BATON ROUGE – The LSU men’s basketball team held its season ending banquet Monday night at the Events Centers at the L’Auberge Resort.
A nice crowd of LSU Tipoff Club Members and basketball fans, including over a dozen former players turned out to salute the Tigers after their 19-win season overall and their breakeven 9-9 record in the Southeastern Conference after starting league play 0-4.
Inside LSU Basketball host Jordy Hultberg emceed the banquet and he was joined on stage by Head Coach Johnny Jones, who completed his first year back at LSU as head coach of the Tigers by winning the second most games of any first-year coach in the last 60 years. He also guided LSU to just the seventh non-losing season in the league in the last 20 years (the first with an 18-game league schedule in that time period).
Among the awards presented by Coach Jones were the following:
Field Goal Percentage: Andrew Del Piero (55.1%, 54-of-98)
Free Throw Percentage: Andre Stringer (73.7%, 42-of-57)
3-Point FG Percentage: Andre Stringer (40.9%, 67-of-164)
Rebounds: Johnny O’Bryant III (8.7 rpg, 4th in SEC; 9.4 in league games, 2nd in SEC)
Assists: Anthony Hickey (109, ranked in top 10 in league; just 51 turnovers)
Steals: Anthony Hickey (85, 4th most for a single LSU season; 2.93 spg, 3rd in the nation; 1st in SEC)
Most Improved Player: Andrew Del Piero
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Charles Carmouche; Andre Stringer
Offensive Player of the Year: Johnny O’Bryant III (13.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 15 double doubles, 2nd in SEC)
Coach Jones invited former LSU coach Dale Brown on stage to present the first Dale Brown award – an award for the player that has demonstrated positive attitude, a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence – to Jackson, Miss., junior Andre Stringer.
Hultberg would interview LSU’s four seniors (Carmouche, Del Piero, Eddie Ludwig and Mychal Williams) and later Coach Jones had the chance to present the jerseys to the four players. Fans also enjoyed a video featuring individual highlights of the LSU players and some of the important games from the past season.
In looking back at the season, Coach Jones told the gathering that there were several defining moments of his first year at LSU. The first he cited was the Seton Hall game in which LSU came from 16 down in the second half to win its SEC-Big East Challenge game before a raucous crowd in the Maravich Center.
“It was a big moment for us; a turning point,” Jones said.
He also mentioned starting 0-4 in the league. “They came to practice every day after each of those losses trying to get better. They continued to fight and got things back on the right track.”
Coach Jones emphasized two other season defining moments when LSU was able to beat No. 17 Missouri in the Maravich Center and a late-season home win in triple overtime against Alabama when LSU for the third time in the season had to come from a double-digit deficit to get the win. In all LSU won eight games decided by five points or less.
The LSU Athletics Ticket Office continues to take $13 deposits for new season tickets and mini-plans for the 2013-14 season. Those deposits can be made online at LSUtix.net, in person at the LSU Athletics Ticket Office, and, by phone at 225-578-2184.
Follow LSU basketball on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LSUBasketball and on Twitter @LSUBasketball.