Statement from LSU Women's Basketball Head Coach Nikki Caldwell on Hall of Famer Pat Summitt

Statement from LSU Women’s Basketball Coach Nikki Caldwell on Hall of Famer Pat Summitt’s Diagnosis:

“I’ve known Coach Summitt for 23 years and there has never been a fight that she’s backed down from. All of us who have played or coached under her leadership, we know she will take this fight on like she does with every task. She will do it with dignity, toughness, courage and an unwavering commitment. Those are the same qualities she has always expected and instilled in her players for 37 years at Tennessee. She’s been a friend and a mentor for me my entire playing and coaching career. More importantly, she is the standard in the coaching profession and taken women’s basketball to unparalleled heights. I know she is going to coach as long as she wants to and continue to be the ultimate competitor she has always been. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her, her son Tyler and her entire family. I will always be here for her as a friend and I look forward to seeing her on the bench this season.”

Posted by Bill Martin  

Nikki Caldwell Takes Part in Champions For Children Bowl-a-Thon

New LSU women’s basketball coach Nikki Caldwell has been out and about in the Baton Rouge community and such was the case last weekend at the Champions For Children Bowl-a-Thon at Metro Bowl.

The event, hosted by former Tiger running back and NFL starter Joseph Addai, benefited the opening of Heritage Ranch Christian Children's Home.

Heritage Ranch is a non-profit organization with the mission of opening a Christian Children's Home that will serve youth and families that are in the midst of crisis. The Heritage Ranch will open its first home for six boys, ages 13-17, next summer.

Caldwell joined LSU men’s basketball head coach Trent Johnson for the event. Both visited with kids, helped them bowl and signed autographs.

Posted by Bill Martin  

Video: Nikki Caldwell Surprises East Baton Rouge Parish School Principals as a Guest Speaker

New LSU women’s basketball coach Nikki Caldwell surprised principals of East Baton Rouge Parish schools as a guest speaker. Caldwell addressed the group on teamwork, attitude, toughness and being excited about joining the Baton Rouge community.

Posted by Bill Martin  

Nikki Caldwell Joins SEC Webcast at SEC Spring Meetings In Destin

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LSU women’s basketball coach Nikki Caldwell is in Destin, Fla., this week for Southeastern Conference Spring Meetings. Caldwell appeared on the SEC live webcast on Tuesday with Dave Baker and Tony Barnhardt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Caldwell discussed returning to the SEC, the South and her philosophy of coaching in the first year on the job. Here are a few quotes:

“This team is going to be led by LaSondra Barrett. I have five seniors coming back with leadership. Adrienne Webb is going to be one of the best guards in the country. We’ve got guard play, we’ve got quickness and we’ve got athleticism. We have a tremendous freshman coming in, Krystal Forthan. We also have Anne Pederson, a young lady from Denmark. We are adding to the roster that is already in place.”

“We are going to get after people. I am a defensive minded coach. I like to run the basketball and I love to press. I call it organized chaos. This team is going to be a team that the fans are going to adopt. We are going to get that spirit and love of women’s basketball in the Baton Rouge area back. That comes with playing smart and playing hard.”

“You always want to transition to the talent that you have. If we are going to be a team that runs the basketball, we have to be in great condition. That is a given. I see this team that is going to get out quickly in transition and going to force a lot of turnovers. I’d like to tweak our offense based on the personnel. Our offensive and defensive packages will always be geared to the personnel we have that year.”

“I look at this LSU team and the wins that they missed out on last year, that could have easily turned the season around. They were right there. We just have to dial it up another notch and we will be one of those teams that people can keep an eye on come March.”

On what the most exciting thing is about being back in the SEC …

“Eating. There’s that Southern hospitality – the people. The Creole, the gumbo. I am Southern girl, so that has been exciting. And having the opportunity to coach those wonderful ladies at LSU.”


Posted by Bill Martin  

Nikki Caldwell to "Cruise For A Cause" and Join in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

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When new LSU women’s basketball coach Nikki Caldwell isn’t in the office or on the basketball court, you might find the 38-year-old cruising around town on her Harley Davidson motorcycle for a very worthy cause.

Caldwell, an avid motorcycle rider, begins her annual six-day “Cruisin’ for a Cause” journey from Rapid City, S.D., to Las Vegas on Thursday. She will join other riders in the long haul that raises money for her non-profit foundation “Champions for a Cause.” The organization, founded in 2007, directly supports the fight against breast cancer.

“This gives us an incredible opportunity to join in the fight of this terrible disease,” said Caldwell. “We get to get on our Harleys, go around the country and meet some unbelievable people, including those who have been directly affected by breast cancer. I have friends and former teammates who survived breast cancer who join in our cause.”

Four years ago while an assistant coach at Tennessee, Caldwell helped co-found “Champions for a Cause” with Lady Vols assistant coach Holly Warlick. Every summer the two come together for a bike tour that allows fans the opportunity to ride with the coaches. All proceeds from the journey go to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and other breast cancer organizations. Since 2007, they have raised over $100,000 through their efforts.

Their mission is simple: advance and support the cause of charitable organizations who advocate and act to better the quality of life and health for individuals at risk of the disease or in need.

Starting Thursday, Caldwell will travel over 1,100 miles and make five stops en route to Las Vegas. Friday’s route will take her from Deadwood, S.D., back to Rapid City and on Saturday she will go from Rapid City to Casper, Wyo.

Sunday features a 225-mile trip to Rock Springs, while the longest ride will be a 322-mile haul from Rock Springs to Richfield, Utah, on Monday. The group concludes the tour with a two-day stop in Las Vegas. Caldwell visits with locals and riders at the various stops while also visiting a children’s hospital.

“When you see our Champions for a Cause crew, we all come together for something that’s bigger than us,” she said. “We have people who take off from their jobs and ride with us who are very passionate about this crusade. It’s great to have so much support for Holly and I in this endeavor. We get to meet people around the nation from all walks of life while touring the beautiful landscape of our country.”

“Cruisin’ for a Cause” is in its fifth year and planning for the event begins months in advance. Future plans call for a motorcycle tour in Louisiana and getting LSU fans involved in the cause.  

  While on her journey, Caldwell will be providing updates through her Twitter site at www.Twitter.com/NikkiCaldwell. For more information on “Champions for a Cause,” visit www.ChampionsForACause.org and become a fan of the foundation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ChampionsForACause.
 

Posted by Bill Martin  

LSU Lady Tigers Ranked No. 20 In Early 2011-12 ESPN.com College Basketball Poll

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Charlie Creme of ESPN.com has released his early preseason rankings for the 2011-12 season, and the LSU women’s basketball team comes in ranked 20th.

Creme said the following about the Lady Tigers:
“ …new coach Nikki Caldwell will bring a new energy to a group of returnees that includes top scorers Adrienne Webb and LaSondra Barrett. Caldwell's UCLA teams always defended well and the Lady Tigers had no trouble stopping teams, making this a good match from that perspective.”

LSU is the fourth-highest ranked SEC team in his poll. Tennessee (2), Georgia (13) and Kentucky (15) are all ranked in his Top 25.

Here is a look at his very early ESPN.com preseason rankings:
1. Baylor
2. Tennessee
3. Notre Dame
4. Texas A&M
5. Stanford
6. Connecticut
7. Duke
8. Miami
9. Georgetown
10. Florida State
11. Louisville
12. Maryland
13. Georgia
14. Penn State
15. Kentucky
16. Purdue
17. Rutgers
18. North Carolina
19. DePaul
20. LSU
21. Oklahoma
22. Michigan State
23. Texas
24. Southern Cal
25. St. John’s

Read the article here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/columns/story?columnist=creme_charlie&id=6396453

Posted by Bill Martin  

Come Hear Coach Nikki Caldwell on the LSU Tiger Tour; Starting Wednesday, April 27 at Shreveport/Bossier City

Caldwell

New LSU women’s basketball head coach Nikki Caldwell will be appearing at six stops on the LSU Tiger Tour over the next four months. Caldwell will make her Tiger Tour speaking debut next Wednesday, April 27 at the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, La.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m. Individual tickets start at $75.

Caldwell will be joined on the first tour stop with LSU football head coach Les Miles and men’s basketball head coach Trent Johnson. LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva will also be addressing the crowd.

Caldwell will appear at the following Tiger Tour stops:

Shreveport/Bossier City, La. – Wednesday, April 27
Alexandria, La. – Monday, May 2
Lafayette, La. – Tuesday, May 3
New Orleans – Sunday, July 17
Lake Charles, La. – Wednesday, July 20
Baton Rouge – Thursday, July 28

Get your tickets to come see Coach Caldwell. For more information on the LSU Tiger Tour, visit www.LSUTigerTour.com

Posted by Bill Martin  

What They Are Saying About Nikki Caldwell At LSU ...

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Since she was named the school’s seventh women’s basketball head coach during the first weekend in April, Nikki Caldwell has made an immediate impact for the Lady Tigers. Here is a collection of quotes from former coaches and TV/media personalities on her hire at LSU …

“I am absolutely thrilled for Nikki. It’s UCLA’s loss and LSU’s fantastic gain to get a brilliant, rising coach of Nikki Caldwell’s caliber.  LSU is committed to its women’s basketball program both financially and with the resources they have in place to compete amongst the best teams in the nation. The Southeastern Conference will become much stronger with Nikki joining the league.  Her accomplishments in the three short seasons she was at UCLA is indicative of more of what will come from Nikki and her staff at LSU.”
-- Tennessee head coach and Hall of Famer Pat Summitt

“Nikki Caldwell is a superstar in our profession. She is the quintessential "players" coach who understands that each player is unique and must be motivated differently to get their maximum effort every night. Nikki has a style and grace that garners immediate attention. She has a great moral compass for the way things ought to be in life. LSU may have hired a coach but they acquired a tremendous person who will achieve greatness beyond the athletic realm.”
-- Former Virginia head coach and Hall of Famer Debbie Ryan

“When I started making phone calls around and asking people who I should look at to take this position, Nikki Caldwell’s name came up every single time, and I’m not kidding you. Every single person I talked to brought up her name, so I said I need to meet this lady, and I did. I was obviously very impressed. She’s a star, she’s a role model and she has the priorities of the young student-athletes in her heart and in her mind. She wants to make them better, not just as basketball players but as people, and that’s what this is all about.”
-- LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva

“LSU should get the hire of the year award in hiring Nikki Caldwell. I was an assistant on the staff at Tennessee when she played. I have known her for a long time and followed her when she was an assistant at Virginia. She came back to Tennessee and won a championship as an assistant coach there. When you look at what she did at UCLA in a short amount of time, Nikki is a winner. She works hard. She knows how to relate to people and she is a constant student of the game. There is more than one way to do things and she is going to find the right way that works with the players she has. The folks in the community are going to love her. She’s a Southern girl being from Oak Ridge, Tenn. I am sure she already feels like she is home being now in Baton Rouge.”
-- Carolyn Peck, ESPN analyst and former Purdue/Florida head coach/Tennessee assistant coach

“An absolute overflow crowd, rivaling something one might expect for the hiring of a new LSU football coach, is gathered on the fifth floor of the athletic building for Caldwell's introductory press conference. The room is captured immediately by the star attraction's million dollar smile and infectious personality. It's not a boring affair. Caldwell pays tribute to the late Sue Gunter while talking up former Lady Tiger stars like Seimone Augustus, Temeka Johnson and Sylvia Fowles. She even boasts about "standing toe-to-toe" with her powerhouse alma matter Tennessee and her iconic mentor Pat Summitt. Caldwell is confident, but not cocky, about the Lady Tigers and what they can accomplish. There's a new, exciting energy in the air, and athletic director Joe Alleva is praised for what many consider to be a "home run hire."
-- Jacques Doucet, WAFB-TV

“In Caldwell, the Lady Tigers not only have a proven winner, but a charismatic young coach whose reputation for camera presence, fashion sense, an affinity for high-heel shoes and Harley Davidson motorcycles precedes her. Because the news of her hiring over the weekend sparked calls from fans interested in when 2011-12 season tickets go on sale, the athletic department decided to start selling them on Monday—far earlier than usual.”
-- Associated Press

“This is a woman who drives her players so hard, even the male students who practice with her team are ordered to run sprints if they slack. Yet before every practice, everyone stands motionless in a midcourt circle with their feet touching to remind them that they are all one family.”
-- Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times

“So have you been infected with Nikkimania yet? … The road back to the Final Four begins with but a single step. And there couldn’t be anyone who was jammed into Caldwell’s introductory news conference Monday at LSU who would say she didn’t get off on the right foot. Caldwell was engaging, confident, deferential in all the right places — like when speaking of late LSU coach Sue Gunter or her coach, Tennessee’s Pat Summitt — and funny as well.”
-- Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate

“Listening to Caldwell speak and field questions for about a half hour, one thing became apparent: She has “it,” whatever “it” is, that indefinable quality that allows certain people to walk into a room, calm the chatter and become the center of attention. … No one knew it, but the Caldwell era was waiting on the other side, and being in her presence Monday you couldn’t help but think it was a prelude to LSU’s version of CBS’ “One Shining Moment.”
-- Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate

Posted by Bill Martin  

LaSondra Barrett Named NCAA Div. I State Farm Coaches' All-America Finalist

LSU junior forward LaSondra  Barrett is one of 40 players nationally who have been named 2011 NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America finalists, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced on Wednesday.

The 40 finalists, who are voted upon by WBCA-member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions, are now in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team.

The 2011 NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team will be announced at 8 a.m. CDT Saturday, April 2, in Indianapolis during the WBCA National Convention, which is being held in conjunction with the 2011 NCAA® Women’s Final Four®.

Barrett is one of five finalists from the Southeastern Conference, joining Tennessee’s Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson, Georgia’s Porsha Phillips and Kentucky’s Victoria Dunlap.

Barrett concluded her junior season as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection by the league’s coaches and a second-team choice by the media. She ranked in the top 15 in scoring in the SEC with 12.6 points per game and 10th in rebounding with 6.3 boards per contest. In SEC games, Barrett ranked sixth in rebounding with 7.5 boards per contest.

Barrett started 31 games and recorded five double-doubles this season, including 19 points and 10 rebounds in LSU’s near-upset of No. 16 Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

Barrett reached the 1,000-point and 500-rebound milestones during the season. She will head into her senior season as LSU’s 23rd all-time leading scorer with 1,118 points and the Lady Tigers’ 16th all-time leading rebounder with 571 boards.

Posted by Bill Martin  

LaSondra Barrett's Postseason Honors Continue, Earns Spot On State Farm Coaches' All-America All-Region 3 Team

LSU junior forward LaSondra Barrett is one of seven players who have been named to the State Farm Coaches’ All-America All-Region 3 team, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced on Thursday.

Eight region teams make up a 52 candidate pool that will be trimmed to 40 finalists, all of whom will be in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.

The State Farm Coaches' All-America Team for NCAA Division I will be announced at 8 a.m. CT Saturday, April 2, in Indianapolis during the WBCA National Convention, which is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four®.

Kentucky’s Victoria Dunlap, Alabama’s Tierney Jenkins, Tennessee’s Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen, Georgia’s Porsha Phillips and Vanderbilt’s Jence Rhoads were also named to the squad.

Barrett concluded her junior season as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection by the league’s coaches and a second-team choice by the media. She ranked in the top 15 in scoring in the SEC with 12.6 points per game and 10th in rebounding with 6.3 boards per contest. In SEC games, Barrett ranked sixth in rebounding with 7.5 boards per contest.

Barrett started 31 games and recorded five double-doubles this season, including 19 points and 10 rebounds in LSU’s near-upset of No. 16 Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

Barrett reached the 1,000-point and 500-rebound milestones during the season. She will head into her senior season as LSU’s 23rd all-time leading scorer with 1,118 points and the Lady Tigers’ 16th all-time leading rebounder with 571 boards.

Posted by Bill Martin