All the records and accomplishments of 2003 are old news for Sue Gunter and the women’s basketball team as it prepares for its first practice on Saturday.
Following a 30-4 campaign in 2002-2003, including reaching the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament and No. 3 final Associated Press ranking, LSU will have a new look. Gone are Aiysha Smith, DeTrina White and Ke-Ke Tardy, who were all key components the Tigers’ inside attack, meaning all the spots on this year’s team are not set in stone.
“This year’s team has a lot of questions, where last year’s team didn’t have those questions,” Gunter said at basketball media day.
LSU returns three starters, and Gunter said the team likely will focus more on a transition game.
“This team will be capable of putting up a lot of points,” Gunter said. “Our perimeter game is as good as it gets and I think you’ll see that we’re a lot faster. We won’t be run-n-gun, but our transition game will be better.”
Guard Seimone Augustus headlines the returnees. Augustus was the 2003 National Freshman of the Year, Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and earned Second Team All-SEC and Third Team All-America honors.
Augustus led the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game, including 27 points in her college debut against Arizona.
Augustus said she spent the summer working on all parts of the game and she definitely plans to shoot more and be more active in the game.
“I’m going to come out and do the things I lacked last year as far as screening and cutting,” Augustus said. “Being a part of this team, I want to be more assertive this season, score more points and just do what I need to do.”
Augustus said the faster-paced transition game fits her style.
“Get it and go,” she said. “Coach [Gunter] said our goal is to be the best scoring team in the country, having the most points per game. We have the guards to do it, and if coach says it will work, it will work.”
Senior Temeka Johnson will handle the point guard duties again, but will not have Kisha James as a solid backup. Instead, freshman Amber Long from Irmo, S.C. likely will be Johnson’s backup.
Johnson said it is hard having a young backup because she has to be harder on Long than any of the other players.
“I feel if I get hurt then Amber would be my backup, so I have to be the toughest on her more than anybody because the point guard position is the key position,” Johnson said. “You not only have to be able to play, you have to be able to think.
“It’s not really fair for her because she doesn’t really know everything yet or doesn’t understand everything and I can’t really tell her. I’ve got to let her find out on her own.”
Gunter said Johnson, who averaged 10 points per game last season, is one of the team’s main leaders.
“I don’t know of another point guard I’d rather have in the country,” Gunter said. “We look to her as a penetrator and a defensive stopper.”
Shooting guard Doneeka Hodges rounds out the returning starters. As a junior, she earned second team All-SEC honors while averaging 9.5 points.
Hodges changed her number from four to 45 as a remembrance to her sister, former Tigers’ guard Roneeka Hodges, who transferred to Florida State. Hodges took her old number and combined it with Roneeka’s old number five.
“It’s a statement to me that even though we’re separated, we’re still together in spirit,” Hodges said. “It’s been a long time [since we haven’t played together], but it’s something we’re both going to have to adjust to. The most important thing is she’s in a place where she’s happy and I’m in a place that I’m happy.”
Sophomore Scholanda Hoston (formerly known as Dorrell) returns to LSU after missing the 2002-2003 season for personal reasons. Gunter said Hoston, who averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds her freshman season, will fill many holes, including the power forward position until Wendyln Jones returns from an ACL injury in January.
“She just looks absolutely great,” Gunter said. “She brings great versatility to the team.”
Crystal White, who also has a stress fracture, will see time at center but will be brought along slowly, Gunter said. White, a junior who transferred from Duke two years ago, led the team in blocks despite playing only half the season.
Along with Long, the Tigers will have three other freshmen on the team.
“We have a different makeup of our team,” Hodges said. “The new players are going to come in and may not be able to do the same things Aiysha, DeTrina and Ke-Ke did or maybe do them in a different way, so they have to be ready to take on that roll.”