LSU Tigers
SEC (22-10, 10-6)
LSU snagged Coach Nikki Caldwell away from UCLA after three successful seasons with the Bruins. That brought a new hope to the Tigers program and Coach Caldwell wasted little time bringing her style to the team. Coach Caldwell has endured some injuries this season and has come up with some great game plans to beat more talented teams. But LSU is a pretty talented team too and they have the ability to win some games in March.
Big Wins: 11/16 Georgetown (51-40), 2/5 Kentucky (61-51), 2/16 at Arkansas (50-42)
Bad Losses: 11/19 at Tulane (62-64), 11/22 Northwestern (43-44) 2/2 Florida (64-73)
Coach: Nikki Caldwell (1 season at LSU)
Why They Can Surprise:
The defensive effort is a team effort, but it stems from the shot blocking ability from the interior players. Forward LaSondra Barrett is not a great shot blocker, but she is a physical presence under the basket and the Tigers leading scorer and rebounder. Krystal Forthan and Shanece McKinney, who generally come in off of the bench, are the top shot blockers on this team. The frontcourt just has so many different weapons and so much size that most teams cannot keep up. Courtney Jones is a fine interior scorer who can stretch out the defense with her mid-range shooting ability. Swayze Black has emerged as a strong presence in the paint even though she will rarely put up big numbers. With Theresa Plaisance and Taylor Turnbow in the mix as well, this is a group that will never run out of quality forwards.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The depth in the backcourt is more of an issue. Senior point guard Destini Hughes went out for the year with an injury in late January. That has left some major issues for a team that already committed way, way too many turnovers. Jeanne Kenney has moved over into the point guard role and has done admirably well. Adrienne Webb is the scorer on the perimeter. She is not much of a shooter, but she can get to the basket and knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency. Bianca Lutley will provide some depth on the perimeter, but LSU has to play big now and they have to get production out of Kenney and Webb. Turnovers have to be stressed, but Coach Caldwell’s squad committed 26 turnovers against Kentucky without the services of Hughes and won that game by slowing down the pace and taking smart shots. The turnover issue can be overcome as long as this team continues to play stellar defense, hit the glass hard and make their shots.
Probable Starters:
Jeanne Kenney, Sophomore, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 2.8 apg
Adrienne Webb, Junior, Guard, 10.1 ppg, 1.0 apg
Courtney Jones, Senior, Forward, 8.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg
LaSondra Barrett, Senior, Forward, 12.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.6 apg
Swayze Black, Senior, Forward, 1.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Krystal Forthan, Freshman, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Bianca Lutley, Junior, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 2.1 apg
Shanece McKinney, Sophomore, Forward, 1.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Theresa Plaisance, Sophomore, Forward, 4.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Taylor Turnbow, Senior, Forward, 3.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 62.1 (169th in nation, 7th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 52.6 (15, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.6 (24, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 34.0 (10, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 3.4 (285, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: na
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.7 (141, 2)
Rebound Margin: 6.3 (27, 2)
Assists Per Game: 13.9 (80, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 19.7 (285, 12)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
LSU 2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Hartford
LSU 2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Duke
LSU 2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay
LSU 2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Louisville
LSU 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Jackson State
LSU 2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Marist
LSU 2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Oklahoma State
LSU 2008 NCAA Regional Final win over North Carolina
LSU 2008 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Tennessee
LSU 2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over North Carolina-Asheville
LSU 2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over West Virginia
LSU 2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Florida State
LSU 2007 NCAA Regional Final win over Connecticut
LSU 2007 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Rutgers
LSU 2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Florida Atlantic
LSU 2006 NCAA Round of 32 win over Washington
LSU 2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over DePaul
LSU 2006 NCAA Regional Final win over Stanford
LSU 2006 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Duke
*all team stats through 3/1
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
