LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey saw her team return to action for the first time since sending them on a soul searching break.
The Tigers returned to the court for the first time since the mini-Christmas break against Albany Great Danes in a contest that had considerable pressure on the LSU players, none more so than from their coach who has been far from pleased with the teams defensive work this season.
Following the Tigers’ 91-73 win over UIC, marking the 10th win of the season by at least 15 points, Mulkey sent the players on a mini-holiday, believing that they needed to do some soul searching before they could wrap up their nonconference slate and jump into Southeastern Conference play.
LSU looked set to be heading for a 20-point victory until a late basket turned the result into an 18-point win. Mulkey was left frustrated with the play and slammed the defense in a damning interview with LSUs radio broadcast. “Our team, honestly, they don’t take pride in it. They think they’re just good enough to outscore everybody. And defense is work. Defense is something you have to commit to.
“We’ve got to get better defensively,” Mulkey added. “We just don’t defend like it matters. We defend like we’re better than you, and we’re going to outscore you, and that just bothers me. I’m supposed to be happy because it’s Christmas, right? I’m just too competitive. I know what we face when we come back, when we start SEC play, and some of them in there need to do some soul searching.”
Mulkey still hasnt let up on the teams defense upon their return against Albany. We’ve got to get back to being a better defensive team, Mulkey said. That team is averaging five 3s a game, and we allowed them to have 11. How did that happen? We could not stop the point guard or anybody on the perimeter from dribble penetration. That’s just effort. That’s speed. That’s quickness.
The record-breaking coach added: You work on it when you get back from the holidays. You make it important. You have all of them buy into it and get in a stance.
Despite the 22-point win, it was far from a comfortable watch throughout for Mulkey and the Tigers coaching team with LSU trailing 25-16 at the end of the first quarter and finding themselves behind at half-time. But a second-half comeback and a dominant fourth quarter sealed the win for the No. 6 Baton Rogue team.
“We’re not going to be the type of team that blows people out,” Mulkey told reporters following the win over the Danes. “Got too many new pieces. We have roles that have now changed. The longer we play together, the better we will get. We will see better teams in the SEC. I’m always going to have concerns.”
Mulkey dampened expectations as she admitted that the arrival of new players will take time to bed in. “In some respects, we’ve created a monster here and people expect you to blow people out. It’s just not going to happen every year. It’s not going to be that you’re going to be up 40 at halftime anymore. That’s because of a lot of things. Because of new personnel, but it’s also the opponent,” Mulkey said.
“What you try to do is be a realist and go, ‘what is fair for that particular team that particular year?’ We just got to get better, we got to win the ones we’re supposed to win, every now and then upset those you’re not supposed to beat. Compete and be in ballgames. It’s going to be fun.”
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