Nikki Caldwell Joins SEC Webcast at SEC Spring Meetings In Destin
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.”
