Top 5 former LSU basketball players in the NBA

Mar 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; LSU Tigers forward Jarell Martin (1) shoots the ball in front of North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Ralston Turner (22) during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jarell Martin, Memphis Grizzlies – Power Forward

This could be a bit of stretch here considering that Martin has yet to play a game in the NBA, but his breakout sophomore season at LSU last year and his athletic talents have earned him the number five spot on this list.

Coming out of LSU there is a lot of hype around Martin and there is a strong chance that he will be able to live up to it.  He was a fan favorite in Baton Rogue last season, and many LSU fans believe that he will be able to become a star at the next level.

Martin is the only LSU Tiger currently in the NBA who was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft. Martin fell in the draft because many coaches and general managers labeled him a “tweener”, and believed that he never truly established himself at the power forward position.  However, the Grizzlies were intrigued by Martin’s 16.9 points and 9.2 per game at LSU and decided to take a chance on him with the 25th overall pick in the draft.

Martin proved at LSU that he has the ability to shoot the jumper from mid range and drive to the basket when he has to. However, he does have struggles scoring against large defenders in the paint, and his defensive awareness could certainly use improvement.

His key to success will come from being an active student of the game in practice. Memphis has a great defensive system in place, so Martin should be able to pick up some pointers to help improve that aspect of his game.

Next: No. 4