LSU 2024-2025 Season

[CajunHusk94]

I may be one of the few actually pretty excited to see what this LSU team looks like this year with Angel Reese no longer there and Hailey Van Lith having moved on. I think things will be much more tame around the program this year and it will be a good for all IMO. Despite a botched 2024 recruiting class there is still a lot of talent and a very interesting influx of talent and capable transfers, which seem aimed at supporting the big 3 (Morrow, Flaujae, Williams). I think the addition of Kailyn Gilbert from AZ is very intriguing, very high risk high reward but I do think it gives LSU significant scoring production and capability off the bench, something LSU has not had in Mulkey's first 3 years at LSU.

Jersey Wolfenbarger is highly intriguing to me. Someone who never lived up to her recruiting hype out of Arkansas but I also dont think she was used to her capabilities and her skillset in that Arkansas system. At 6'5, one would like to think there will be a greater focus on developing her game inside. Its possible they could use Jersey as a stretch forward given her capabilities handling the ball.

Sa'Myah Smith was fully cleared with no restrictions over a week ago so excited to see her growth this season. She was poised for a breakout year like Flaujae this past season before the injury.

The addition of Seimone Augustus is awesome for the program and community down in Baton Rouge. From what I heard she has been working closely with the guards all summer and will continue to do so in her new role.

How much can LSU polish Aaliyah Del's Rosario game in year 2? She struggled a bit at times last year although we saw glimpses. I would say she did a really nice job in year one simply trimming down and getting into much better shape which seemed to be the ultimate goal year one. now with Reese gone, expectations are much higher and productivity is needed at the last interior position

If I had to guess a starting lineup it would be:

1. Day-Wilson- PG
2. Flaujae- SG
3. Williams- Wing
4. Morrow- PF
5. Smith/ADR- C/PF

Bench- Poa, Gilbert, Jersey, and either ADR/Smith.

I dont see Shepard or Jada Richard (Freshmen) playing a lot but who knows.


Now I dont think this team (as of now) is a final four team but its still a very very dangerous team and with Mulkey who knows what can happen.

As far as 2025 recruits, looks like a much better start having Bella Hines already committed (5 star guard from NM) and allegedly LSU's biggest 2025 recruiting weekend is next week (Sept 6) hosting Grace Knox, Zakiyah Johnson and Divine Bourrage

 

[CajunHusk94]

 

[Baller29]

I’m pretty excited to see SaMyah back. She looked incredibly strong to start last year before going down to injury. Now she isn’t going to make up for Angels rebounding or interior toughness but Smith at least has versatility in her offensive game to hit those perimeter shots more and I can recall was a pretty good shot blocker. She is 6-2 ish but super long.

Day-Wilson was really good grab. I wouldn’t call it a sexy transfer compared to what LSU has landed the last couple years but given her tools and playing style I think this fits significantly better than Hailey Van Lith ever did.

Idk what to make of Jersey but I hope LSU can work on her confidence and unlock parts of her game. Sometimes a fresh start makes all the difference.

 

[YoDore]

I think Mikaylah Williams could have a huge break-out season. She's scary.

 

[Coler]

I'm super excited to see this years team. Especially Jersey, who I believe will be a impact player...an interview she did after committing to LSU, she said that the year off helped her fall in love with basketball again, and that she had been in the gym nonstop. What I've heard is that she has looked really good over the summer....so I'm excited to see what she can do with her fresh start as she can be a matchup nightmare.

As far as recruiting goes, I'm hoping to hear good news in the coming weeks.

 

[cancontent]

I’m pretty excited to see SaMyah back. She looked incredibly strong to start last year before going down to injury. Now she isn’t going to make up for Angels rebounding or interior toughness but Smith at least has versatility in her offensive game to hit those perimeter shots more and I can recall was a pretty good shot blocker. She is 6-2 ish but super long.

Day-Wilson was really good grab. I wouldn’t call it a sexy transfer compared to what LSU has landed the last couple years but given her tools and playing style I think this fits significantly better than Hailey Van Lith ever did.

Idk what to make of Jersey but I hope LSU can work on her confidence and unlock parts of her game. Sometimes a fresh start makes all the difference.

Will be interesting to see how she fares in SEC play, especially against the guards of South Carolina. Her camp has always said she's one of the best. She has a strong game against the likes of PaoPao, Johnson and Fulwiley, it will help prove the hype about her coming out of Canada was justified.

 

[JellyBean]

I am looking forward to watching LSU play this season. Coach Mulkey always has a pretty solid team and this year, it is nothing new. Flau'jae has been working on her game. Busy as she has been since school let out. LSU should be fun to watch. I am looking forward to seeing what Morrow does this season and how the team flows. They have Williams and Johnson. I am just curious to see which way the offense flows and how the players respond.

 

[GoChips20]

I think they’ll be better than last year. Morrow/Johnson/Williams is as good a trio as you’ll find in the NCAA. There’s plenty of support around them, too.

 

[CajunHusk94]

 

[southie]

Mulkey sure is pulling out all the stops -- dressing recruiting visitors in both home and away uniforms!

 

[Baller29]

Mulkey sure is pulling out all the stops -- dressing recruiting visitors in both home and away uniforms!

I don’t see LSU landing any of these 3 players. But getting them onto campus is something.

The only one I can see them landing is McDowell and Kim needs much more than that for her 2025 class to keep up

 

[Bone Dog]

I think they’ll be better than last year. Morrow/Johnson/Williams is as good a trio as you’ll find in the NCAA. There’s plenty of support around them, too.

I completely agree. In fact, I’d say no one in D1 has grown her game more than Flau’jae. There’s still a huge question mark at PG, since Day-Wilson has never (to my eye) proven the hype to be true across a season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Richard ends up with more minutes at PG. and if that doesn’t work out, Kim might have better success with Williams there or Sheppard. I’d add Flau’jae too, but she’s too valuable elsewhere. In any event, I can’t see having Day-Wilson on the floor instead of either Williams or Flau’jae. On the plus side, having Smith and Wolfenbarger available will take a lot of pressure off ADR, who is not, I think, quite ready for prime time yet.

 

[militarydog]

I completely agree. In fact, I’d say no one in D1 has grown her game more than Flau’jae. There’s still a huge question mark at PG, since Day-Wilson has never (to my eye) proven the hype to be true across a season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Richard ends up with more minutes at PG. and if that doesn’t work out, Kim might have better success with Williams there or Sheppard. I’d add Flau’jae too, but she’s too valuable elsewhere. In any event, I can’t see having Day-Wilson on the floor instead of either Williams or Flau’jae. On the plus side, having Smith and Wolfenbarger available will take a lot of pressure off ADR, who is not, I think, quite ready for prime time yet.

A Morrow seemed to play in more of a flow last season when A Reese was out and Morrow alongside a more traditional post. If S Smith is in preinjury form then that is a great combo as A Morrow is a matchup nightmare. I share the concern regarding point. There are several options that can do different things fairly well, but somebody has got to step up to run the team. I don’t see the committee approach being successful. Coach Mulkey needs the “player coach” on the floor.

 

[CajunHusk94]

There’s still a huge question mark at PG

Day wilson is inconsistent but I still feel its a more natural fit at least compared to Hailey Van Lith as Day-Wilson is much more athletic and capable defender. I think she will do fine IMO. Hailey offensively couldn't balance not being the predominant scorer and her D was never fixable given her lack of natural quickness/athleticism. To me that marriage was going to fail before it even started

Shepard addition might end up being much better than people expect. She has to get better as an offensive player but she's a good defender and for a freshmen handled the ball really well. I notice she has been working closely with Seimone Augustus this summer to polish up on her offensive game so will be interested to see how that turns out

I think its obvious Gilbert was a depth piece in the off guard spot so she won't touch PG spot. Williams is a very talented and capable player. If she had to take on the PG spot I think she would be successful in her own way. She is a under rated passer IMO

 

[Bone Dog]

Day wilson is inconsistent but I still feel its a more natural fit at least compared to Hailey Van Lith as Day-Wilson is much more athletic and capable defender. I think she will do fine IMO. Hailey offensively couldn't balance not being the predominant scorer and her D was never fixable given her lack of natural quickness/athleticism

I thought the problem with Van Lith last year was defense. She was a liability on the floor. She knows how to score. But next to Flau’jae Morrow Williams and Angel there wasn’t much need for that from her. Day Wilson’s defense may be a little better than Van Lith, but her scoring is neither better nor much needed on this squad. But her passing will be. The core of the lineup is bound to be Flau’jae Morrow Williams and Smith (if she’s healthy). Kim needs a pg to get them the ball well and play effective defense. We’ll see if Day Wilson is up to that. I’m dubious.

 

[southie]

I thought the problem with Van Lith last year was defense. She was a liability on the floor. She knows how to score. But next to Flau’jae Morrow Williams and Angel there wasn’t much need for that from her. Day Wilson’s defense may be a little better than Van Lith, but her scoring is neither better nor much needed on this squad. But her passing will be. The core of the lineup is bound to be Flau’jae Morrow Williams and Smith (if she’s healthy). Kim needs a pg to get them the ball well and play effective defense. We’ll see if Day Wilson is up to that. I’m dubious.

I would think someone (more than one player) will need to make up for Reese's offensive output. Whoever plays PG will need to score. Smith is a nice player, but she is not Angel.

 

[Bone Dog]

I would think someone (more than one player) will need to make up for Reese's offensive output. Whoever plays PG will need to score. Smith is a nice player, but she is not Angel.

I agree. I’m expecting Flau’jae and Morrow and Williams to step it up. Flau’jae has already shown where her game might go. We’ve heard great things about Williams and she’s due for a breakout. And of course, Aneesah has already shown that she can average 20+ pts/game.

I’m more interested in where the rebounding will come from. That’s harder to replace.

 

[Baller29]

I would think someone (more than one player) will need to make up for Reese's offensive output. Whoever plays PG will need to score. Smith is a nice player, but she is not Angel.

If we are going to compare everything to angels production in college, 99% of anyone who replaces her will not meet her production but if Smith truly regains form like she looked at the beginning of last year I think truthfully LSU will be okay. She too was always on breakout year like Flaujae before ACL injury. They will still need Jersey/Rosario to step up and develop. Rebounding may be more of a group effort this year and the guards may need to to be more productive in that aspect.

I expect them to be fine though. If Kim could make chicken noodle soup with that first LSU roster, this one will be fine. It’s just going to look different… and LSU will take some growing pain adjusting to no Reese inside. Kim’s teams have historically always rebounded pretty well no matter who they have and has always been a big emphasis by her so while I expect the rebounding to take a step back it should still be pretty solid IMO

I actually think LSU have bench production this season unlike last years which was horrible and mostly useless

 

[cancontent]

I thought the problem with Van Lith last year was defense. She was a liability on the floor. She knows how to score. But next to Flau’jae Morrow Williams and Angel there wasn’t much need for that from her. Day Wilson’s defense may be a little better than Van Lith, but her scoring is neither better nor much needed on this squad. But her passing will be. The core of the lineup is bound to be Flau’jae Morrow Williams and Smith (if she’s healthy). Kim needs a pg to get them the ball well and play effective defense. We’ll see if Day Wilson is up to that. I’m dubious.

I agree with this, but am skeptical at the same time. Day-Wilson has been known to look for the highlight pass and this dates back to high school days. My concern, especially if you're an LSU fan is whether she's making plays that benefit the team or benefits her with respect to pro prospects.

Her camp has always hyped her as WNBA pro ready entering college. She showed flashes of it at Duke but opted to move on. Granted Meier retired and she was skeptical of what Cullop could bring, but this is her last gasp to really build her resume as it's her senior year. Not to mention her Canada Basketball prospects seem slim when players younger than her, including a freshman beat her out for the national team.

Is she finally willing to do it for the "team" or will it be about her again? That will be what I'm watching for this season.

 

[Bone Dog]

Her camp has always hyped her as WNBA pro ready entering college. She showed flashes of it at Duke but opted to move on.

This is how it looked to me, too. The notion that she was pro-ready coming into college became laughable when she played against the top D1 teams. If she couldn’t shine in those games, how could she even be remotely ready for the W? The game against UConn two years ago made this painfully clear. There were two pro-bound guards in that game — Nika and Azzi — and she didn’t look to have a comparable game, not even close. And there were other embarrassing games over the past few seasons.

 

[cancontent]

This is how it looked to me, too. The notion that she was pro-ready coming into college became laughable when she played against the top D1 teams. If she couldn’t shine in those games, how could she even be remotely ready for the W? The game against UConn two years ago made this painfully clear. There were two pro-bound guards in that game — Nika and Azzi — and she didn’t look to have a comparable game, not even close. And there were other embarrassing games over the past few seasons.

You don't have to preach to me my friend. Saw the hype machine start around her when she was in Gr 5/6. Problem is, especially in Canada, it was easy to sell it for a few reasons.

One, few examples of talented Canadian guards to compare her against, her team knowing how to leverage social media and connections to build the hype and the creation of the Crestwood program for her to leverage.

The Crestwood piece was critical as she likely would have had to go to the US for the type of exposure she got with the school. It wasn't going to happen with just her AAU team and a traditional high school program.

 

[southie]

Looks like Mulkey left those 3 recruits in Baton Rouge with her coaching staff as she headed off to the watch the NFL football game in Chicago and Angel Reese later this afternoon.

 

[Baller29]

Looks like Mulkey left those 3 recruits in Baton Rouge with her coaching staff as she headed off to the watch the NFL football game in Chicago and Angel Reese later this afternoon.

This is why she won’t close on any of those players and get out worked by Texas for Chavez

She doesn’t take recruiting seriously anymore

 

[visitingcock]

This is why she won’t close on any of those players and get out worked by Texas for Chavez

She doesn’t take recruiting seriously anymore

If the recruits flew in Friday, she had FaceTime with them Friday night and all day Saturday. On Sunday, they could have turned them over to financial and academic advisors.

But yeah, it doesn’t seem ideal.

 

[Baller29]

If the recruits flew in Friday, she had FaceTime with them Friday night and all day Saturday. On Sunday, they could have turned them over to financial and academic advisors.

But yeah, it doesn’t seem ideal.

I guess time will tell for LSU but Kim definitely very lazy recruiting these days. That may end up being her downfall in BR after the early success and national title. I guess she isn’t as motivated anymore.

You’d think after the 2024 class it would be all hands on deck..