Johnny Jones Off to Promising Start at LSU

There have been some good years in Baton Rouge, but for the most part, the LSU Tigers have not had a period of sustained success since Shaquille O’Neal left. There now seems to be some indication that could change in the near future with the emergence of Johnny Jones on the recruiting scene.

Jones has made a splash without even a single game as LSU’s head coach. He has done so by bringing in four highly regarded recruits in the class of 2013, including the recently committed Jarrell Martin.

Martin is a very talent forward who will combine with Jordan Mickey to give the Tigers two potential front court standouts with enormous potential. Junior college transfer Deng Deng should also give Jones’ team some depth down low. Tim Quarterman is a combo guard with the ability to get to the rim and is an athletic defender. He should also have a major impact on the future of the program.

This recruiting class is not going to win LSU a national title or compete with Kentucky or Florida in the SEC. However, it is a step in the right direction and a sign of future prosperity. Not only is Martin a top 15 recruit according to both Rivals.com and ESPN.com, but he is also from Baton Rouge. This is important because LSU already lost out on Damian Jones, who is also from Baton Rouge, but chose Vanderbilt over the Tigers.

Jones’ early success on the recruiting trail is good news for LSU, a program with four Final Four appearances and a long prestigious history. If Jones can continue recruiting well in the South, this is a program that can become a SEC contender very quickly.