Q&A: Jersey Wolfenbarger talks committing to LSU, Kim Mulkey

LSU picked up a transfer portal commitment from Jersey Wolfenbarger on Monday afternoon. At 6-foot-5, Wolfenbarger is a former top-10 prospect in the 2021 class and was selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2022 at Arkansas, eventually looking to change scenery late in 2023.

The Bengal Tiger On3 was able to talk with her for an exclusive interview. Here’s everything she said about her past, her excitement for the future, and playing at LSU.

First, what went into your decision and how was your visit to Baton Rouge.

“My visit was the first official visit I got to take because my class was the 2021 class during COVID and all those rules were still in place. I didn’t get any visits going into my decision. It was definitely a different experience and it was really nice. I liked how the staff kind of came to my personality. I don;t have this loud personality and don’t need a lot of attention put on me. I’m definitely fine with reading the room and kind of letting the energy kind of come to me, I think the coaches did a   good job of keeping that authentic to myself. But as for my decision, more than anything, I’m looking at this as my second chance to kind of accomplish the dreams that I set out to when I first got to high school. I want to be a part of a super elite program and part of a super elite staff and team and when LSU called it was a fairly simple decision. Coach Mulkey recruited me in High School and so we already had that relationship established. Not many people get a chance to begin with to play with a play for a program like that and a coach like that and not very many people at all get a second chance to, so I knew then that that’s an option you can’t pass up on.”

From your perspective, just how you know impressive is LSU and just what what are you expecting when you join them?

“I’m expecting much higher standards. I’m expecting very intense competition daily. Whether that’s with yourself, with the coaching staff and what their expectations for you are, or simply just the team in general, everybody there’s elite.  I’m just excited to join that fierce competitive soul that they all share and I’m excited to be part of that. I’m looking forward to be able to get back to the player that I was before this whole process started. I’m just fortunate

What have these past four or five months been like for you, staying sharp and just continuing to work?

“I’ve started to enjoy basketball again. I’ve gotten back to my love for the game and now it’s pretty hard to keep me out of the gym. I just got back to myself and what made me me in the beginning and so in this couple months period that haven’t been a part of a program I’ve gotten to find myself and my goals are the same, my drives the same, and so I’m excited for people to be able to start seeing that again for sure.”

What were your thoughts on the the PMAC and the crowd for the game?

“I don’t think there are very many crowds like that. To be apart of it and see it from the other side rather than playing against them you get to see the atmosphere for what it is. They all share the same love and passion for the game that Coach Mulkey and her program share. It’s cool to see her be able to take LSU and turn into something that feels so much more than just a basketball game. There weren’t a lot of open seats in that game so it’s just super cool I get to be a part of that now.”

Just how would you describe your game and your strengths?

“I’m a 6-5 guard. I’ve been a big guard since my sophomore year of High School and then got to 6-5 when I graduated high school. So it’s nothing new to me, I still have guard skills. I think for me, what I bring to the game is my versatility and my ability to move. There’s not a lot of 6-5 players that can move like guards. And I think that makes me super special. And also, I just think the game. I’ve always been kind of a pass first type of player, not for lack of ability to score. But I like to make reads and  I think that’s super rare, especially in that stretch four position. I’m excited to be able to take my skill set and implement them into her system and see how much I can be developed from there.”

Were you able to talk to any current players?

“Yeah, I didn’t want to be a distraction, but Angel Reese was at coach Mulkey’s house with me. We had dinner after the game. So it’s kind of cool to pick her brain and it’s still so casual. Everybody’s relationship doesn’t feel forced, it doesn’t feel like a show, it just feels very casual. Everybody seems to genuinely just like being involved with one another. And I think that a lot of places kind of lack that. LSU it felt like everybody genuinely got along. And they want the same goals so it’s easy to get along when you have all the same goals. Every program has their issues, but because of the standards and status that LSU holds, I think a lot of that stuff gets adjusted. And it’s not gonna take away from the team and how successful they are.”

How quickly did they contact you out of the portal?

“They were one of the first two calls I got.”

“I went into the portal with a completely open mind and just looking for the best fit for me. I have two more years and I’m trying to make the most of them and take my game to the next level. When I first entered the portal I was open to any contact from coaches. For me, the reason I’m most excited for LSU is because that dream had failed. To feel like I wasn’t my best in my first two years but a coach still has belief in me when I felt like nothing was there. It’s really cool for it to come from a coach like coach Mulkey who can get elite players because she’s an elite coach. For her to pick me and want to recruit me, it made me feel that again that I am an elite player. The past few years isn’t a fair showing of myself and now she’s giving me a chance to show who I really am and I’m excited about that.”