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Three contributing members of the LSU men’s basketball team will not be back for the 2014-15 season – a move that is designed to make room for the team’s incoming recruiting class.
Tigers’ men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones announced this week that Anthony Hickey, Malik Morgan and Shane Hammink will not have their scholarships renewed and thus will not play for LSU in the future.
The departed players will now have the option to transfer to other programs to play out their remaining years of eligibility.
“These three players will not be a part of the LSU program next season,” Jones said in a press release issued by the LSU Athletic Department. “We thank them for the contributions they made to the LSU basketball team and certainly wish them well in their future endeavors.”
The decision to cut Hickey is easily the biggest surprise of the three. A Kentucky native, Hickey played 96 games during his three-year LSU career, starting 85 of those games.
A 5-foot, 11-inch guard, Hickey averaged 9.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game throughout the duration of his career. He also posted 360 career assists, compared to 159 career turnovers. In the 2013-14 season, Hickey’s assist-to-turnover ratio was the best in the SEC.
Despite the lofty stats, Hickey sometimes had trouble staying in line with program rules.
The outgoing guard was suspended a couple of times throughout the 2012-13 season for violations of athletic department and university policies.
But he played without incident for the duration of last season, averaging 8.4 points per game, while shooting 34.4 percent from the 3-point line.
It is not yet known if Hickey will transfer to another program or turn pro. He has one year of eligibility remaining if he opts to find another school. If he signs with an agent and turns pro, he will not factor into NBA plans, according to most scouts. He would, however, likely find a home playing overseas.
While the decision to part ways with Hickey comes as a surprise to LSU fans, Morgan and Hammink’s situations are a bit different, as neither likely figured to see much playing time going forward.
Morgan is a 6-foot, 4-inch guard who averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds during his 52-game career with the Tigers.
The rising junior had earned his way into LSU’s starting lineup last season because of his perimeter defensive ability. But Morgan suffered a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 8 against Auburn – an injury that ended his season and will likely sideline the former John Curtis Christian Academy star for most of next season, as well.
Hammink was mostly a role player during his 47-game career at LSU, averaging 1.6 points per game in his career.
Both Morgan and Hammink will have two years of eligibility remaining for their future teams.
With the trio gone from the program, LSU will likely rely heavily upon its 2014 recruiting class for productivity – a four-player crop that is among the best in the nation, according to several recruiting services.
Junior college transfer guard Josh Gray is likely going to be Hickey’s replacement after a decorated career at Odessa Community College.
A four-star prospect, the 6-foot, 1-inch guard averaged a massive 33.8 points per game last season – the most of any major conference junior college player.
Gray also pitched in 5.8 assists per game.
Rounding out the team’s 2014 class will be a trio of high school players, point guard Jalyn Patterson; power forward Aaron Epps and center Elbert Robinson.
Robinson is the most highly touted of the group, earning a consensus four-star rating, thanks in part because of his skill and 7-foot, 300-pound frame.
In the 2014-15 season, LSU will also reap the benefits of transfer guard Keith Hornsby and 2013 signee Brian Bridgewater, two players who will likely factor heavily into the team’s plans.
Hornsby sat out last season, per NCAA rules after transferring from UNC-Asheville. While with that team, Hornsby averaged 15.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a sophomore.
Bridgewater was a decorated high school player for Scotlandville High School in Baton Rouge.
The 6-foot, 6-inch, 230-pound forward was the MVP of the Top 28 State Playoffs during his senior year, leading his team to the championship in an overtime game with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
Bridgewater redshirted last season after failing to be cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse because of questions about his academic qualifications, dating back to high school.
But after a year in Baton Rouge, those issues have been settled and Jones has said multiple times that he expects Bridgewater to easily receive clearance for next the 2014-15 season.
Junior guard Anthony Hickey celebrates after making a shot during a game last season. A multi-year starter in the Tigers’ program, Hickey is no longer with the team, according to LSU men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones.
