LEAVING A LEGACY

Excuse me, if you don't mind me drifting from the beaten path this morning, but thought I would take a little different direction on my blog with some commentary about a special group of young ladies -- the 2012 Senior Class of the LSU Lady Tigers.  Last night LaSondra Barrett, Swayze Black, Destini Hughes, Courtney Jones and Taylor Turnbow battled one last time together, as Lady Tigers.  The result was a hard-fought 90-80 loss to #11th ranked Penn State.

You could frame the accomplishments of these five special ladies by looking at their record on the court and come away being impressed.  They posted an overall 82-45 record, averaging over 20 wins a season, playing in the tough SEC along with competing against the nation's best in non-conference play.  They averaged over 9 SEC wins a year.  Their SEC total over 4 years sits at 37 wins, topped only by Tennessee with 52 and Vanderbilt with 38.Without question, LSU's SID Bill Martin could real off a lot of team and individual accomplishments. But those outstanding numbers don't begin to weave the proper story of their achievements. 

I had the privilege of coaching this group for three years at LSU and one of our constant themes throughout the years was "Leaving a Legacy."  It was a concept that started with our Final Four runs through the work of Felicia Hall Allen who came to work with our teams.  She did an amazing job because the players grabbed that concept -- it meant a lot to them in terms of how each group of seniors left the program for the next season.

Boogie, Swayze, Destini, Courtney and Taylor came to LSU in a great time of turmoil.  Our program was climbing out of a scandal and we were looking for talented basketball players and quality people to help rebuild.  We had a new staff and were graduating nine seniors.  We weren't looking for a few recruits -- we were looking for an entire team -- the new future of Lady Tiger Basketball.

They weren't the only five we signed that year -- but they are the ones who stayed and cemented their legacy.

What makes these young ladies special is that they took a chance on LSU...they said that despite the adversity and challenges they "wanted to be Lady Tigers!"  And for that, I -- and a lot of other LSU alumni and fans -- will be forever grateful.

And they hit the ground running!  Their first game wearing the LSU uniform we played nationally ranked Notre Dame with two of them starting and all five playing significant minutes.  Other non-conference games their freshman year included nationally ranked Xavier, Florida State and Nebraska.  And then there was a trip to Connecticut on national television -- a close game until the final minutes before losing by 13.

There was a five-game winning streak to close out the SEC portion of play including a victory over Tennessee.  A first-round NCAA win over Wisconsin-Green Bay was followed by a close loss to eventual Final Four team Louisville.

It was an amazing season for a group of freshman!

But again, that's only part of the story.  They have all gone through personal adversity on and off the court.  They are separately unique individuals.  Boogie is an amazingly competitive person with a great basketball IQ.  Swayze is an amazing athlete but an incredible teammate that might be the most admired among the group.  Courtney has a charming personality and enthusiasm on and off the court that can be contagious.  Destini is a very spiritual person that cares deeply about people (and animals).  Taylor is a unique young lady that cares more about playing defense than being a scorer. A common denominator? They all came from great families -- that makes a difference!

Together you have five outstanding students.  Some graduated early -- the rest will graduate this spring.  No discipline problems. They care about each other.  They have a great appreciation for the alumni whom steps they have followed in.  They were wonderful in community service.  They respected and loved the great fans of LSU.

They are now alums!  When you look to the rafters of the PMAC, this class will not have hung a Final Four banner but I guarantee that the next time it does happen, I hope that someone mentions the role of these five seniors.  They will have been the glue in a tumultuous time.  Just as Katrina Hibbert, Latasha Dorsey, Marie Ferdinand, Elaine Powell, Keia Howell, Cornelia Gayden, and many more never hung a a Final Four banner -- they created a culture of excellence and started the legacy that lead to the Final Fours.

I am very proud of all five -- not just as basketball players -- but as young women!  Your legacy will live forever!

I am also thankful for the current LSU staff who came in and blended them in such a way that they could finish out their careers with a very successful season. 

One of the things that we've always tried to impress with any team we've coached is that down the road you won't recall the scores of games or the total of victories you acquired, but you will remember the life lessons learned and the relationships you developed.  I thought I'd close with a few words from Boogie at last night's post-game press conference:

"I am extremely proud of our team to battle all the adversity that has been sent our way and for pulling through. To me it is a lot bigger than basketball, it is more personal with these girls because of the relationship we have and knowing that everyone's heart is in it. I don't look at my senior season being defined by a Penn State loss, I look at all of the other stuff whether it was us having to battle after Destini's (Hughes) injury or me having to play point guard or all the other personal stuff we had to go through. Those things are what I look at and those are what I will remember as highlights in my future."

-LaSonrda "Boogie" Barrett