In-Depth Preview: LSU faces Virginia Tech in Top-10 clash

No. 7 LSU faces No. 9 Virginia Tech on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the PMAC in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge. It’s a top ten matchup, a rematch of the Final Four thriller last year, and a game that features several of the top names in the sport.

Virginia Tech returns forward Elizabeth Kitley, point guard Georgia Amoore, and wing Cayla King, but replaced some key rotation pieces with two starting Big 10 transfers in Matilda Ekh and Rose Micheaux. It’s a new challenge for the Tigers, but still a Hokies team that is led by the dynamic duo of Kitley and Amoore.

“I think they’re different in that they had to replace some players, but those two players are just so good.” Mulkey said. “Amoore and Kitley are outstanding players, they’re the leaders. You have a big post presence that can post you up, then with Amoore, I don’t think there’s a shot she can’t make. She’s so efficient with her ability to score the ball.”

Last year’s Final Four

If you think back to last year’s game, it was one of the more seemingly incredible comebacks in the women’s NCAA tournament. Down 59-50 heading to the fourth quarter, with seemingly no offensive momentum, ESPN’s win probability gave the Tigers just a 10 percent chance to win.

LSU came out the gates and punched back with a 7-0 run in less than two minutes to force a timeout and cut the deficit to two. With 5:49 left in the game, a steal and score from Flau’Jae Johnson put the Tigers up 64-62. From there, LSU continued its run and went up 72-62 and never looked back. In the end, LSU outscored Virginia Tech 29-13 in the fourth quarter and won 79-72.

Angel Reese had 24 points and 12 rebounds on 11-of-19 shooting, while Alexis Morris had 27 points on 11-of-27 shooting and defended Amoore for most of the game. LaDahzia Williams had the assignment of defending Kitley and did a respectable job, while also finishing with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

Dealing with Kitley

With LaDahzia Williams gone and S’Myah Smith out for the year, it’s up to Angel Reese and freshman Aalyah Del Rosario to defend Elizabeth Kitley on the interior. It’s an incredibly challenging matchup that even Williams struggled with at times last year. At 6-foot-6, Kitley enters the game averaging 24.3 points and 11.5 rebounds on 59.2 percent shooting. She’s also 23-of-25 from the free throw line. 

Reese struggled to defend Colorado’s Aaroette Vonleh who is a similar type of player, but also three inches shorter than Kitley. Vonleh had 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting against LSU to start the season. It helps to have Reese back, but I wonder if this isnt a game where Del Rosario will be thrown into the fire. She just needs to wall up and stay vertical going against a player with the same size as her. I think I’d play Rosario 20+ minutes in this game, because I don’t see how Reese can stop Kitley.

Here’s what Mulkey said about Del Rosario on Wednesday.

“Well you’re bringing her along every day in practices on the court with everyone else,” Mulkey said. “Our practices help her as much as anything. Because of depth now, she’s a big post player for us. Her presence in the Virginia game was very good. She altered shots, she scored 7 points, and she has confidence right now. It’s good for her individually, and it will be good for us as a team down the road.”

Then on the other end, the effects of not having S’Myah Smith will really be felt. Reese at the four is where she’s at her best. In the Final Four game, Kitley guarded Williams, while the much smaller Taylor Soule guarded Reese, allowing Reese to get loose for points. Now, if Kitley is defending Reese, I don’t like that matchup for the Tigers’ senior forward.

Again, I think this is where they’ll need Rosario for significant minutes to try to free up Reese for some easy ones. 

Defending Amoore

The 3-point line is going to be massive. Amoore is 17-of-49 on the season, while King is 14-of-43, but LSU’s 3-point defense has been poor this season. Opponents are getting 36 percent of their points from deep on LSU, ranking 331st in the country, a number that showed against Colorado, as the Buffaloes shot 10-of-23 from deep.

Amoore’s ability to get the ball on the move and score from three is what’s terrifying. Last year, Alexis Morris did a tremendous job defending Amoore, holding her to just 4-of-17 shooting with two assists. Kateri Poole also had some time on her and was effective. Neither one will be on the court for LSU tonight.

Can Hailey Van Lith step into that role? Last-Tear Poa will also have to be effective defending Amoore.

“You can’t guard Amoore with just one kid,” Mulkey said. “I don’t have Morris anymore. You remember how good Morris was guarding her and guarding Caitlin Clark? We may just have to do a tag team, so I imagine we’ll start with one player and go to the next player and do the best we can.”

Keys to the game

LSU needs perimeter scoring. That’s what this will come down to.

Kim Mulkey’s teams have never been 3-point centric. This year’s LSU team is 358th in 3-point attempt rate this season, despite shooting 33 percent on the year (106th in the country). Last year, LSU was 350th, the year before, 356th (dead last). In the last ten years, Kim Mulkey’s teams have been in the bottom 11 teams in the country in 3-point attempt rate.

I’m not saying LSU needs to outscore Virginia Tech from the 3-point line, but it has to start playing through its guards significantly more. This team is unlike any team Mulkey has had, at least in recent memory. 

With Smith out, the frontcourt production will take a significant hit. You have athletic wings in Mikaylah Williams, Flau’Jae Johnson, and Aneesah Morrow and a high-level scoring guard in Hailey Van Lith. Playing to their strengths will be essential, not only in this game, but moving forward throughout this season. The Colorado loss was the first wake-up call that this roster needs to play differently from last year’s, so we’ll see if LSU has realized that, or if it will continue to press snooze and hope it can beat Virginia Tech with paint points and rebounding.

Mikaylah Williams has to score 20+ points, Morrow has to continue to take advantage of her matchups on the wing, and the perimeter defense with LSU’s length has to bother Virginia Tech. Let’s see how the Tigers do.