Instant Impact: Brandon Bass

Brady has high hopes for Dupree's replacement at power forward

By J.M. Woodman, Special to SI.com

Brandon Bass Fr., LSU Position: PF   Ht.: 6'8"  Wt.: 250 High School: Capitol Hometown: Baton Rouge, La. TheInsiders.com Ranking: No. 14 overall, No. 3 power forward PHOTO: LSU SI.com's Impact Freshmen Brandon Bass LSU Tigers Luol Deng Duke Blue Devils Martin Iti Charlotte 49ers David Padgett Kansas Jayhawks Mustafa Shakur Arizona Wildcats Charlie Villanueva UConn Huskies Von Wafer FSU Seminoles

Plenty of schools wanted Brandon Bass on their roster this season, but only one could have him.

In the end, Bass' decision came down to one factor -- location. The school winning that category was Louisiana State, sitting only minutes from the Baton Rouge home where Bass grew up.

"It's about seven to 10 minutes from my house," Bass said. "I just love being at home, and my family wanted me to stay at home, too."

The Hype

At first it's difficult to see what separates the 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward from the competition, but given a little time, his knack for hard work is hard to miss.

"I have watched him work every day on his game in some shape or form," Tigers head coach John Brady said. "He doesn't just do it two or three days a week, and his ultimate goal isn't to help us win a bunch of games here at LSU. It's to play at the next level. All those things combined are going to make him a great player."

Bass, who averaged 19 points and 14 boards during his senior season at Capitol High School, knew his hard work had paid off when he signed with the Tigers last Valentine's Day, although he really began to see the fruits of his labor the previous summer.

He developed a cycle of playing in all-star tournaments, then returning home to tweak his game. Eventually, it earned him the attention of not only the LSU staff, but also those at Kentucky, UConn, Mississippi State and USC, which he visited before making his decision.

His Role

Brady has told Bass there are only two reasons he will come off the court this season -- when he is in foul trouble or asks to be taken out because of fatigue -- placing high expectations on the first-year player.

The timing of his arrival couldn't be better, as Bass is expected to slide right into the starting lineup, replacing three-year starter Ronald Dupree at the power forward position.

"Coach has so much confidence in me," Bass said. "If I'm not ready now, I'm getting there. I've been working out hard all summer, individually and with a trainer."

Bass adds that he is in the best shape of his young career and "can play with anybody."

The confidence is well earned, but Bass shows no signs of backing off his trademark hard work as the Tigers head into the season. While his ultimate goal may be the NBA, for now he'll do all he can in an LSU uniform.

"My goal is to give it 110 percent and do as much as I can for the team," he said.

Bass got off to a solid start in LSU's first exhibition, scoring 11 points and pulling down eight rebounds against Global Sports on Nov. 7. He was the Tigers' second-leading scorer in a 68-64, and led the team in minutes played with 31.