Twenty rebounds, 28 minutes. Aneesah Morrow is LSU’s second leading scorer and its most versatile player.
The 6-foot-1 athlete transferred into the program from DePaul. Already, Morrow has become LSU’s difference maker. The program is headlined by its big three: Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith. However, its most valuable player might not be among these names.
Morrow has been the best contributor for the Tigers. Between being responsible for 24.6% of the team’s total defensive takeaways and having the second most points per game, Morrow has been LSU’s swiss army knife.
She averages a double-double, with 17.2 points per game and 10 rebounds per game; however, her value might not be in just her production, as she is able to play almost any position on the court.
The Tigers have so much success because of two things: the amount of depth on their roster, and their ability to change lineups. Head coach Kim Mulkey has fashioned several highly productive lineups based on Morrow’s versatility alone.
When Reese moves to center, Morrow moves to forward, with Mikaylah Williams, Johnson and Van Lith filling in the rest. However, if the Tigers need to roll out a big offense, they can put Aalyah Del Rosario at the five, move Reese to the four, Morrow at the three, then Williams and Johnson filling in at the one and two.
In some instances, the Tigers have moved her to guard, her position listed on ESPN, for select lineups. This gives the program a competitive edge, allowing them to create more advantageous matchups.
The bottom-line is that regardless of position, Morrow will produce. In fact, in her last five games, she has been the most productive player on the roster.
Against Florida, Morrow had 20 total rebounds in only 28 minutes, finishing the game with three less total rebounds than the entire Florida team. Her glass control gave the Tigers a defensive and offensive boost alike.
The 13 defensive rebounds prevented more shots, while the seven offensive rebounds gave the Tigers more opportunities to score. In the end, her efforts led the Tigers to a 106-66 blowout over the Gators.
Even in losses, Morrow is a major producer. Against Mississippi State, Morrow finished with 14 points, six rebounds and six steals. Her six steals gave the Tigers a defensive edge that helped keep the game close.
While she shot only 33.3% from the field, Morrow still helped boost the team with her defensive presence. She’s such a valuable player because if she struggles in one area, she can excel in the other, helping her stay consistently good.
Against South Carolina, however, Morrow was more than just good. The Gamecocks had no answer for her. She finished the game with 16 points, which was 21.5% of the winning score and 22.9% of LSU’s total points.
Moreover, Morrow was efficient when scoring, as she shot 63.6% from the field and 100% from the three, and was a defensive presence with 10 rebounds and four defensive takeaways.
She scored from every level on the court: The paint, mid-range and three. Although ultimately the Tigers lost, Morrow proved that she is just as much an offensive threat as anyone else on the roster.
Against Arkansas, Morrow once again filled up the box score in a blowout. She was responsible for 14 points, shooting 55.6% from the field, eight rebounds and a season high four assists.
Shooting well from the field and good passes helped raise the Tigers’ offensive efficiency, which led to the blowout. Morrow showed she has more to her game than just defense, proving she’s capable of facilitating the Tigers offense.
In fact, one game prior to Arkansas, Morrow showed once again her ability as a scorer. Against Alabama, she finished with 20 points, while shooting 40% from the field. On top of this, she also had 12 rebounds and three steals.
Morrow tends to thrive against tough competition. The same way she played well against South Carolina is the same way she played against Alabama, the sixth-ranked school in the SEC.
Morrow has had success in every area on the court this season. While this five-game stretch shows how valuable she is to the Tigers, her best offensive performance was undoubtedly against Virginia.
She finished the game with 37 points, while shooting 60% from the field, and had 16 rebounds. The Tigers narrowly won 76-73 with Morrow being responsible for 48.7% of the team’s total points.
Morrow might not be the first option offensively for the Tigers, however she’s more than capable of being the program’s difference maker. She was a proven scorer at DePaul; with opposing teams having to focus on Reese, Williams, Johnson and Van Lith, Morrow will continue to get plenty of opportunities to score.
That, along with how she performs against tougher competition, gives LSU a competitive edge, and could lead to her being the program’s difference maker in the postseason.
