If Chris Johnson figured he was going to get an analytical, deep-seeded answer from Gayle Hatch, he was mistaken.

Instead Johnson, the pencil-thin junior forward on the LSU basketball team, got two words that most anybody would like to hear.

Eat more.

That to-the-point edict came nearly two months ago when Hatch took over as the Tigers’ strength and conditioning coach and got his first up-close-and-personal look at Johnson’s willowy 6-foot-11 frame.

At the time, Johnson weighed in at 185 pounds.

I’d seen him on TV and knew he was too skinny, but I didn’t believe it when they said he only weighed 185 pounds, Hatch said. I wanted to see for myself and when he got on the scale, I’ll be darned if he wasn’t right at 185 on the nose.

So Hatch, the legendary weightlifting coach who has worked with Olympians throughout a distinguished 45-year career, didn’t concoct a plan built around increased calorie intake or extra meals. He opted for the simplest path.

Coach Hatch looked at the scale and then looked at me and just said ‘Eat more,’ Johnson said. He told me if I’d do my part to add weight, he’d help me turn it into muscle and give me the chance to be a better basketball player at this level.

The plan has worked so far, despite a detour that helps explain why Johnson had been unable to plump up in his first two seasons at LSU.

The process began with Hatch insisting that Johnson eat breakfast every morning and supplement his diet with several high-protein shakes each day, particularly after strength training sessions.

By eating as much as he could manage to gulp down, Johnson quickly packed on 12 pounds by early June.

But a nagging toothache wouldn’t go away and the LSU coaches sent Johnson to the team dentist. A thorough examination revealed that Johnson had an abscess that had developed into a bacterial infection and three wisdom teeth needed to be removed.

The extensive dental work delayed Johnson’s progress because he was unable to eat any solid food for several days.

He lost three pounds initially, but has gained that weight back and is currently hovering just under 200 pounds, with a goal of bulking up to 210-215 by the time practice begins in October.

We hope that the problems we just got corrected will help him gain whatever weight he can before the season gets here, LSU coach John Brady said. His attitude about gaining weight and his approach to doing whatever he can to get better has been tremendous so far.

Whatever progress Johnson makes physically and on the court will be necessary for an LSU team that will have a much different look in 2007-08.

The three players (Glen Davis, Darnell Lazare, Magnum Rolle) who absorbed most of the frontcourt minutes last season are gone.

That leaves Johnson and 6-7 junior Tasmin Mitchell as the only returning players with experience up front, although 6-5 senior swingman Dameon Mason can also play either forward spot if needed.

Incoming players Anthony Randolph (6-10, 220) and Quintin Thornton (6-9, 230 pounds) will also factor in the rotation.

But if Johnson can emerge as a reliable inside threat, he could be a major key for the Tigers. His weight gain and increased strength will determine how much of a factor Johnson can be.

Last season, Johnson showed flashes of being a potential scoring threat with a 13-point performance against Alabama in his first career start.

Despite his lanky physique, Johnson may possess LSU’s purest 3-point shooting stroke, which makes him tough to match up with.

As promising as his offensive skills were last season, though, Johnson struggled mightily on defense. He was often shoved around and displaced in the lane by shorter but heavier and more seasoned post players, and his stamina limited his playing time to short stints.

With Magnum leaving, there’s a huge opportunity for me to play a lot next year and it’s up to me to take advantage of it, said the soft-spoken Johnson, who was close to both Rolle and Ben Voogd, who also both transferred this spring. I know I have to improve defensively and become more of a shot-blocker. I’m ready to compete and do whatever I can to help us be better.

Ready is a subjective word considering how patient Johnson has had to be.

In two seasons at LSU, the Virginia native has logged only 165 minutes in 28 games (out of a possible 68).

When Voogd and Rolle departed, rumors began to surface that Johnson was the next to bolt.

When those other guys took off, I asked Chris if he was going to leave us too, and he said ‘Naw, I’m here to stay,’ LSU point guard Garrett Temple said. I knew he was going to be a good player for us when he said that because it showed me how confident he is in himself and how hard he has worked to get his chance.

Still, watching Voogd, Johnson’s roommate for two years, and Rolle, his best friend on the team, make their exits was difficult.

Those two guys are like brothers to me because you live with them and spend so much time together, so it hasn’t really hit me yet, Johnson said. But to me, leaving is like quitting and that’s not something I was going to do.

For me, it’s a pride thing and a loyalty thing. I know I can be a good player here, and coach Brady and (LSU associate head coach Butch Pierre) saw something in me and had the faith to bring me here. I’ve been patient and worked hard for a long time to prove I deserve a chance and now I want to show what I can do.

Putting Johnson in the right body to do is one of Hatch’s primary goals.

Hatch requires Johnson to weigh in every day to make sure he hasn’t lost any weight from his slender frame. Hatch uses the same straightforward approach with Johnson that he’s always been known for: No sugar coating or soft sell.

One of the first things we talked about was taking some personal responsibility, Hatch said. He can’t go out and get in his truck without any gas and expect to drive 50 miles, so he has to understand the same thing applies to his body.

We want him to gain the right kind of weight, too. It needs to be athletic weight, some explosive strength, speed, agility, endurance and mental toughness.

Mental toughness is something Johnson developed out of tragedy 11 years ago.

His mother, Sandra Johnson, died of lung cancer at 35 when her only child was 10 years old. He moved in with his aunt, Kathy Johnson, along with his grandmother, Mary Johnson.

Five years after his mother died, Johnson was introduced to his two half-brothers, Joe Posey and Michael Gray.

Johnson and Posey, a junior on the James Madison basketball team, are only four months apart in age. They played together at Notre Dame Academy, a prep school in the Washington D.C. suburbs, and with the Richmond Squires AAU program.

It’s helped me a lot to have the kind of family I do, Johnson said. My aunt and my grandmother have always been there and given me anything I needed. And ever since I’ve known Joe, he’s been there to tell me to keep fighting when things weren’t going well.

Posey’s advice might not be needed much longer.

Johnson’s future at LSU reaches a new level of anticipation in a few months, and there seems to be a plenty of confidence that he could be poised for a breakout season.

Chris is the kind of player who could add a dimension we didn’t have last year as a shot blocker and a big man who can step outside and shoot the (3-pointer), Brady said. We’re going to have to do a lot of things differently because we won’t be as big and powerful inside as we’ve been here in the past and Chris is a perfect fit for some of the things we’re going to try to do.

Added Temple, With the things Chris can do as an outside shooter and a shot-blocker, if he keeps working hard like he is and comes back bigger and stronger, he’s got a chance to be a special player.