Christmas may still be 21 days away, but for the LSU women’s basketball team three presents sit nestled away under the purple and gold-lighted fir tree. Latear Eason, Katherine Graham and Tyra White – who comprise the fall 2006 early-signing class – committed to the University after signing National Letters of Intent to play for the No. 9 Lady Tigers next season. LSU women’s basketball coach Pokey Chatman said this year’s recruitment process was not just about signing the best players but making an evaluation of the team already in place. “Recruiting is a matter of assessing the team that you have coming back,” Chatman said. “The key to it is finding the missing pieces and trying to solidify your team. The biggest thing is we have no seniors in this class, and then we are going to lose so much in next year’s class that we have to gradually build toward having some kids that can shoulder the load.” Eason, a 5-foot-8-inch guard from John Hope Academy in Chicago, Ill., was the first high school player to sign a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, Nov. 8. As a junior Eason averaged 19.3 points, 4 assists and 2.5 steals per game. She shot 54 percent while leading John Hope to 32-2 record, a Class 2A state semifinals appearance and a USA Today Top-25 ranking. Chatman said LSU has been fortunate to get great production from the team’s point guards in the past and looks for similar results from Eason. “She’s one of those kids that has really good court vision,” Chatman said. “She has a knack for getting her teammates involved, she has the ability to score in traffic and she just has a keen eye for getting the basketball to the open player.” Graham joined Eason as the second player to solidify her spot on next season’s roster after signing her commitment letter Thursday, Nov. 9. The 5-foot-11-inch guard from Ramsay High School in Birmingham, Ala., averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists per game this past season while leading her team to its third-straight state title. “She’s pretty much everything a coach can ask for,” Graham’s high school coach Rob Mosely said. “She can play and defend every position on the court. “She’s a three-time state champ. She’s been the team captain since her junior year. She has a 4.0 [Grade Point Average]. She’s very versatile; she’s just outstanding and is a total package.” Chatman agreed with Mosely and said Graham is a great all-around athlete that has proven she could step up and play against the best. “She knows how to win,” Chatman said. “I went to watch them practice in September, and you would think they were practicing for the National Championship – back in September – and that’s what you like in a program.” National recruiting publications have ranked Graham as high as No. 24. She is a first-team, 5A-Class, All-State athlete and has led RHS to a combined 93-11 record over the past three years. The final signee that will be joining the Lady Tigers next fall is guard Tyra White who committed to the team Wednesday, Nov. 15. White, a 6-foot guard from Hickman Hills High School in Kansas City, Mo., averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals while leading her team to a third-consecutive conference title. White entered her senior season as a top-20 recruiting prospect, something her coach Steve Cassity said has been earned by her skill level and ability to improve over the past three years. “She can score in a variety of ways, and she has excellent 3-point range,” Cassity said. “She has great ball handling and a quickness that allows her to get to the basket and make an athletic finish. She also has the strength and the size and the power to go inside and muscle over a post player. ” Chatman said White’s ability to move around and get in position to score is an added asset you do not see in high school players. “The first thing I noticed about her is her ability to play without the ball in her hands,” Chatman said. “That’s something that a lot of high school kids struggle with. They’re so used to playing with the ball in their hands that when I go in and watch her play, I think, ‘Man, she’s making back cuts without the ball.’ “Most kids just stand there, and the way she plays transfers really well at this level and extremely well in our system.” With nine players graduating in 2008 – including six guards – the Lady Tigers may be on their way to filling in any holes and struggles they may face in the upcoming seasons. Chatman said she was very pleased with the outcome of this season’s recruiting period and feels confident they will be able to contribute in the years to come. “This year’s class is an extremely talented group of athletes that will help our program and fit in to what we are trying to do,” Chatman said. “It should be exciting to see what they can do, and I think people will enjoy seeing them play.”
—–Contact Jay St. Pierre at [email protected]