Lady Tigers poised for good season

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By Chase Trichell

In the 2007-2008 season, Van Chancellor began his stint at LSU with a 31-6 record and his first Final Four appearance in what has been a brilliant coaching career. Chancellor coached at Ole Miss for 19 seasons and compiled an overall record of 439-154. When the WNBA was formed in 1997, Chancellor left Ole Miss to coach professionally for the Houston Comets - the Comets won the first four WNBA titles with Chancellor at the helm.

However, Chancellor's second season at LSU didn't go so smoothly. The Lady Tigers lost eight seniors from the 07-08 Final Four squad and didn't return a single starter. LSU managed to go 19-11 in 2008-2009, had an impressive 10-4 SEC mark and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament before being eliminated by Louisville. The 2009-2010 season looks more promising.

The Lady Tigers made it to five consecutive Final Four's from 2003 to 2008 before finishing unranked last season. The undeniable leader of this year's team is Allison Hightower from Arlington, Texas. Hightower is one of only two seniors on this year's squad and was both an Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-SEC selection last season.

After Hightower was selected as a pre-season All-American for the upcoming season, Coach Chancellor elaborated on her leadership role during media day by stating: "There's no question in my mind that Allison Hightower is one of the best players in the country. Her work ethic and attitude have been outstanding her entire career. She's a leader on and off the floor and she's the face of our team."

Hightower averaged 14.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season en route to LSU's eleventh straight NCAA tournament appearance. Hightower's primary help will likely come from sophomore LaSondra Barrett who averaged 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season as she was honored as the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year.

Also returning from last year's team is Katherine Graham, a junior guard who averaged over five points and five rebounds per game in 08-09. The fourth returning starter for the Lady Tigers is junior guard Latear Eason who averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game a year ago. The lone senior from the 08-09 team was Kristen Morris who scored 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Aside than Morris, the entire Lady Tigers team is returning.

Last season, LSU was anchored by their defense which only allowed 53.5 points per outing. In 2009-2010, the Lady Tigers will again rely on strong defense and the leadership of Allison Hightower. Though this season probably won't result in a Final Four run, the LSU women's basketball team will be much improved from a season ago and Van Chancellor will return to his usual winning ways.

Originally Published: Issue 821 - October 28, 2009

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