Of the many things experts are saying about the highexpectations surrounding this year’s LSU women’sbasketball team — four returning starters, No. 2 preseasonranking, one of the best recruiting classes in the program’shistory — no one in an LSU uniform is buying into them.
LSU, coming off a 27-8 season that saw the Lady Tigers reachtheir first-ever Final Four, opens its first practice of 2004-2005Saturday. First-year coach Pokey Chatman and LSU players stressedforgetting about last year’s 52-50 heartbreak loss toTennessee in the national semifinals at Basketball Media Day onTuesday. Many players said the experience has prepared them forthis year.
“It’s not hard for us to put [the expectations]aside,” said senior point guard Temeka Johnson.”Because of the expectations we had in previous years, Ithink it’s going to help us. I think we’ll justconcentrate on what we have to do and not worry about anythingelse.”
Johnson earned third team All-American and first team All-SEChonors last year, and decided on Selection Sunday to return foranother season after the NCAA granted her an extra year ofeligibility. She said she was not ready to give up playing with herteammates, but something else also was drawing her back to the PMAChardwood.
“I have a great feeling about this team, my teammates andeverything that I just can’t describe,” Johnson said.”With all the talent we’ve had before, I’ve neverfelt like this about a team.”
Junior Seimone Augusts joins Johnson at the other guardposition. Augustus earned third team All-America Honors, was aKodak All-American and was named MVP of the NCAA West Regional lastyear. She also averaged 19.4 points and six rebounds per game in2003-2004 while earning first-team All-SEC and Louisiana Player ofthe Year honors.
“I thought Seimone was the best player in the country lastyear,” Chatman said. “Her growth this year has been inher leadership. Seimone is a more defensive-minded player than shegets credit for. She really has the ability to dominate the game onboth ends of the floor. You can see her taking pride inthat.”
Augustus said of all the improvements the team made, havingeveryone together during the summer and when school started was asbig as anything else the team has done so far.
“I think team chemistry is better this year,”Augustus said. “Last year, me and Temeka weren’t herewhen the freshmen got here, but we were this year, and we got tobond with them.”
Five top recruits come in to help LSU, led by Miami-nativeSylvia Fowles and guard Quianna Chaney from Baton Rouge’sSouthern Lab. Guards Erica White, RaShonta LeBlanc and forwardAshley Thomas round out the recruits.
Chatman, who takes over full time for the Lady Tigers afterserving as interim coach for half of last season, said all thefreshmen are worth their hype.
“They’re not the No. 2 class in the country becausethey average 30 points per game — I think they’re aspecial group and they complement us because they bring nine statechampionships to LSU,” Chatman said. “That says to methat they know how to make they’re team better.”
The Lady Tigers have a long road to getting to this year’sFinal Four in Indianapolis, with road games against Baylor,Maryland, UC-Santa Barbara and Minnesota before SEC play begins.LSU plays preseason No. 1 Tennessee on Feb. 10 in Baton Rouge onESPN2 at 6 p.m.
“I love it, I think it’s perfect because it speaksvolumes for where the game of women’s basketball has been andwhere it’s going,” Chatman said of the tough schedule.”It may mean a few less home games, but now ESPN wants totelevise us. I couldn’t think of a better team to field thatschedule. I’m OK with learning early on in non-conferenceplay.”
Johnson said playing highly-ranked teams, particularly on theroad, helps build experience and character the team needs later inthe year. Johnson said the 83-46 loss to Penn State last year wasthe eye-opener the team fed off to make its Final Four run.
“That was a rude awakening for us,” Johnson said.”It was embarrassing for us and our program. It was a wake-upcall and something that we needed.”