BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU's new women's basketball coach isn't
getting an easy start. Pokey Chatman is getting the start she
chose: the toughest schedule she's ever faced as a coach.
"We sat down as a staff and thought this would be the best way
to prepare this experienced team and the incoming freshman,"
Chatman said.
The Lady Tigers ended last season with their first Final Four.
They're starting this one as host of the Women's Sports Foundation
Tip-Off Classic, also featuring Maine, Arizona State and Virginia.
LSU, 27-8 last season, participates in three other tournaments
or one-game events -- all on the road -- and make nonconference trips
to Temple, Minnesota, UC-Santa Barbara and Rutgers.
The Lady Tigers are set to meet No. 10 Baylor in the State Farm
Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic at noon, Nov. 14 in Austin, Texas, on
the ESPN2 -- the first of three national television appearances
during the regular season.
LSU also faces Maryland, the team they eliminated in the second
round of the NCAA Tournament last season, in the first game of the
Coors Classic Nov. 26 at Colorado University.
Instead of a predominately home-friendly schedule during the
month of December, LSU travels to Springfield, Mo. to take part in
the Triple Crown Classic where a crowd of 10,000 is expected the
watch the Lady Tigers take on Southwest Missouri State. The trip is
sandwiched in between LSU's first visit to Final Four participant
Minnesota on Dec. 14 for another national TV appearance on ESPN2.
Following their game with Southwest Missouri State the Lady Tigers
meet UC-Santa Barbara Dec. 21 in a rematch with a team that pushed
them to three overtimes two years ago.
"December is sometimes a friendly month for most institutions,
but not for us," said Chatman, whose team will host Texas State on
Dec. 30. "It's the perfect compliment to the returning players,
the incoming players and where we want to go with this basketball
program."
LSU is set for a pair of prime-time TV appearances during the
Southeastern Conference portion of its schedule. They will also
appear on three regional Fox Sports Network telecasts during its
14-game SEC schedule.
The Lady Tigers host Georgia Jan. 8 on CBS and Tennessee Feb. 10
on ESPN2 -- a pair of programs that are expected to be ranked among
the nation's top 10 teams.
LSU defeated Georgia to reach the Final Four last season before
losing to Tennessee in the national semifinal at the New Orleans
Arena.
The Lady Tigers have a total of 10 games at home and an 11th --
against Southern Mississippi scheduled for the Houma Civic Center
on Nov. 21.
"This is going to be the best preparation for that (SEC
schedule) by taking on this schedule and taking this show on the
road," Chatman said. "It's the perfect challenge for this
particular team."
LSU returns four starters from last year's team, including first
team Kodak All-American Seimone Augustus and All-SEC point guard
Temeka Johnson. The Lady Tigers also welcome the program's highest
regarded signing class with the arrival of three Parade
All-Americans, a group that includes Southern Lab guard Quianna
Chaney and 6-foot-6 center Sylvia Fowles.
"These are the things you long for and they're finally here,"
Chatman said. "The thing I like it's going to be exciting for our
fans to come and see a seasoned team get challenged from Day One.
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