The youth movement is in full swing for the Lady Tigers basketball team and it all starts with the freshmen.
Meet 5-foot-9 guard Marian Whitfield of the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team.
LSU heavily recruited Whitfield, a native of Augusta, Ga. Whitfield attended Glen Hills High School in Augusta and enjoyed a lucrative career in basketball during high school.
Whitfield did it all her senior season. She averaged 16 points, three assists, six rebounds and three steals per game.
“I think she comes to us as an outstanding shooter,” said LSU coach Sue Gunter. “She is a pure two-guard, that’s what we recruited her for. She’s got good quickness and gets the ball up the floor very, very well.”
For her performance, Whitfield was named the Georgia 4A Player of the Year by the Georgia High School Association and the Georgia Sports Writers Association. She was a two-time Nike All-American.
As a junior, Whitfield helped lead Glen Hills to a 30-2 record and the state title.
Gunter said Whitfield’s future as an LSU basketball player is promising and said she is proud to have her as part of the program.
“I think as she matures and polishes her skills a little bit, we feel like she’s going to be a quality player for us,” Gunter said. “She’s a great shooter, but this game is much more than just shooting. You’ve got to be able to do some other things as well.”
Whitfield shined in her only appearance of the preseason. In 20 minutes against the National Women’s Basketball League Elite team, Whitfield shot 9-of-11 from the field and totaled 18 points. Also, she added two assists, three rebounds and four steals in the 113-46 LSU victory.
Gunter said Whitfield’s athleticism is impressive.
“She’s got better than average speed,” Gunter said. “She’s got the ability to put [the ball] on the floor and turn the corner. We like all aspects of her game. She’s going to become a good defender. She’s going to play, we’re pleased with her.”
Last season for the Lady Tigers, Semoine Augustus cracked the starting lineup as a freshman. However, Gunter said the pressure on freshmen to perform is not as great as it was in Augustus’ case.
“You don’t get too many Semoine’s in your career,” Gunter said. “Semoine is one of those unique individuals.
“I think these kids understand now that there’s a whole lot to learn. I think most of them understand when they come in, ‘Hey, I may have to back up for a year, I may have to just be a role player for a year until I get my skills and get ready to go.’ I think a lot of it is waiting your turn.”
Gunter said the players’ motivation to wait their turn is simple – they just want to be on a winning team.
“A lot of it is kids who are very, very skilled,” Gunter said. “Let’s say they’re highly recruited. They want to be in a program where they’re going to win, even if they have to not get as many minutes as they think they’ll get their last three years. But they want to be part of the program.”