Stellar male basketball players are often referred to as men among boys.
Krystal Forthan epitomizes the female equivalent of that axiom.
Forthan is one of the newest signees on the LSU women’s basketball team for the class of 2011. The 6-foot-4 forward has committed to the school with the right fit for her basketball style, according to Mark Lewis, ESPN HoopGurlz national recruiting coordinator.
“Krystal is a woman among girls,” Lewis said. “She’s physically strong and explosive athletically, and she’s not hesitant to use it. The tough thing to find in recruiting on the women’s side is an aggressive, physical, explosive player. She’s always played that way, even back to high school in the ninth and 10th grade.”
Forthan, ranked No. 5 in the nation by HoopGurlz, had narrowed her choice down to LSU and six other schools – North Carolina, UCLA, Southern California, Texas A&M, Kansas and Utah – before signing her National Letter of Intent to play for the Lady Tigers on Nov. 10.
Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil, Forthan’s coach on the TeamXpress National Travel Team, said Forthan has a bright future because of her length, athleticism on the court and motivation off the court.
“I pushed her extremely hard to be better in every area of her life, and it has all come together,” Davis-Wrightsil said. “Her focus, work and discipline in the classroom and on the court over the past two years will be the foundation that she will build on for years to come.”
Forthan played her freshman season at Grant High School in her native Portland, Ore., where she averaged 15.1 points per game, and her sophomore season at nearby Jefferson High School before moving to Texas.
She enrolled at Georgetown High School in Georgetown, Texas, as a junior and had to sit out the basketball season because of high school transfer rules.
Forthan and the Lady Eagles are 7-1 so far in her senior season.
Lewis said the physical nature of the LSU women’s basketball team in the Southeastern Conference matches Forthan’s assets.
“You want to go somewhere with a tradition of winning, and you’ve got a coach like Van Chancellor who can train her professionally, as well,” Lewis said. “Her choice in so many ways was terrific. It’s a perfect fit for both LSU and the SEC.”
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Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]
Women’s Basketball: Forthan brings versatility to LSU
December 2, 2010