Today our spotlight series hits the outback and features Australian center, Darcy Malone. The 7' 245lbs post man played in 19 games as a freshman. He recorded 5 rebounds on two different occasions and had a season high 6 points against Southeastern LA on 3 of 3 shooting.

While Malone showed promise on the offensive end, he struggled to catch up with the pace of American college basketball. After a year to pick up the pace and the system, Darcy Malone looks to make strides in his game. Malone is one of three players fighting for playing time at the 5 position.

Malone doesn't require the game to go through him, but does have good vision in passing. He plays well under the basket and has good enough hands to catch the ball in traffic. His skillset is much more suited for playing with a point guard who can get into the lane, which should be the case this year.

Still, his offense is not what has kept him out of the lineup. Malone averaged 14.2 fouls per 40 minutes which was more than double the next highest on the team. If Darcy can improve his foot quickness and control his arms in defending, he could be poised for a breakout year.

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What to expect from Darcy Malone:

Darcy Malone is a player that every Tiger fan should want to see succeed. He brings a real mean streak to the court. He doesn't back down to anyone and has a physical body that can take a beating down low. This offseason he has worked on his footwork and with added coaching, hopefully can work out some of the defensive issues that plagued his freshman year.

On offense, he is the most dynamic player LSU has in the post. He made 3 of 7 from three point range last year for 43%. He also had a couple of the most powerful dunks LSU fans saw last year. Add in a nice baby hook shot and you have yourself a stretch center that can only be found in international play.

The amount of time Darcy Malone spends on the hardcourt totally depends on his ability to pick up the speed of the game defensively. If he is able to pick up the speed and control his fouling, Malone could be a 5-10 minute per game player. He could prove to be even more than that, but with Gray, Hornsby, Mickey, and Martin all plus offensive guys, a defensive center is really what LSU needs.

Malone will be given a chance early to prove to the coaching staff he is able to keep his opponents in check and off the free throw line. If he is able to do that, the sky is the limit for the seven foot sophomore.

Geaux Tigers!

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Filed Under: LSU Basketball