Good things have come in pairs during LSU basketball coach Johnny Jones' brief tenure this spring.
It started when Jones brought in a pair of his former North Texas assistants in Shawn Forrest and Charlie Leonard last month, and the news continued to come in twos Monday afternoon when he secured the commitment of Howard Junior College forward Calvin Godfrey.
Godfrey is the Tigers' third commitment of Jones' tenure and the second to come from Howard after his roommate, Shavon Coleman, gave his pledge to Jones in April. The decision gives LSU a pair of established teammates in Coleman and Godfrey, who combined to average 14.7 and 12.6 points, respectively, for Howard last year.
Mark Adams, Godfrey's coach at Howard for the past season, said Godfrey brings a versatile post presence to the LSU roster.
"We had a great year, and he was a big part of our success," Adams said. "He's a great athlete -- one that finishes at the basket as well as anybody we've had here. Inside, he's a tough individual to take charges and block shots, and he's very competitive."
The timing of Godfrey's decision makes it look even more like a package deal, as Coleman delivered his commitment two weeks ago. But although Godfrey said he is excited to play with his longtime friend, he was considering joining the Tigers before Coleman became one.
[+] Enlarge
Zuma Press/Icon SMIJustin Hamilton's early exit from LSU opens an opportunity for two former junior college players who recently signed with the Tigers.
Zuma Press/Icon SMIJustin Hamilton's early exit from LSU opens an opportunity for two former junior college players who recently signed with the Tigers.Godfrey is the Tigers' third commitment of Jones' tenure and the second to come from Howard after his roommate, Shavon Coleman, gave his pledge to Jones in April. The decision gives LSU a pair of established teammates in Coleman and Godfrey, who combined to average 14.7 and 12.6 points, respectively, for Howard last year.
Mark Adams, Godfrey's coach at Howard for the past season, said Godfrey brings a versatile post presence to the LSU roster.
"We had a great year, and he was a big part of our success," Adams said. "He's a great athlete -- one that finishes at the basket as well as anybody we've had here. Inside, he's a tough individual to take charges and block shots, and he's very competitive."
The timing of Godfrey's decision makes it look even more like a package deal, as Coleman delivered his commitment two weeks ago. But although Godfrey said he is excited to play with his longtime friend, he was considering joining the Tigers before Coleman became one.
New LSU head coach Johnny Jones landed a commitment from junior college forward Calvin Godfrey (Howard College) on Monday. The 6-foot-8 Minnesota native announced the news via his Twitter account.
Godfrey spent one season at Iowa State (2010-11) where he averaged 5.7 points and 5.4 rebounds before being dismissed from the team last May.
Godfrey spent one season at Iowa State (2010-11) where he averaged 5.7 points and 5.4 rebounds before being dismissed from the team last May.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
When Katy (Texas) High School running back Adam Taylor made public his decision to commit to LSU last week, it was a surprise in many ways.
Mainly, it threw people for a curve because running back did not seem like a pressing need for the Tigers. LSU has its four best running backs returning and it got even better with the addition of Jeremy Hill, a much ballyhooed 2011 prospect who had to wait a year to sign because of off-the-field legal issues that have since been resolved, clearing the way for him to be part of the 2012 class.
And to make adding a running back even more perplexing is the fact that not one of the six running backs on the 2012 Tigers roster will be a senior.
Mainly, it threw people for a curve because running back did not seem like a pressing need for the Tigers. LSU has its four best running backs returning and it got even better with the addition of Jeremy Hill, a much ballyhooed 2011 prospect who had to wait a year to sign because of off-the-field legal issues that have since been resolved, clearing the way for him to be part of the 2012 class.
And to make adding a running back even more perplexing is the fact that not one of the six running backs on the 2012 Tigers roster will be a senior.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
No. 4 LSU wrapped up its sixth SEC series victory of the season Sunday afternoon, as the Tigers (38-11, 16-8) defeated No. 25 Ole Miss, 12-3, to take two of three games.
Overview: LSU bounced back from its Saturday loss to the Rebels (31-18, 11-13) in impressive fashion. The Tigers mustered just four runs on seven hits in the game two loss, but they reversed those results without much hesitation on Sunday.
LSU nearly doubled its production in both categories with 12 runs on 13 hits, starting in the second inning when JaCoby Jones hit a two-out double with the bases loaded to take a 2-0 lead.
Overview: LSU bounced back from its Saturday loss to the Rebels (31-18, 11-13) in impressive fashion. The Tigers mustered just four runs on seven hits in the game two loss, but they reversed those results without much hesitation on Sunday.
LSU nearly doubled its production in both categories with 12 runs on 13 hits, starting in the second inning when JaCoby Jones hit a two-out double with the bases loaded to take a 2-0 lead.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
High three-star defensive tackle Christian Lacouture (College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated) had Nebraska, LSU and Michigan on his final list of schools. During his weekend visit to Lincoln, Neb., Lacouture decided that playing for the shot at being a Blackshirt was the way to go.
Lacouture committed to Nebraska and became the Cornhuskers’ sixth commitment of the 2013 recruiting class. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound tackle visited the Nebraska campus for the second time in as many months.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Rapid Reaction: LSU 4, Ole Miss 3 (13 innings) 
May, 5, 2012
5/05/12
12:35
AM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
No. 4 LSU's Grant Dozar drove home the winning run with an infield single in the top of the 13th inning Friday night as the Tigers won their ninth one-run Southeastern Conference game of the season, 4-3 over No. 25 Ole Miss at Oxford, Miss.
LSU improved to 37-10 and at 15-7 in the SEC remained in a first-place tie in conference with No. 3 South Carolina, which beat Arkansas 8-6 in 10 innings Friday night.
Overview: Dozar proved to be the nemesis to Ole Miss reliever R.J. Hively (5-3). Dozar's solo home run in the eighth inning off Hively tied it at 3-3. Then in the 13, Raph Rhymes walked, moved to third on a single by Tyler Moore, then scored on Dozar's one-out, infield hit to the left side.
LSU improved to 37-10 and at 15-7 in the SEC remained in a first-place tie in conference with No. 3 South Carolina, which beat Arkansas 8-6 in 10 innings Friday night.
Overview: Dozar proved to be the nemesis to Ole Miss reliever R.J. Hively (5-3). Dozar's solo home run in the eighth inning off Hively tied it at 3-3. Then in the 13, Raph Rhymes walked, moved to third on a single by Tyler Moore, then scored on Dozar's one-out, infield hit to the left side.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
The end of the regular season is in sight for the LSU baseball team, but that's not an attitude the Tigers (36-10, 14-7) can afford to take.
LSU is sitting pretty with a three game lead on the SEC West, having won six of seven weekend series so far. But even with the season drawing to a close, the Tigers will have their work cut out for them if they're to maintain good positioning in the conference standings. Two of the team's last three series are away from home, and both of those road trips come against ranked opposition.
One of those starts tonight against No. 25 Ole Miss (30-16, 10-11), which is enduring the same type of roller coaster season the Tigers dealt with last spring. The Rebels breezed through the bulk of the non-conference schedule to start the year, but conference play has provided plenty of ups and downs. The high points have been as good as taking two of three games from then-No.1 Florida. But the Rebels have also dropped series to middling conference opposition like Georgia and Mississippi State.
LSU is sitting pretty with a three game lead on the SEC West, having won six of seven weekend series so far. But even with the season drawing to a close, the Tigers will have their work cut out for them if they're to maintain good positioning in the conference standings. Two of the team's last three series are away from home, and both of those road trips come against ranked opposition.
One of those starts tonight against No. 25 Ole Miss (30-16, 10-11), which is enduring the same type of roller coaster season the Tigers dealt with last spring. The Rebels breezed through the bulk of the non-conference schedule to start the year, but conference play has provided plenty of ups and downs. The high points have been as good as taking two of three games from then-No.1 Florida. But the Rebels have also dropped series to middling conference opposition like Georgia and Mississippi State.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Yet another 2013 prospect picked up an offer from LSU in what has been a busy week for the Tigers' coaching staff.
The most recent name the Tigers have passed an offer to is Beau Sandland, a junior college tight end from Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. The monstrous 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect caught wind of his offer on the same day as Marietta, Ga., offensive guard Brandon Kublanow. Sandland said he caught wind of the good news from LSU tight ends coach Steve Ensminger.
Much like Kublanow, Sandland said the offer came as a bit of a surprise, since the Tigers have not really been on his radar so far this spring.
The most recent name the Tigers have passed an offer to is Beau Sandland, a junior college tight end from Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. The monstrous 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect caught wind of his offer on the same day as Marietta, Ga., offensive guard Brandon Kublanow. Sandland said he caught wind of the good news from LSU tight ends coach Steve Ensminger.
Much like Kublanow, Sandland said the offer came as a bit of a surprise, since the Tigers have not really been on his radar so far this spring.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
LSU received a commitment Thursday from a Texas running back.
The pledge gives the Tigers 10 commitments for 2013 and adds an explosive offensive threat as well as their first true running back in the class.
Adam Taylor, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back from Texas powerhouse Katy High, committed to the Tigers after a junior season that was marred by a season-ending knee injury in the season's first game.
The pledge gives the Tigers 10 commitments for 2013 and adds an explosive offensive threat as well as their first true running back in the class.
Adam Taylor, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back from Texas powerhouse Katy High, committed to the Tigers after a junior season that was marred by a season-ending knee injury in the season's first game.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
LSU center Justin Hamilton, who surprised many when he decided to leave LSU a year early to try a pro career, is ranked No. 70 on ESPN's Chad Ford's top 100 players in the NBA draft.
If that holds true, he'd be out of the 60-pick draft (two rounds per team) and would be a free agent.
If that holds true, he'd be out of the 60-pick draft (two rounds per team) and would be a free agent.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
The Class of 2016 will have new NCAA academic requirements for initial eligibility. Among the changes will be the creation of an "academic redshirt," for athletes who meet some, but not all, initial eligibility requirements. This is similar to, but not the same as, the old "partial qualifier."
It'll be interesting to see how this eventually affects the SEC.
It'll be interesting to see how this eventually affects the SEC.
With spring football and the NFL draft in the books, here are five things to know about LSU's secondary:
1. LSU's still DBU: For the second straight year, LSU had the NFL draft's first selected defensive back when cornerback Morris Claiborne went No. 6 overall to the Dallas Cowboys a year after Patrick Peterson went No. 5 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
Claiborne, safety Brandon Taylor (third round, Chargers) and cornerback Ron Brooks (fourth round, Bills) became the first trio of LSU defensive backs to be selected in the same draft since the 1960s, when the AFL and NFL held separate drafts. And LSU has had defensive backs selected in six straight drafts, including first-rounders Claiborne, Peterson and LaRon Landry (No. 6 overall pick in 2007 by Washington).
So LSU's place as a producer of NFL-quality DB talent has never been stronger. Already, ESPN's Todd McShay has projected safety Eric Reid as a first-rounder for next year. So don't expect the NFL-quality defensive backs coming out of Baton Rouge to end any time soon.
[+] Enlarge
Butch Dill/Getty ImagesEric Reid (1) might be taken in the first round of the NFL draft in 2013.
Butch Dill/Getty ImagesEric Reid (1) might be taken in the first round of the NFL draft in 2013.Claiborne, safety Brandon Taylor (third round, Chargers) and cornerback Ron Brooks (fourth round, Bills) became the first trio of LSU defensive backs to be selected in the same draft since the 1960s, when the AFL and NFL held separate drafts. And LSU has had defensive backs selected in six straight drafts, including first-rounders Claiborne, Peterson and LaRon Landry (No. 6 overall pick in 2007 by Washington).
So LSU's place as a producer of NFL-quality DB talent has never been stronger. Already, ESPN's Todd McShay has projected safety Eric Reid as a first-rounder for next year. So don't expect the NFL-quality defensive backs coming out of Baton Rouge to end any time soon.
There are few big-time programs yet to offer four-star Ethan Pocic (Lemont, Ill./Lemont), and one of the most successful programs over the last decade became the latest to offer the ESPN 150 offensive tackle.
LSU assistant coach Greg Studrawa sent Pocic a Facebook message Tuesday to call him. When Pocic called, Studrawa let him know the Tigers were throwing their name in the hat for the 6-foot-6, 285-pound junior.
“It’s just crazy. They’re in the national championship like all the time,” Pocic said of LSU, which has been in three BCS title games in the last nine years. “They just were saying they love my tape, want to come in [to Lemont] and meet me and see me and stuff like that.”
LSU assistant coach Greg Studrawa sent Pocic a Facebook message Tuesday to call him. When Pocic called, Studrawa let him know the Tigers were throwing their name in the hat for the 6-foot-6, 285-pound junior.
“It’s just crazy. They’re in the national championship like all the time,” Pocic said of LSU, which has been in three BCS title games in the last nine years. “They just were saying they love my tape, want to come in [to Lemont] and meet me and see me and stuff like that.”
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
The news Brandon Kublanow heard Monday night perhaps shouldn't have come as a surprise, but it did.
Kublanow (Marietta, Ga./Walton) is no stranger to scholarship offers at this stage of the recruiting cycle. He has received them from the likes of Georgia, Florida, Clemson, Miami and South Carolina, to name a few. But when he was visited at school by LSU offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, he thought he might be in line for one more.
"Their O-line coach came to see me, so I figured it might be coming," he said. "But I haven't really talked to (LSU) all that much, so it was pretty exciting."
Kublanow (Marietta, Ga./Walton) is no stranger to scholarship offers at this stage of the recruiting cycle. He has received them from the likes of Georgia, Florida, Clemson, Miami and South Carolina, to name a few. But when he was visited at school by LSU offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, he thought he might be in line for one more.
"Their O-line coach came to see me, so I figured it might be coming," he said. "But I haven't really talked to (LSU) all that much, so it was pretty exciting."
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
When Johnny Jones took the men's basketball job at LSU several weeks ago, he said he planned on bringing in three assistants to fill out the coaching aspect of his staff.
Jones brought on two of those three coaches last week when he announced the hirings of Shawn Forrest and Charlie Leonard from his old staff at North Texas. On Tuesday, the last piece of the puzzle came into view, as Jones announced the hiring of former Georgetown assistant Robert Kirby.
Reports began to surface last Friday that Kirby had made the switch from John Thompson III's staff to LSU, and Jones made it official in a press release Tuesday afternoon.
Jones brought on two of those three coaches last week when he announced the hirings of Shawn Forrest and Charlie Leonard from his old staff at North Texas. On Tuesday, the last piece of the puzzle came into view, as Jones announced the hiring of former Georgetown assistant Robert Kirby.
Reports began to surface last Friday that Kirby had made the switch from John Thompson III's staff to LSU, and Jones made it official in a press release Tuesday afternoon.
ABOUT GEAUX TIGER NATION
Gary Laney
Gary Laney joined ESPN.com in 2012 after spending a year and a half as online sports editor of the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate. Before that, he covered LSU sports for the Advocate. He has also been the sports editor at the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise and covered McNeese State athletics for the Lake Charles (La.) American Press. Laney currently lives in Baton Rouge. Email him at glaneyespn@gmail.com