Laney: Tigers could be in line for blue-chipper

• By GARY LANEY
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jun 3, 2009 - Page: 1C

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The hope at LSU is what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

For that matter, there’s also hope that who goes to Charlotte doesn’t stay there either.

That’s because Noel Johnson, an all-of-a-sudden available blue-chip basketball prospect from Fayetteville, Ga., visited Charlotte on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Charlotte Observer. He’s also scheduled a visit this weekend to Nevada-Las Vegas, said Scout.com.

Multiple Web sites also say LSU is a frontrunner, along with Georgia Tech.

The sweet-shooting Georgian was a Southern California signee until last week when all of the mess surrounding Tim Floyd and O.J. Mayo led to Johnson seeking, and receiving, a release from his letter-of-intent with the Trojans.

Floyd’s loss might be LSU’s gain. If Tigers coach Trent Johnson can land the 6-foot-7, 180-pound shooting guard/small forward from Fayetteville, Ga., the Tigers can, just like that, have a pretty good recruiting class.

Noel Johnson is rated the nation’s No. 30 player by ESPN. Add him to already signed guard Aaron Dotson, another top 100 player, and in-state signee Eddie Ludwig, and throw in commitments from blue-chippers in the 2010 and 2011 classes, and the recruiting outlook for LSU gets pretty bright.

His high school coach, Andre Flynn of Fayette County High, said Tuesday his former star is interested in LSU, but he also said he hasn’t talked to him in a week.

The assumption by some has been that Johnson is picking between Georgia Tech and LSU. That’s a bit questionable now when one looks at how his itinerary is coming together with trips to Charlotte and Las Vegas.

The encouraging thing for LSU fans is, more than any other late prospect whose name has been attached to the Tigers, the math seems to add up with Noel Johnson and LSU.

The scouting report Flynn gave of Johnson is that he is a highly skilled wing player. He is considered among the better shooters coming out of high school and Flynn raved on his ability to handle the ball like a point guard.

That’s just the kind of player Trent Johnson said he is looking for.

It doesn’t hurt that there’s been a video circulating online of Noel Johnson getting one-on-one coaching from Mahmoud Abdul-Raouf, the former Chris Jackson of LSU fame. The video is two years old, but Flynn said the relationship still exists.