, 8-rebound effort against Northwestern.
But in SEC play, he has been in street clothes with a cast on his left hand. Johnson jokes that the conditioning program he’s been on while he’s been injured has him feeling like “he’s on the cross country team.” Johnson did say that O’Bryant has been able to shoot free throws recently.
Without him, LSU gets small fast. While 6-7 senior Storm Warren (8.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg) has been productive in O’Bryant’s absence, he gives up a lot of size in a matchup with either Bulldogs big man. Reserve Malcolm White, at 6-9, 220 pounds, is the only bench player that would give LSU much size inside.
LSU’s best chance of competing inside comes from Hamilton (14.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg), who has been the SEC’s leading scorer in conference games, averaging 19 ppg in the Tigers’ five SEC outings. He’s coming off a career-high 27 points in Saturday’s loss at Florida.
Hamilton and forward Jalen Courtney both missed Monday’s practice with illnesses but were expected to play Wednesday.
Hamilton and Hickey will be great at the end of the season. Hamilton was awesome against Florida. Hope we can win enough games to go to the big dance. H&H are the two best recruits LSU has had for a long time.