Kim Mulkey, LSU building the best roster in college basketball

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers are coming off the first National Championship in program history, both on the men’s and women’s side.

And the future is bright.

Not only did LSU win a National Championship, but the Tigers return an All-American, SEC Freshman of the Year and five more players from this season’s roster.

Mulkey and her staff have also rebuilt the roster in a major way, which includes the No. 1 high school recruiting class, the No. 1 Transfer Portal player in Hailey Van Lith and – likely – more big news on the way.

Aneesah Morrow, the No. 2 player in the Transfer Portal, arrives at LSU on Thursday evening for an official visit.

“We’re national champions in year two, and we’re not all seniors,” Mulkey said. “We lose four outstanding seniors, but the core of your group are young and underclass, and you hope they stay. Lord knows, every time you turn around, people are in the transfer portal, but you signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. And that was before we won a National Championship.”

National Champions returning for another season

There are four players moving on from LSU’s National Championship roster in guards Alexis Morris and Jasmine Carson and forwards LaDazhia Williams and Emily Ward.

Who is returning for Mulkey and Co.?

Angel Reese, an All-American and the 2023 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, is the headliner. The Tigers also get back another starter in Flau’jae Johnson, who was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. Fellow freshman Sa’Myah Smith was also on the Freshman All-SEC team.

Kateri Poole, who had some huge moments for LSU in the NCAA Tournament, also returns. The same for guard Last-Tear Poah, who played a key role coming off the bench at guard this past season.

LSU also returns scholarship players in Amani Bartlett and Alisa Williams, putting the total number of scholarship players at seven.

LSU lands No. 1 high school recruiting class

The No. 1 recruiting class in the country resides in Baton Rouge.

Mulkey and the LSU staff reeled in Louisiana native Mikaylah Williams, who headlines the group as the No. 2 prospect in America.

Mulkey also signed teammates at The Webb School in Tennessee and natives of The Bronx, New York, Aalyah Del Rosario and Angelica Velez. Del Rosario, a 6-5 forward, gives the Tigers a second Top 10 prospect. She’s ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the 2023 class and No. 2 post player in the country.

Velez is a four-star guard who is ranked as the No. 44 in the country.

The Tigers also landed Janae Kent out of Oak Forrest, Illinois, who checks in as the No. 73 recruit in the class.

After signing four Top 100 prospects, Mulkey weighed in with her thoughts on what the group brings to Baton Rouge.

“Mikaylah is an incredibly special student-athlete,” Mulkey said. “Being from North Louisiana, Mikaylah chose to stay home and compete for championships as a Tiger. Her immense talent, combined with her unmatched work ethic sets her apart – making her the top player in the country. LSU fans you are in for a treat.

“Aalyah brings a dominant inside presence to our front court. She has closely followed post players that I have coached in the past and has the capability to be the next great post player at LSU. I can’t wait to get Aalyah to Baton Rouge and get to work.

“Angelica is a true point guard who brings a competitive edge to Baton Rouge. As a former point guard, I appreciate her ability to make her teammates look great. Her on-court leadership is phenomenal and will be sure to have a huge impact on our team for years to come.

“Janae brings much needed size to our perimeter. Her versatility is a huge part of her game. From scoring to rebounding, she can affect the game in a variety of ways with her length. She is going to come to Baton Rouge ready to get to work and we are excited to see what she accomplishes at LSU.”

Mulkey and LSU get commitment from Hailey Van Lith

Just weeks after winning the national title, Kim Mulkey made a huge splash in the college basketball landscape by reeling in Hailey Van Lith – the No. 1 ranked prospect in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Van Lith, a 5-foot-7 guard who spent three years at Louisville, comes off of back-to-back All-ACC first team seasons, including a 2022-23 season where she averaged 19.7 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting.

An elite scorer, Van Lith is set to step in and immediately fill the shoes of All-SEC guard Alexis Morris with still two years of eligibility remaining. Both Van Lith and LSU forward Angel Reese are projected to be top six picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Out of high school, Van Lith was named a McDonald’s All-American and ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the nation by ESPN.

This past season, Van Lith had to carry the Cardinals on offense, attempting 16.8 field goal attempts per game and 4.9 free throws. She finished the year with a 29.6 usage percentage. For context, Alexis Morris had a 23.2 usage percentage and Caitlin Clark was at 36.4. She was one of two Power-5 players (Caitlin Clark) to average at least 19 points, four rebounds and three assists per game. Eventually, Van Lith was named an All-American Honorable Mention.

Van Lith also averaged 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals while also setting a new Louisville record for free throw percentage in a season at 87.4. Her 3-point percentage dipped to 29.3 percentage as her usage rose, but in her sophomore year she shot 36.3 percent on 124 attempts. – Matthew Brune

LSU now hosting No. 2 player in Transfer Portal

LSU is hosting another huge visitor this weekend as Aneesah Morrow will make her way to Baton Rouge Thursday night, a source confirms to The Bengal Tiger. Morrow is ranked as the No. 2 player in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Morrow released her top three last week including LSU, South Carolina, and USC. The Chicago native took a visit to Southern Cal last weekend and now will visit the national champs in Baton Rouge.

The DePaul transfer forward averaged 25.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, earning her a spot on the AP All-American third team.

Morrow still has two more years of eligibility after playing just two years at DePaul. As a freshman, Morrow averaged 21.9 points and 13.8 rebounds before her usage rate skyrocketed in her sophomore campaign this past year. Morrow had a usage percentage of 37.6 percent. For context, Reese had a 29.5 usage percentage and Caitlin Clark was at 36.4.

Revamping the roster

The Bengal Tiger’s Matthew Brune, who covered the Tigers from wire-to-wire during the National Championship season, weighed in with his thoughts on Mulkey and the LSU staff’s ability to build an even better roster for the 2023-24 season.

“Just like that, Kim Mulkey has begun reloading after her first national title at LSU,” Brune said. “The addition immediately puts the Tigers atop the preseason rankings with ample spots still to fill. Now, Mulkey will be looking for a post and a wing shooter to round out the roster. With Kateri Poole and Last-Tear Poa returning, there’s enough ball handling in the backcourt and now Mulkey looks to add veteran pieces at the other positions.

The Tigers lose starting point guard Alexis Morris, starting center LaDahzia Williams, and wing shooter Jasmine Carson from the championship team, but with Mulkey’s portal prowess, there’s a confidence that the Tigers can quickly revamp the roster. With transfers plus the No. 1 signing class in the country coming in, the hope for LSU fans was that the 2023 title run was just the start of a potential dynasty.