BATON ROUGE — Members of the LSU men’s basketball team are featured on a city-wide billboard advertising campaign to let fans know that the 2004-05 season is just around the corner.
As part of LSU’s “It’s Hoops Time” marketing campaign for the new season, LSU players Xavier Whipple, Antonio Hudson, Darrel Mitchell and Brandon Bass are featured on 10 Lamar Advertising billboards across Baton Rouge. The players are pictured individually in shots in which the players were allowed to show their personality matched up with slogans created by the LSU Promotions and Marketing Office and LSU Director of Publications Jason Feirman.
Whipple, the Tigers’ senior point guard is making a no look pass with the slogan “cool whip,” while forward and 2004 SEC Freshman of the Year Bass is squeezing the air out of a basketball with a net draped over his neck with the slogan, “get hooked on BASSketball.” Hudson, LSU’s senior guard is featured smiling, holding the basketball toward the camera urging fans to “have a ball …” with Mitchell, who was one of the league leaders in three-point shooting last season, in his billboard asking the fans “you wanna geaux?”
“We believe that when fans come to know the personalities on this team,” said LSU Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs Herb Vincent, “they will come to the Maravich Center and see them play. This is just one way we are reaching out to bring new fans to LSU basketball.”
While this is not the first time that billboards have been used to promote LSU basketball, it is the first time the men’s basketball players have been prominently featured.
“I haven’t had a chance to see them myself, but I have heard from a lot of people who thought that it was a good idea,” said LSU men’s basketball Coach John Brady. “This is just another example of the great support we are getting from our administration in promoting men’s basketball this season.”
The billboards are part of the early season campaign to help fans become more aware of LSU men’s basketball. The Tigers open exhibition play at the Maravich Center on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. against EA Sports All-Stars and following another exhibition game on Nov. 15, LSU will open its regular season by hosting the LSU Louisiana Classic Nov. 19 and 21. LSU will play Tulane in its opening round game at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19.
Season tickets remain on sale on the Internet at www.LSUsports.net and at the LSU Athletics Ticket Office at the Athletics Administration Building. Also, on the LSU web site are computer desktop wallpapers of the four billboards as well as a wallpaper version of the 2004-05 LSU men’s basketball poster.