Faced with a hole to fill along its frontline, LSU finalized its roster for the upcoming season via the transfer portal. Bryan Penn-Johnson, a former four-star recruit, gave his commitment to LSU on Saturday after spending two years at the University of Washington.
“I chose LSU because of the success they’ve had in the past with guys like me,” he told Rivals.com. “I think I could come in and help them in a similar way that Kavell Bigby-Williams did.”
Penn-Johnson will not be asked to be a consistent back to the basket threat on the offensive end but rather someone that uses his size and giant 7-foot-7 wingspan to block and alter shots at the bucket. He has good mobility as a rim-runner, competes with a solid motor, has good hands that he uses properly on both sides of the glass and can free up ample ground for his offensively inclined guards via the ball-screen.
“Looking at the roster, I think I could be a guy who comes in and does the dirty work,” Penn-Johnson went on to say. “I can bring rim protection, rebound and set hard screens.”
The rising junior will push for a waiver to play immediately in the fall. The Tigers do not have many true centers on its roster beside incoming freshman Josh Gray so, if he is granted immediate eligibility, Penn-Johnson could see quality opportunities from the get-go. The Tigers will now focus on its 2021 class but already sit with two commitments coming in the form of top-50 center Jerrell Colbert and three-star Bradley Ezewiro.
