LSU men ready to begin Johnny Jones era
November 13, 2012Final prep roundup for 2012 high school football season
November 13, 2012
The LSU women’s basketball team has talent, size, skill and experience.
Sounds like a team capable of making an NCAA Tournament run, right?
They think so, too.
Fresh off a run to the second round of the Big Dance, the Lady Tigers believe they can take it a few notches further this season in coach Nikki Caldwell’s second season at the helm.
“The fans can expect our team being as hungry as we were last year,” guard Adrienne Webb said. “We’ve seen what it’s like to get to the NCAA Tournament and do well. Now, we not only are looking to playing in SEC Championships and NCAA Tournaments, but we also have the chance to win those games in the end.
“We just want to get back to what LSU really means and the legacy that was held here before we all got here.”
To make Webb’s statement come true, the Lady Tigers will have to learn to mesh without several of last year’s leaders.
LSU graduated five players from last year’s team – most notably senior forward LaSondra Barrett.
With the departed gone, Caldwell said she will rely on contributors like Webb and junior guard Jeanne Kenney to carry the torch for the team in both performance and also in leadership.
Both players showed flashes of excellence in their first two seasons in Baton Rouge.
Webb averaged 9.9 points per game in her sophomore season. Kenney pitched in 5.6 points per game with 31 starts.
“We are leaning heavily on Jeanne Kenney and Adrienne Webb to carry that leadership role,” Caldwell said. “Thus far, they have answered that call.”
Kenney agreed and said she embraces her role as a team leader.
“It’s been a great start so far,” she said. “We’ve definitely already had a taste of the ups and downs, but we’re focusing on finishing strong and keeping the positive attitude and goals for our team.”
With Webb and Kenney holding the team’s guard positions, the Lady Tigers will look to a Tri-parish native to control the paint.
Former Vandebilt Catholic All-American Theresa Plaisance will likely replace Barrett in the starting lineup and will serve as one of the team’s most experienced interior players.
Plaisance averaged just 4.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore, but she gelled toward the back-half of the season and proved to be a matchup threat to opponents because of her size and ability to score away from the basket.
Caldwell said she believes Plaisance will flourish in her second season within the coach’s offensive system.
“We are going to run our offense and give Theresa great looks,” Caldwell said. “She just has to knock down shots, which is what she does best. She is so versatile in her ability to score the basketball. … She has shown that in practice. As long as she continues to practice at that elite level, the games will be easy for her.”
Plaisance agreed with Caldwell and said she cannot wait for an opportunity to have an expanded role.
“This season, I hope to pick up a lot more responsibilities than in years past,” she said. “I’m definitely going to be more of a scoring threat, as well. I’ve also been working on my defense, so you’ll see more stops from me on the defensive end.”
With five departures, it’s inevitable that new players will enter the program to fill the roster void.
LSU believes its new players are among the best in America.
Freshmen Derreyal Youngblook, Kuaneshia Baker and Danielle Ballard make up a three-headed monster that the team expects to rely on for minutes in 2012-13.
When they are combined with redshirt freshman Anne Pedersen, Caldwell said she suspects that the team’s future is bright.
“I am extremely pleased with the progression of our first-year players,” she said. “They have really been great followers. We have leaders, but you also have to have great followers. … They are that.”
To get to the pinnacle of college basketball, the Lady Tigers will have to beat the best in America.
LSU’s schedule pits them against Georgetown, West Virginia, NC State and Iowa in non-conference games before heading to always-brutal SEC play.
Caldwell said she knows the road will be difficult, but she embraces the challenge and likes her team’s chances.
“This is going to be a challenging year for us,” Caldwell said. “We have lost a lot of our scoring and our defense. … We are still going to look to establish our running game, our inside-out attack and win some basketball games.”
LSU forward and former Vandebilt star Theresa Plaisance (right) enjoys a moment with teammate Jeanne Kenney. The Lady Tigers hope to make another run this March.
