When LSU coach Van Chancellor took over the Lady Tigers this past April, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer knew he faced two major challenges.
The first was to lead the Lady Tigers to a national championship after four-straight Final Four appearances.
Chancellor has done his best so far to accomplish that, leading No. 7 LSU to an 11-game winning streak and a 9-0 record in Southeastern Conference games.
The Lady Tigers have dominated opponents, recording 19 of their 20 wins by double-digit margins.
Chancellor attributes the team’s early success to getting away from reliance on senior center Sylvia Fowles.
“When I first took this job in April, I had watched this team hundreds of times working for TV,” Chancellor said. “I thought if we didn’t move some players up, we’d never reach the next level.”
The second challenge Chancellor faced was keeping LSU as one of the premiere programs beyond this season, despite losing nine seniors and 80 percent of the team’s scoring after the season.
Sophomore guard Allison Hightower and junior forward Kristen Morris are the only returning players next season that are averaging more than 10 minutes per game this season.
Hightower came to LSU following a McDonald’s All-American career at Juan Seguin High School in Arlington, Texas.
“I had great high school coaches,” Hightower said. “We do all of the same things we do now [at LSU], just in smaller portions.”
In two seasons at LSU, Hightower has been the Lady Tigers’ primary reserve, averaging seven points per game through her career.
Hightower said she looks forward to taking more of a leadership role next season.
“It’s going to be a brand new team with brand new personalities,” Hightower said. “With nine seniors now, I have learned from them, and I am ready to take an active leadership role.”
Like Hightower, Morris had a decorated high school career, averaging more than 12 points and eight rebounds per game while leading Detroit Country Day High School to three consecutive state championships.
Morris has played 74 games in her three seasons as a reserve at LSU, averaging a field goal and grabbing two rebounds per game throughout her career.
The Michigan native recorded the first double-double of her career Dec. 30 against UNO, scoring 11 points and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds with the Lady Tigers playing without Fowles.
Morris said she plans to work on post moves and ball-handling in the offseason to improve her interior game.
Chancellor also expects freshman guard Latear Eason and freshman forward Katherine Graham to compete for more playing time next season.
In addition to the four returning players, LSU has the No. 4 recruiting class in the country, according to recruiting Web site hoopgurlz.com.
LSU has received letters of intent from seven players from six different states, including six players in the national top 100.
Despite the new talent, Morris said it will be tough for the Lady Tigers to maintain the chemistry the team possesses with nine seniors.
“Our biggest challenge will be getting to know all of the new players,” Morris said. “But when LSU recruits you, the coaches look for leaders, and they look for players who can lead by example, so I expect things to work out well.”
—-Conatact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]