There have been plenty of on the fly adjustments this season for the Tiger womenâs basketball program. One such adjustment has involved a lack of depth at the guard position, and to help address this, coach Kim Mulkey discussed a possible change in roles for LSU guard Hailey Van Lith.
Depth issues have forced LSU guard Hailey Van Lith into unfamiliar territory
Entering the 2023-24 womenâs basketball season, depth looked like it could be a strength for the Tigers. With plenty of returning production as well as tons of new additions, it seemed as though they had the potential to go as far as nine or 10 deep.
However, following a series of injuries and off-court issues, the purple and gold are down to just a seven, maybe eight-deep rotation, which can make things difficult during a long season.
The Tigers have seen plenty of improvement from several players, which not only helps the team add depth, but it may even give specific players a chance to move into a much more natural role.
One such player is Hailey Van Lith, who for the most part has served the role of primary ball-handler throughout 2023-24. In turn, she currently leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game.
As good as sheâs been, itâs important to note that sheâs not exactly playing in her most natural role. In her three seasons with the Louisville Cardinals, she played much more of an off-ball role, and in turn she was consistently one of the best scorers in the country.
For the sake of comparison, in 2022-23, Van Lith led the Cardinals in scoring with 19.7 points per game, while sheâs currently averaging just around 11.3 per game this season.
Role adjustments not out of the realm of possibilities for the 2023 transfer addition
Important to note is that her drop in production isnât due to a lack of ability to continue scoring at her Louisville rate. Instead, it has to do with the fact that sheâs more of a passer in 2023-24 and there are plenty of elite scorers on the LSU womenâs basketball team.
Still, according to coach Kim Mulkey, we could see an adjustment in this role as the season goes on. When asked about Van Lith and her potential as a primary scoring option, the Tiger head coach seemed more than excited about the idea of it.
âYes!â Coach Mulkey said to start things off earlier today. âYes, if (Last-Tear) Poa gets on track. Haileyâs natural position is off-guard, and boy, if Poa gets on track and can do that? Absolutely. And that would give you three or four rotations on the wing. Certainly. Absolutely.â
Despite averaging more than 10 minutes less than Van Lith, Poa has shown more and more consistency as a passer throughout the year, recording 3.3 assists per game.
If that kind of trajectory continues for the junior guard out of Melbourne, it could not only mean an increase in minutes for her, but it could also mean more time as an off-guard for senior Hailey Van Lith.
With only eight games remaining this regular season, it will be interesting to keep an eye on what coach Kim Mulkey does with the guard rotation over the next few games. The Tigers will take on Florida this Sunday, February 4, at 1:00 p.m. CST in Baton Rouge and will be available to watch live on ESPN.
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