By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – Before this basketball season started, LSU sophomore Flau’jae Johnson had high goals for incoming freshman Mikaylah Williams.
“She (Williams) told me she wanted to be the SEC Freshman of the Year,” said Johnson, last season’s league Freshman of the Year, said in October. “I told her she’s at a standard where she needs to be national Freshman of the Year.”
Williams will definitely be a first-team freshman All-American after the former Bossier City Parkway star was named on Tuesday as the SEC’s Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches.
LSU junior center Angel Reese was voted the SEC’s Player of the Year as well as All-SEC first team and to the All-SEC Defensive team.
LSU is the first team since South Carolina in 2015 to have players sweep the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.
Also, LSU junior forward Aneesah Morrow was named All-SEC first team, Johnson was named second team and Williams was on the All-Freshmen team along with Aalyah Del Rosario.
Williams, who was voted 2022 and 2023 Miss Louisiana Basketball and was the 2023 Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year while leading Parkway to a state title, has made a seamless transition to the college level.
“I just want to play effective basketball while I’m on the floor,” said Williams, who’s averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists. “It all starts with practice. You practice is how you play.”
Reese is on the All-SEC first team for the second consecutive season and is leading the league in scoring (19.1 ppg) and rebounding (13 rpg). She’s the only SEC player ever besides Vanderbilt’s Wendy Scholtens in 1989 and 1990 to lead the league in both statistical categories multiple seasons.
“Coming here, I didn’t know I was going to win a national championship,” said Reese, who led LSU to the national title in her first season after transferring from Maryland. “I just wanted to come here for a fresh start.
“Coach (Kim) Mulkey helped me with my game. I’ve had amazing teammates. I feel like everything just came together on the right time. God put me in a place where everything just came as a blessing and I just can’t thank LSU enough for just being able to put me in a position like that.”
Morrow, who transferred to LSU this season from DePaul, is averaging 16.7 points (No. 6 in the SEC) and 10.0 rebounds per game (No. 5 in the SEC).
“I try to be as consistent as I possibly can every day,” said Morrow, who’s seventh nationally in double-doubles with 18. “I’m a double-double machine and I’ve done that since my freshman year. Coming here to LSU, it was my goal to improve defensively.”
Johnson, LSU’s most improved player from a year ago, has become the Tigers’ best all-around competitor.
“I’ve learned different ways to finish (plays), not just running in there,” said Johnson who’s averaging 14.5 points, 5 rebounds and 1.4 steals. “Stop-and-pop, using my Euro (step). It’s taking what the defense gives you.”
Del Rosario became LSU’s first post-option off the bench when sophomore Sa’Myah Smith sustained a season-ending knee injury in November.
“For me, it’s just about progress compared to the beginning of the season,” Del Rosario said. “When I came here, I wasn’t in the best of shape. I feel like now, with support from my teammates and coaching staff, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been.”
Dawn Staley of No. 1 ranked and unbeaten South Carolina was named the league’s Coach of the Year. Gamecocks’ center Kamilla Cardoso was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
South Carolina (29-0, 16-0 SEC) which won the SEC regular season title for the third consecutive season, heads into this week’s league tourney in Greenville, S.C. as the No. 1 seed. The Gamecocks have won seven of the last nine SEC tourneys.
LSU (26-4, 13-3 SEC) is the No. 2 seed for the third consecutive year. Ole Miss (22-7, 12-4 SEC) is the No. 3 seed and Alabama (23-8, 10-8 SEC) is the fourth seed.
The Gamecocks, Tigers, Rebels and Crimson Tide all have double-byes and don’t play until Friday’s quarterfinals. LSU plays Friday at 5 p.m. CT vs. the winner of Thursday’s Auburn vs. Arkansas game.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com