With a nickname like “Baby Shaq,” LSU freshmancenter Sylvia Fowles seems destined for great things in abasketball uniform.
At 6-foot-5, Fowles is being hailed as the female version offormer LSU star and Miami Heat player Shaquille O’Neal. Shesaid she grew up watching O’Neal and modeled her game afterhim and because of her height and dominance in high school, sheearned the “Baby Shaq” mantra.
“That’s been the story since high school, fromwearing his number and being big,” Fowles said. “He wasa player I looked up to because he was a big man. I didn’treally know he came here until I came for my visit.”
Fowles, who prepped at Miami’s Edison High School andGulliver Prep, won three state titles in four years for bothschools. She earned two of those titles with current Lady TigersScholonda Hoston and Florence Williams at EHS, where she averaged21.1 points and 15.6 rebounds as a junior.
Fowles earned first team Parade All-American honors and was onthe McDonald’s All-America team. She was widely consideredthe No. 2 recruit in the country behind Tennessee freshman CandaceParker.
Her biggest claim to fame was being the first to dunk abasketball in high school. LSU teammate Seimone Augustus, who alsodunked in high school, said Fowles may be more inclined to wow thecrowd with a dunk before she will.
“Sylvia can dunk with more ease than I can,”Augustus said. “It takes a lot of energy away from me to doit. If it was at the beginning of the game, I’d do it, but ifit’s the second half, late in the game and I’m kind ofwore out, then I don’t know.”
Whether she dunks or not, Fowles will give much needed relief toa group of post players that struggled with injuries and a lack ofsize. Forwards Wendyln Jones, Crystal White and Tillie Williscombined for 11.8 points and 11.8 rebounds last year for the LadyTigers.
LSU coach Pokey Chatman said Fowles has the ability to come inand make an instant impact in the post.
“She adds a presence,” Chatman said.”She’s not a big physical specimen, but she’s thetype of player that wants to have another practice. She’svery skilled, but the one thing you can’t substitute for isexperience, and that’s something we have to see how sheprogresses in the system. She’s a passionate kid aboutgetting better and learning.”
Jones said she’s taken Fowles as her understudy and hasseen many qualities that will complement her and the other postplayers on the court.
“She’s a very dynamic, focused player,” Jonessaid. “She has the height, size and athleticism to come inhere and help us a lot. Sometimes I just sit back and watch her dowhat she does.”
Fowles said she’s slowly making the transition from highschool to the college game, trying to learn as much aspossible.
“In high school was always the big man and nobody couldtouch me,” she said. “Now most of the players are justas good as me and some are better. I’m just trying to workmyself in and try to see how things are done here and in theSEC.”
Fowles said learning LSU’s motion offense has beenchallenging because it is a difference from her high school team.With her size and imposing presence on the court, many players feelFowles should have no trouble finding the basket.
“She’s going to get her fair share of shots,”Augustus said. “Her presence will open up a lot for me andTemeka. You’ll see how talented she is when the first gamegets here.”