LADY TIGERS & TEMEKA TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS

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BATON ROUGE – The 2009-10 LSU women’s basketball team and 2009 WNBA champion point guard Temeka Johnson will be signing autographs for fans from 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday in Tiger One Village prior to the LSU-Auburn football game.

Tiger One Village is located in front of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Johnson, former point guard for the Lady Tigers from 2002-05, helped the Phoenix Mercury to a best-of-five game series victory over the Indiana Fever in the 2009 WNBA Finals earlier this month. She became just the second former LSU women’s basketball player to claim a WNBA championship.

Johnson will also be honored on the field in Tiger Stadium in between the first and second quarter of the LSU-Auburn game. LSU head coach Van Chancellor will be on hand to make the presentation.

Filed under  //  Off the Court   Temeka Johnson  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Lady Tigers Garner Attention as the SEC Favorite at 2009-10 SEC Media Day

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BILL MARTIN (10/22/09)
It has become a ritual of the fall, 2009-10 SEC Media Day, Tipoff 2010. Head coach Van Chancellor and senior guard Allison Hightower attended SEC Media Day today at the Birmingham Marriott along with the league's 11 other men's and women's teams. We departed Baton Rouge just after 7:30 a.m. on a charter plane to Bessemer, Ala. SEC officials then escorted us to the hotel.

Chancellor and Hightower were joined by men's head coach Trent Johnson and senior Tasmin Mitchell. Media Day is nothing new for Chancellor, who attended it for the third time as a member of the Lady Tiger staff. Chancellor also had experience here when he called SEC games on television and was head coach at Ole Miss. Hightower made a return trip as she attended SEC Media Day last season with then-senior Kristen Morris.

As compared to last year's media day, there was a much different feel in the building for LSU. On Thursday, the Lady Tigers receieved attention all day from regional and national media members because for the first time in the 20-year history of the SEC Media Poll, LSU is the league favorite. Chancellor and Hightower fielded questions about handling the role as the favorite and each alluded to the quality of the league where anyone can win the title.

Part of SEC Media Day involves 10-minute rotations in different rooms with different networks. Hightower and Chancellor each took turns in interview sessions with the SEC Network, ESPN, ESPNU, Fox Sports South and SECsports.com. Earlier this summer, the SEC announced a 15-year blockbuster deal with ESPN and by the looks of today, that contract is paying off. It will mean much more attention to the SEC on each of ESPN's respective entities.

Hightower did a Q & A segment for ESPNU's SEC Weekly show, including her efforts off the court. She discussed her role as leader in the classroom and in LSU's CHAMPS Life Skills program. She also talked about what it was like about being selected as the 2010 SEC Preseason Player of the Year.

Hightower and Chancellor were also interviewed by Dave Baker of the SEC Network and SECsports.com. Dave has been covering SEC basketball and football for several years now and does a great job. Prior to interviews, Chancellor spoke to commissioner Mike Slive and other officials from the conference office.

The last hour of media day takes place in a ballroom where only print media and newspapers can conduct interviews. Reporters from Knoxville to the Birmingham News and other websites spoke to Chancellor and Hightower.

We quickly departed the hotel after 12 p.m. to beat the weather back to Baton Rouge. We made it safely back and it was certainly a very productive day for LSU. With the men's team coming off an SEC title and the women's team picked to win the 2010 title, media attention is at an all-time high for LSU.

For the complete press release on SEC Tipoff 2010:
http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=204819162

Filed under  //  Media   Van Chancellor  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Bill "THE THRILL" Martin

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BOB STARKEY (9-22-09):

One of the things I'm excited about in regard to this blog is the ability to introduce people to some of the best support staff in the nation. One of those guys is Bill "The Thrill" Martin -- our sports information director. Bill is one of those tireless guys that greatly cares about our sport and works hard to make sure the information on the Lady Tigers gets out there. Like today, while the rest of us got in the office today to get some work done, Bill was on a plane with Coach Chancellor and Allison Hightower to Birmingham, Alabama for the SEC Media Day. Bill will be a constant contributor on this blog and you will love his insight. In fact, you will get a taste later tonight as he writes about his trip.

 

Here is a few notes from LSUSports.net: http://bit.ly/4gfMe7

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Lady Tigers Launches GPA Program

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COACH STARKEY (10-22-09):
A new element of our program's community outreach program this year is our partnership with the East Baton Rouge Parish School system. We have initiated GPA (which stands for Goals, Perserverance, and Achievement). There are many components to the program which we will talk about throughout the year but one of the main ones is having local elementary schools "adopt" a player from our team. That player than visits the school at various times to mentor the students and help with other school projects. Today was the first day and are first Lady Tiger representatives were Adrienne Webb (Highland Elementary), Destini Hughes (Park Elementary) and LaSondra Barrett who joined with Temeka Johnson to visit Scotlandville Elementary. Our young ladies did a great job today and we are really proud to have them give back on a day off -- but it is THE LADY TIGER WAY!

 

Filed under  //  Community  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Good Practices!

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DESTINI HUGHES (10-21-09):

The practices have been really intense. The coaches are definitely making sure they hold us accountable in achieving our team goals in every aspect of the game. Our team is constantly improving in different areas, but we still have a long way to go. Practices are more demanding this year because we expect to go a lot farther than we did last year, and our coaching staff is doing an excellent job in making sure we get there. Tomorrow we have a day off and we are ready for one but we will be back at work on Friday!

 

Filed under  //  Player's Post  
Posted by Bill Martin  

OUR TEAM GOALS

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ANDREA KELLY (10-21-09):
Last week the team got together in the locker room to establish our team goals for this upcoming year. Our mission was to come up with goals that were process oriented, goals that we can hold each other accountable for each and every day, instead of goals that were result oriented. As a team we came up with the following five goals:

CONCENTRATION
Focus
Fight fatigue
Details – the little things

MENTAL TOUGHNESS
Discipline
NBA (Next Best Action)

STAYING TOGETHER
Through the good and the bad
Unity/One Name
Respect each other

FINISH
At the end of game…at the end of practice
Effort
Communication

CONSISTENCY
Practice…free throws…shooting
Offense & Defense
Effort
Communication
Rebounding


Each and everyone of us contributed to these goals in one way or another and likewise, we will hold each other accountable towards them. I'm excited for the journey and the joy that will come along with it, if as a team we can live out what we talked about!

Filed under  //  Player's Post  
Posted by Bill Martin  

BOOGIE GARNERS PRE-SEASON HONOR

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We can't forget to give a shout out to LaSondra "Boogie" Barrett who also was named to the second team Pre-Season All-SEC team and recieved a vote for Player of the Year!

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Posted by Bill Martin  

KG the Warrior

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COACH STARKEY (9-20-09):

We are coming up on our first day off this Thursday and I think our players are probably looking forward to it. Today marked our 6th practice in five days and they've been hard, grueling workouts. The play has been physical as players compete for playing time. Our two most consistent perimeter players at this point have been Allison Hightower and Katherine Graham. I mean they bring it from the first drill to the last. They not only play hard but they play smart. Of course, Ally is a senior and KG a junior so they know our system but the way we play is very demanding mentally as well as physically. On Monday, KG was battling for a rebound with Swayze Black and there was a collision -- post player won that one! (that was an inside joke for KG). Anyway, she took a pretty good shot in the eye. Micki (Collins) was concerned there might be fracture around the eye socket so she took her for an xray and everything was fine.

 

Posted by Bill Martin  

HOT OFF THE PRESSES!!!

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Allison Hightower has been named the SEC Pre-Season Player of the Year! No player has worked as hard or is so deserving!

Allison Hightower was a unanimous choice on the All-SEC First Team, joining Georgia’s Ashley Houts and Angel Robinson, Mississippi State’s Alexis Rack and Tennessee’s Shekinna Stricklen. LaSondra Barrett earned a spot on the second team with Arkansas’ Ceira Ricketts, Ole Miss’ Bianca Thomas, Tennessee’s Angie Bjorklund and Vanderbilt’s Merideth Marsh.

Hightower, a native of Arlington, Texas, led the Lady Tigers in six categories a season ago and was fifth in the SEC in points per game with 14.9. She heads into her senior on watch lists for the Wade Trophy and John Wooden Award as a candidate for 2010 National Player of the Year.

Hightower is only the second player in school history to earn Preseason Player of the Year honors by the media and the first since Seimone Augustus. Augustus was tabbed as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year in 2004, ’05 and ’06. Augustus, like Hightower, earned 18 votes in the 2006 voting.

Get more from at: http://bit.ly/49DPhd

Filed under  //  Media  
Posted by Bill Martin  

BOOGIE GAINS EXPERIENCE WITH USA BASKETBALL TEAM THIS SUMMER

Via Michael Lambart (LSU Reveille):


The trophy room in LSU sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett’s Jackson, Miss., house is getting crowded.

Barrett won two-straight Class 5A state championships for William B. Murrah High School, and she was a McDonald’s and EA Sports All-American in 2008. The 6-foot-2-inch forward, nicknamed “Boogie,” made an instant impact for the LSU women’s basketball team her freshman season, finishing second on the team in scoring and claiming 2009 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year honors.

But the trophy room may need to be cleared for Barrett’s most prestigious award to date — a gold medal. Barrett made her mark internationally on USA Basketball Women’s U19 Team last summer, claiming the championship after beating Spain, 87-71, in Bangkok, Thailand.


“The experience was great,” Barrett said. “You are even more hungry to win since you are representing the United States. Winning a gold medal was the icing on the cake.”

The United States fell to Spain in its first game of the preliminary round but gained revenge in the title match.


“Spain beating us was a wake-up call,” Barrett said. “Our backs were against the wall. It was just about bouncing back and playing with our heart.”

The United States went on to beat China, Mali, Canada, Japan, Russia and France en route to the title.“Everyone wanted to beat the USA because we were the best,” Barrett said. “We peaked at about the right time.”

Barrett had a breakout game and scored her tournament-high 14 points to help the Unites States defeat Japan.

“I wasn’t much of a scorer — it was more defense and rebounding,” Barrett said. “Being a leader, being vocal — that was my role.”Barrett said she enjoyed the experience of playing for her country.

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/405fqA

Filed under  //  Team USA  
Posted by Bill Martin