NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Mississippi of last decade
By Joey Loose
6. Johnny O’Bryant III – LSU
O’Bryant was just another top 50 recruit who found his way to success at the collegiate level. A 6’9 forward from Cleveland (not the one in Ohio), he ended up spending three seasons playing collegiate at LSU, being recruited by Trent Johnson but having his best success in those final years under coach Johnny Jones. O’Bryant certainly wasn’t a household name but was a very formidable player in those seasons in the SEC.
With a 21-point effort in his third career game, O’Bryant was already showing that he was an impact player for the Tigers. He worked his way into the starting lineup later that year and really stood out in his final two campaigns. He averaged 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as a junior, with comparable numbers as well the year before. He never played in an NCAA Tournament at LSU but developed into a walking bucket and impact rebounder by the end of his career.
O’Bryant was twice named All-SEC Second Team and certainly asserted himself as one of the league’s best forwards during that stretch. He finished in the top 5 in rebounding in the conference in both of those seasons and led the SEC in 2-point field goals during that junior season as well. He became an early 2nd round pick of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks but has spent his most recent seasons playing overseas.