When Wayde Sims was entering his senior year of high school, Johnny Jones thought he was about to deliver major news to his little cousin.
Sims was a 6-foot-6 power forward at University High who was being recruited by plenty of schools. Jones was the head basketball coach at LSU.
Jones was set to call Sims and offer him a full scholarship to play basketball for the Tigers. He called Sims' mother Fay to prepare her. He called Sims' father Wayne, who played at LSU when Jones was an assistant coach, to do the same.
"I know he's got that purple and gold running through his veins," Jones thought as he was about to dial the number.