BATON ROUGE – The LSU women’s basketball program has started its preparations for the 2015-16 season and is in the midst of its three-week summer workout program.
The Lady Tigers have been working out in position groups on the court. LSU also has held strength and conditioning training in the weight room led by Melissa Seal.
“I’ve been extremely impressed and pleased with how our players have performed in our summer workout program,” head coach Nikki Caldwell said. “It lays the foundation and serves as the building blocks for success for the upcoming season. The future is bright for our program, and I couldn’t be more excited with how our preparation for 2015-16 has started.”
LSU boasts five newcomers on its roster for the 2015-16 campaign.
Alexis Hyder, a 5-11 forward, who practiced with the Lady Tigers last season after she transferred to LSU from North Texas will start her redshirt junior season in 2015-16. She was an All-Sun Belt pick and started 51 of 59 games for the Mean Green in her first two seasons. Hyder posted 14.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game as a freshman.
Ayana Mitchell and Shanice Norton will begin their freshman seasons. Mitchell is a 6-2 forward from Conyers, Georgia and was ranked as a Top 50 player by a vast number of recruiting websites including ESPNW. She is four-star recruit who amassed 18.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game en route to Class 5A All-State First-Team accolades.
Norton, a 5-8 guard from London, England, will represent her native country on the U18 squad at the 2015 FIBA European Championship. She also comes from a championship pedigree and won a pair of state titles at the Potter’s House Christian Academy in Florida.
Transfers Chloe Jackson, a 5-9 guard from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, along with Tatum Neubert, a 6-2 forward from Elizabeth, Colorado, will sit out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Jackson was named the Washington Post’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year and garnered Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) High School All-America Honorable Mention stats during her high school career.
Neubert secured McDonald’s High School All-America nominee and was a Colorado Class 4A All-State First-Team selection as a high school senior. She also was the state’s leading scorer at 22.7 points per game and was a three-time conference Player of the Year recipient.
Danielle Ballard will not return to LSU for her senior season.
“We appreciate all that Danielle has done for our program during her time at LSU,” Caldwell said. “We wish her nothing but the best and success in her future endeavors.”
LSU has collected four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances highlighted by a pair of NCAA Sweet 16 trips under Caldwell. The Lady Tigers also have secured a trio of 20-plus win seasons and have reached at least 10 SEC victories three times with Caldwell at the helm.
For all of the latest news and information on Lady Tiger basketball, visit www.LSUsports.net.womensbasketball. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/LSUwbkb, @LSUwbkb and @NikkiCaldwell on Twitter, @LSUwbkb and @LSUNikkiCaldwell on Instagram.