Ballard, Moncrief to Lead Lady Tigers in 2014-15
With two back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances under its belt, passionate leadership on the court and Coach Nikki Caldwell‘s return for her fourth season, there is nothing but promise ahead for the LSU women’s basketball program.
The Lady Tigers are ready for a new season with new opportunities. LSU has a talented group of veterans and newcomers ready to fill the void left by three instrumental seniors from last season – Jeanne Kenney, Shanece McKinney and Theresa Plaisance.
Guards Danielle Ballard and Raigyne Moncrief have nothing but confidence that this group of Lady Tigers will continue to build on the program’s legacy.
“Coach (Caldwell) has been preparing us for that [the loss of three seniors], Moncrief said. “We’ve been doing leadership meetings in order to be ready for the upcoming season.”
“The players that have come in this year, they have already stepped up a lot”, Ballard added. “There also are two transfers coming in that have had leadership roles and tendencies so we will be fine.”
Ballard and Moncrief were acutely aware of the importance of offseason workouts for the upcoming season’s success.
“It determines how well you play when the season comes, not just physically, but mentally too,” Moncrief said. “Going through, being able to fight through adversity, fight through when you’re tired. If you are able to do that, you’ll be fine to do it once the season comes.”
The duo passionately agreed on the importance of the off-court camaraderie within the team.
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“You know if you have a good team off the court, it is going to reflect on the court,” Ballard said. “You can see it as we play together on the court. We have a good bond off the court.”
“Our relationship off the court is really important,” Moncrief said. “We stick together. We are for each other and have each other’s back. We all know that, and when we are on the court, that’s how it’s going to be.”
The family culture that Coach Caldwell instills in her program is one of the many reasons for the strong bond between her student-athletes.
“Even though we are away from our families, she makes us feel like we’re back at home,” Moncrief said. “She cares about us, and we know she cares about us not just as players but as people.”
“She pushes us each and every day,” Ballard said. “We learn a lot from her. She teaches us and works us extremely hard. That’s why we are the types of players we are. That’s why I am the type of player I am. She pushes me to the extreme and puts a lot of weight on my shoulders to get the best out of me.”
Ballard and Moncrief are eager to demonstrate the team’s growth and are ready for the season that lies ahead.
Ballard is coming off three straight double-doubles where she poured in over 20 points in all three of Lady Tigers’ NCAA Tournament games last season. She heads into the season 167 points away from being LSU’s newest member of the 1,000 point club.
Moncrief is looking to build off a Freshman All-SEC campaign where she ranked among the SEC’s Top 5 in scoring and steals among freshmen. She suffered a knee injury during LSU’s NCAA Tournament win over Georgia Tech but has been working hard in rehab during the offseason.
Above all else, there is no doubt that Ballard and Moncrief respect and have an admiration for each other.
“Ray is an unbelievable player,” Ballard said. “I know when she gets back on the court, she’ll be even better than she was before. I can tell by the way she carries herself through her injury that she’s doing everything she can do to get her legs and body back into shape.”
“Danielle is a special player on the court,” Moncrief said. “The things she does, the little things make a big difference, like offensive rebounds. The way she gets up and tips the ball back in. Those are the types of things that give us energy as a team. Her work ethic is crazy, and she leads by example. You’re going to see some amazing things from Danielle this season.”
With Ballard and Moncrief coming back stronger and better than ever, the Lady Tigers have the key ingredients to reach their goals.