by Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
(11/15/00)
LSU women’s basketball coach Sue Gunter got her first look at her basketball team this past weekend in Albuquerque at the Women’s Sports Foundation Classic. The Lady Tigers faced a very good New Mexico team and defeated them, 54-49, on its home court, but then fell to fifth-ranked Duke, 56-45, in a match in which they shot poorly only shooting 28 percent from the floor against Duke.
“We have a long way to go,” says Gunter. “But I think we learned a lot about our team in New Mexico. We didn’t play particularly well, but we found a way to win against a very good team on their home court. Against Duke, I think we ran out of gas, but looking back at how we played and what we did, we had an opportunity to win and didn’t.”
Despite being disappointed with her teams overall performance, Gunter saw some things her team did that she liked.
“We played really good halfcourt defense. We didn’t give up 60 points in either game against teams that can score.”
Gunter feels the team needs to improve in a couple of areas.
“We didn’t do a good job in our transition defense and we didn’t do a good job in out halfcourt offense. We need to improve on our shot selection. We just weren’t running very smoothly on offense like I think we will later in the year. We’ll get better. I’m not too concerned right now about our offense, we’re a good offensive team.”
Coach Gunter has preached about how athletic her team is this year and she finally had a chance to turn them loose against a top-five team in Duke.
“There’s no question about it. Anyone who was a that game saw some incredible athletes on that court from both teams.”
Gunter is very intrigued with the potential of her team. Already blessed with athletic ability, once her team begins to find a groove and plays consistently, the Lady Tigers should be very dangerous.
The Lady Tigers enter this season with very high expectations. Coming off last year’s Elite Eight appearance, the Lady Tigers are ranked No. 7 in the AP poll. Katrina Hibbert is the only player LSU lost from last year’s squad. Hibbert graduated and was drafted by the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.
The Tigers bring a fierce team to the table in 2000-01. LSU has probably the most pure athletic team it has ever had under Gunter. Led by super athlete and All-American candidate Marie Ferdinand, the Lady Tigers can “jump out of the gym.” Ferdinand, a 5-9 guard, takes over the leadership role on the squad in her senior year. The All-SEC, Jones Cup Gold Medalist and winner of many other accolades is primed for a magnificent year. Ferdinand averaged a team-high 17.5 points per game in1999-00. Her presence on the court gives LSU a chance to play with any team in the nation.
As good as Ferdinand is, this is not one-woman show. LSU has many players to compliment Ferdinand. In the backcourt, Kisha James, 5-6 guard, is back from her knee injury a year ago. James, who was slated as the starting point guard, missed all of last year with a torn ACL. Now she is back and ready to run the fast-paced Lady Tiger offense. One positive from James’s injury is that it allowed Angelia Crockett to gain experience at point guard. Crockett took over for James and did more than just fill her shoes, she excelled and the Lady Tigers never missed a step. Now with both players healthy, LSU has the luxury of quality depth.
The Tigers are graced with not just one, but two outstanding freshmen shooting guards/small forwards. Twins, Roneeka and Doneeka Hodges join the Tiger squad from O. P. Walker High School in New Orleans. The two possess the great athletic ability that fits the mold for this year’s Lady Tiger squad. Coach Gunter has been very impressed with her young rising stars.
“They’re gonna be great players,” says Gunter. “They are good players now. They just play with a lot of poise to be as young as they are.”
In the frontcourt, the Tigers lack height, but hope to compensate for that with athletic ability. The Lady Tigers shouldn’t have problems rebounding, defending, or even scoring in the paint.
“We didn’t have too many problems inside,” says We double-teamed a lot, but we have some darn good defensive players. Ke-Ke Tardy, April Brown, Roneeka Hodges and Stacey (Newton) coming off the bench, those players are smart and they’re very strong and athletic.”
Detrina White, a 5-11 power forward, is LSU’s main catalyst inside. She is battling back problems and did not play in the New Mexico tournament. However, Coach Gunter is optimistic about her return to the court.
“She’s coming along. We saw her doctor and the pain is starting to subside. We don’t really have a time table for her return, but we feel like she’s on her way.”
Ke-Ke Tardy, a 6-1 forward, has been a big plus for LSU early on. Her development has taken some of the pressure away from White inside.
April Brown, a 5-11 forward, is another very athletic player that the Lady Tigers will count of very heavilty. She is a hot shooter that possesses a lot of composer on the court. When the Lady Tigers face adversity, putting the ball in Brown’s hands wouldn’t be a bad idea. She’s the type of player who has the ability to settle down her teammates and make clutch shots to swing the momentum of a game.
“We have along way to go,” says Brown. “It was a good experience in Albuquerque. We just need to work hard to get better. I feel good about the athletes we have n this team.”
The Lady Tigers return to action this Saturday at the PMAC when they face Sam Houston St at 7 p.m., their final tuneup before heading to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam Classic.