The Reveille 2-26-24

2 THE 2 THE

FUTURE FUTURE

Mike Williams helps lead LSU’s rebuild.

IT UP

Freshman Mike Williams III leads LSU men’s hoops into the future

BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4

The second of five children, it shouldn’t surprise you that Mike Williams III is used to competition.

For years when they were younger, Williams and his three brothers couldn’t even play oneon-one basketball without it turning into a heated exchange.

“Every single time,” Williams said. “It was never not a fight.”

That suited Williams, though: he’s always been a fighter.

Some players have spotless high school resumes devoid of losses or significant hardship, but not Williams. His teams were talented, but their level of competition made for a constant uphill battle.

So when Williams came to LSU, he already had plenty of experience fighting long odds. Even as a freshman, he’s brought perspective and stability to a team and a program that needed it.

Ask Williams what kind of player he is, and he’ll tell you he’s a junkyard dog. He’s the kind of player who makes you feel him on defense, always wants to guard the other team’s best player and never backs down from a challenge.

He’s had to be, because the odds have frequently been stacked against him.

‘He’s a builder’

The walls of Dan Prete’s office, Williams remembers, were adorned with wood-framed images of his former players, evidence of a career spent molding future Division I athletes and professional stars in both the NBA and abroad.

Among them were Kevin Durant, Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez, all NBA players who started their careers at Montrose Christian School in North Bethesda, Maryland, where Prete was the associate head coach from 2001-2013.

Williams would pick Prete’s brain about these players, hoping to learn from them, emulate them, find out what made them successful, in hopes of one day joining them on the wall. Prete said they had the same thing in common: a willingness to work.

After his stay at Montrose, Prete eventually wound up as the head coach at Bishop Walsh School, a small Catholic school in the declining town of Cumberland, Maryland. It was on the verge of closure when he arrived in 2018. Its basketball team was far from nationally relevant.

“When I got up there, they didn’t even have uniforms,” Prete said.

In Prete’s first few seasons, he was faced with revamping the program and saw some moderate success, with a 20-8 record in his first year. As an accomplished and well-known coach, Prete’s

presence was enough to draw in quality players, even international students.

In 2021, Prete used his connections to get Bishop Walsh invited to the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference, a newlyestablished eight-team league of the best high school basketball programs in the country, including IMG Academy, Montverde and Oak Hill.

The opportunity to play on the biggest stage in high school basketball — the NIBC was partnered with ESPN, and all of its games would be streamed on the platform — was enticing to many athletes, including Williams, who transferred to Bishop Walsh for his junior season.

Bishop Walsh, though, was out of its depth as a building program going against perennial national powerhouses. The team was younger and had a tighter budget than its opponents.

“The guys that we were playing against, they were already up there, established, five stars, stuff like that,” Williams said. “We’re going in there with just a bunch of unknown people.”

As a result, Bishop Walsh went just 2-20 in the NIBC during Williams’ two years, but there were plenty of close games, opportunities that slipped through its fingers.

“You know, you’re losing by six with six minutes left against the No. 2 team in the country and you lose by 16. You were right there,” Prete said. “But that’s the beginning of a program.”

According to Prete, it was difficult to motivate the team in the face of the reality of being outmatched. Williams led the team to keep at it; he had a coach’s mind and was able to understand that the grueling NIBC was making

the team better as players and as individuals.

“He’s not scared of a challenge,” Prete said. “He’s a builder.”

Bishop Walsh never stopped fighting, and, in the final game of the NIBC slate in his senior season, Williams helped orchestrate a win over Oak Hill with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Williams finished his senior year leading the NIBC with three steals per game and ranking fourth with 14.6 points, a result of hard work in the gym that didn’t stop once the season ended.

After the close of his senior season, with his classmates all taking it easy en route to graduation, Williams continued to meet one-on-one with Prete to work on his game.

He never had to be told to put in time in the gym, but Prete helped him channel that time more intentionally into what he needed to work on. Williams responded positively, always.

“‘What’s next, coach?’” Williams would say, according to Prete. “‘Give me more, coach. I’ll see you tomorrow, right, coach?’”

Without that eagerness to get better, Williams wouldn’t have been able to withstand such daunting circumstances at Bishop Walsh. He’d never get close to sharing the wall with Durant and Ross and Vasquez, who all had the same “give me more” attitude. ‘It was like the same situation all over again’

Williams was getting recruiting buzz before he transferred to Bishop Walsh from Calvert Hall, where he spent his first two years of high school, but that new exposure gave him more prominence.

In his commitment announcement, streamed live by 247Sports

in November 2022, Williams, a four-star prospect, said he was hearing from at least 25 different colleges daily.

The pitch that stood out was Matt McMahon and LSU’s. McMahon gave Williams a specific vision for him and pointed out things he should work on, all while staying remarkably candid.

“He never promised me anything, I can say that,” Williams said. “I respected that.”

Williams didn’t balk at the challenge of coming to LSU, a program still reeling from recruiting violations and the departure of former head coach Will Wade. He didn’t reconsider after the Tigers won just two games in conference play in McMahon’s first year.

LSU was at a clear disadvantage as a team working to lay a foundation while competing against the best of the best. Williams, though, knew a thing or two about being in those circumstances.

“Us being a new team going into, you know, a big stage,” Williams said. “The SEC is one of the biggest stages if not the biggest stage in college basketball, so it kind of was almost like the same situation all over again.”

When the season rolled around, Williams was surprisingly named the starting point guard. Former Tulane guard Jalen Cook was expected to man the spot, but as a two-time transfer, he was initially ruled ineligible.

In Williams’ first game, an exhibition match against Louisiana Christian, he had seven assists and no turnovers, displaying his ability to be unselfish and get others involved.

Another thing that stood out

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

LSU men’s basketball freshman guard Mike Williams III (2) reaches for the ball during LSU’s 89-80 win against Ole Miss on Jan. 17 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

ELIMINATING PAROLE

With GOP in charge, Louisiana House mmakes sweeping changes

BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE—Louisiana, which tops lists for both incarceration and crime, moved Friday toward almost entirely eliminating parole and dramatically shrinking good-behavior sentence reductions.

The House passed a slew of bills by Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, the new chair of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice, who has seized the opportunity provided by a unified, GOP-controlled Legislature that had been tempered for eight years by former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.

“For those of you who believe parole should be considered for a person 18 years or older who commits a heinous crime for which the sentence of life is imposed,” Villio said at one hearing, “there’s likely very little I can say to you to make a difference. We simply disagree — philosophically.”

Newly elected Republican Gov. Jeff Landry opened the special crime session Monday with a fiery speech lambasting what he called “radical activists hard at work to

JUSTICE SYSTEM

The sunset illuminates a side of the State Capitol on July 12 in Baton Rouge, La. empty our prisons” and a criminal justice system that has forgotten victims. Since then, lawmakers have raced to undo changes in the criminal justice made on a bipartisan basis in 2017 to incarcerate fewer people convicted of nonviolent crimes and reduce state spending on incarceration.

The House approved the chang-

es sought by Landry despite droves of opponents who have voiced concerns that the bills would be costly and fail to deter crime. The 2017 reforms saved the state an estimated $152.7 million from that October to June 2022, according to a review by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.

One Republican who took cen-

PERSCHALL

ter stage Friday was Villio, who has focused on crime since she arrived at the Capitol in 2020. She passed a measure in 2022 that would have limited parole opportunities for some felons, but it was vetoed by Edwards, who called it a rollback of the 2017 reforms.

see POLITICS, page 4

LSU Athletics, Greek life win big

BY GRACELYN FARRAR @gracelynfarrar

The LSU Board of Supervisors held its first meeting of the semester early Friday, voting to approve a variety of investments affecting multiple parts of the LSU community.

Athletics

Nobody had a better day at the meeting than LSU Athletics, which walked away with several key wins including the most high-profile vote of the day: renovations to Alex Box Stadium.

Home to the reigning national champion baseball team, the stadium is to receive an additional 160 seats, and its home and visitor bullpens will be relocated. The estimated $3 million improvements will be paid for by the Tiger Athletic Foundation, which raises funds through private donations. The renovations will begin in June and are expected to be completed by February 2025.

see FUNDING, page 4

Students make a difference working with Tiger Prison Project

BY COURTNEY BELL @courtbell09

Tiger Prison Project works to educate LSU students on prison reform and mobilize them to advocate for those affected by the prison system.

“Tiger Prison Project is a student coalition dedicated to ending mass incarceration, improving the lives of which it has affected and promoting fair and effective alternatives,” its website reads. “Our vision is to ensure a fair and just future for all Louisianans through education, advocacy and mobilization.”

TPP has been part of LSU’s campus since 2019. Students formed the organization to teach others about the prison system and provide an outlet for activism through volunteer work. Meetings are every two weeks and often feature speakers who tell stories about their personal experiences with the prison system.

Sydney Whitfield, an international studies and global diplomacy senior, serves as the organization’s director of education and grant coordination.

“TPP is a one-of-a-kind organization on LSU’s campus, because we are able to mobilize people from diverse walks of life around an issue that affects our commu-

nity on an individual, local, state and national level,” Whitfield said.

As part of its volunteer work in the community, TPP partners with the Louisiana Parole Project, a Baton Rouge organization supporting people who were incarcerated in state systems for 20 years or more as they acclimate to life outside prison.

“They’re a great organization,” said TPP’s director of outreach, public relations senior Jami Gwyn.

As a student organization, there’s only so much it can do, Gwyn added, but the Parole Project helps TPP get hands-on with prison reform.

Apart from the group’s biweekly meetings, TPP helps the Parole Project, too. At weekly, on-campus workshops, TPP members assist Parole Project participants with everything from resume building to transportation.

Gianna Thornhill, a Spanish senior, is TPP’s president. Since joining the group, she said, she’s learned a lot about the prison system and the realities of incarceration. She’s also observed how fellow students and members of the community band together on prison reform.

“I can see firsthand that there are people who actually care

about this, who are very educated about this, so it gives me a lot of relief,” Thornhill said. “And I hope that it gives other people relief to know that there is a community of people who are working really hard.”

Thornhill said she’s looking forward to the organization’s plans for the semester, which will include an informational tour of the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. She encourages students interested in learning about the prison sys -

tem to join TPP and check out the unique opportunity.

“I hope that people who have not encountered the prison system that much have their eyes opened to what it is and how it’s functioned here in Louisiana for so long,” Thornhill said. “I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about prison and people who have been to prison.”

Gwyn also emphasized the importance of learning about the realities of the prison system and how this can empower students to

create change, especially in a state with high incarceration rates.

“Us educating them and sharing these people’s stories outside of LSU, I want [students] to take away that there’s so much more that you can do with your lives,” Gwyn said. “You can really make a difference everywhere.”

Interested students can get involved with TPP through Instagram (@tigerprisonproject) and TikTok (@tiger.prison.project) or join the organization through TigerLink.

MATTHEW

/ The Reveille

Coates Hall sits in the Quad Feb. 15 on LSU’s campus

Louisiana’s crawfish industry seeks relief after 2023 drought

BY ASHLYNN BAILLIO @ashlynnbaillio

Louisiana’s crawfish industry, a vital part of the state’s agricultural landscape and cultural heritage, is in turmoil in 2024.

The industry, already grappling with the aftermath of a severe drought in 2023, has been further devastated by a recent freeze, leading to widespread concerns among farmers and lawmakers about the future of this iconic industry.

In a letter to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. underscored the gravity of the situation.

“The 2023 drought has led to an alarming decrease in crawfish production across approximately 45,000 acres of ponds,” Higgins wrote. “This has been compounded by a recent freeze event, worsening challenges faced by our farmers.”

The LSU AgCenter estimated potential losses to be nearly $140 million due to the combined effects of the drought and freeze, representing a substantial portion of the state’s $230 million crawfish industry.

The crisis facing the crawfish

industry is part of a broader challenge affecting Louisiana’s agricultural sector.

“That was a component of a $1.7 billion economic impact to all of Agriculture and Forestry,” said Kurt Guidry, an economist at the LSU AgCenter.

Guidry said the excessive heat and drought conditions in 2023 impacted approximately 30% of the agricultural industry, with crawfish producers among the hardest hit.

The interconnectedness of agriculture in Louisiana means that the challenges crawfish farmers face also reverberate through other sectors, further emphasizing the need for swift and comprehensive support. For example, many crawfish farmers are also rice farmers and may suffer double losses, as they rely on crawfish revenue to offset their operational costs, Guidry said.

In West Baton Rouge Parish, a designated disaster area, crawfish producers are eligible for emergency assistance. However, there are challenges in proving production losses due to the unique nature of crawfish harvesting.

“Producers within West Baton Rouge Parish also have eligibility requirements. They have to prove,

through production records, that they had a certain level of production loss. Because we don’t harvest crawfish just once, but multiple times over about a five or six month period, determining how to prove that production loss is not as straightforward as for other crops,” Guidry said.

Unlike other crops, where production loss can be easily calculated after a single harvest, crawfish farmers must wait until the end of the normal production season to determine if they have had a production loss. This complexity adds to the challenges faced by crawfish producers in accessing emergency assistance and highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to supporting the industry.

“The 2023 drought has had a devastating impact on our crawfish farmers, leading to significant production losses,” Higgins wrote.

Higgins highlighted the need for changes to the current Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program criteria, which currently do not include drought conditions. He argued that updating the criteria to include drought would provide much-needed assistance to Louisiana’s farmers.

The LSU Board of Supervisors meets Feb. 23 in the University Administration Building on

Villio has sponsored bills this session that would eliminate parole, with narrow exceptions such as juvenile lifers, and slash goodbehavior sentence reductions to 15% from 65%. Another bill would require monitoring people who do get probation for longer periods and make it easier for judges to sanction people for probation violations.

Her proposals, House Bills 9 and 10, advanced 71-33 and 71-32, respectively, through the House along party lines, with Rep. Barbara Reich Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, voting with Democrats. Freiberg rejoined the Republicans on House Bill 11, which deals with probation.

Villio said her measures would bring “truth in sentencing,” meaning the time someone is sentenced to would be the time they serve. If passed by the Senate and signed by Landry, which is likely, the bills would only affect those who commit offenses on or after Aug. 1.

But opponents are concerned the public has not had enough time to vet the bills that will significantly reshape the criminal justice system. A group of activists filed a restraining order to slow the lightning-speed lawmaking, encouraging people to pack the 19th Judicial District Courthouse Friday morning in support.

Other criticisms originate from concerns that the bills do not address the root causes of crime. New Orleans Rep. Matthew Willard and

Producers in Acadia, Jefferson Davis and Vermillion parishes are experiencing a significant decline in crawfish prices. Earlier in the season, prices were as high as $7 to $8 per pound. However, due to a combination of factors, including increased production and limited consumer demand at such high prices, producers have been forced to reduce prices to around $5.50 per pound in a short period, Guidry said.

The crawfish industry plays

a significant role in Louisiana’s cultural identity and tourism. A decline in crawfish production can lead to fewer cultural events centered around crawfish, such as crawfish boils and festivals, which can, in turn, impact tourism and hospitality industries.

If the cascading effects of an ailing crawfish industry aren’t mitigated quickly, Louisiana’s economy and the long-term sustainability of its agricultural sector could be seriously threatened.

In another win for athletics, the board approved employment contracts for eight assistant football coaches, including Corey Raymond, who made his return to LSU in January from the University of Florida.

Greek Life

Greek row is expanding—that is, its houses are. Phi Mu is renovating its house for $3.9 million with anticipation of being ready for fall 2024. Delta Gamma is also making changes, with an $8.9-million expansion project for its house that is expected to be ready by end of spring 2025. During the wait, Delta Gamma will be subleasing the old Delta Kappa Epsilon house.

Theta Xi, which was suspended from LSU’s campus until Dec. 31, 2025, received approval to sublease

its house to Delta Tau Delta during the suspension.

Energy

The Future Use of Energy in Louisiana consortium was also recognized at the meeting for receiving a $160 million grant from the National Science Foundation, awarded to only 10 programs out of 700 applicants. FUEL, led by LSU, works with other universities and industries in Louisiana to research global energy expansion. Focuses include the development of clean energy, lowering carbon emissions and growing the state’s workforce.

“This is so exciting to see that LSU is leading in garnering our natural resources and our natural talent here in the state and in the industries who have invested here,” said board member Mary Werner.

The Board’s next meeting will be on April 26.

other Democrats pointed out that Louisiana simultaneously tops lists for incarceration rates and crime, suggesting a tougher approach will not fix the issue.

“It seems the heart of this is a lot of disagreement on what numbers show, and that is very unfortunate,” said Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans. “I think all of us agree that data is how we need to make decisions and not feelings.”

Critics have noted that those who are released on parole have lower recidivism rates than those who serve until the end of their sentences, about 5.2% compared to 13.8% in 2021, according to the most recent data available in the 2023 annual report from the state Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole.

Additionally, critics of Villio’s bills noted that it is difficult to earn parole. Out of 790 people who had parole hearings in 2023, 387 — slightly less than half — were approved, according to the board data.

Gov. Landry said incarcerated people getting reduced sentences for good behavior was like a “participation trophy for jail.” He said bills like Villio’s will incentivize inmates to complete re-entry programs and gain skills, while “preparing them to re-join society in a productive, safe and responsible manner.”

Others worried the elimination of parole would reduce defendants’ willingness to make plea deals, burdening the courts with more trials. It also would add to correc-

tions costs and make prisons more dangerous as incarcerated people lose hope of release.

“If you remove that hope, you’re going to have more bloodshed in these prisons,” said Rep. Ed Larvadain III, D-Alexandria, “and you’re not going to have anybody who wants to work in them.”

Beatrice Taylor knows that hope personally. She served 23 years in prison for killing a man who abused her and was released on probation in her 70s, she testified in a committee hearing Wednesday

“Please don’t sever the only line of hope. Offenders can be educated now,” Taylor said. “Please don’t take away the hope of hardworking women and men.”

Madison Maronge and Piper Naudin contributed to this report.

FUNDING, from page 3

GRACELYN FARRAR/ The Reveille

LSU’s campus.

COURTSY OF FLICKR

Boiled crawfish.

POLITICS, from page 3

BY CAMILLE MILLIGAN @camillemill33

FEBRUARY

LSU men’s basketball vs. Georgia Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Though they don’t serve tacos at the PMAC, you can still enjoy a makeshift taco Tuesday by ordering some stadium nachos and watching the LSU Tigers compete against the Georgia Bulldogs at 6 p.m in the PMAC.

Want to see your event in the Reveille? Email information to editor@lsu.edu.

TUESDAY AT 6 P.M. 27 TH FEBRUARY

Black History Trivia

Capitol Park Museum

Grab some friends and head to downtown Baton Rouge’s Capitol Park Museum at 6 p.m. to participate in Black History trivia for free. The trivia will focus on Black history and culture in Louisiana.

FEBRUARY THURSDAY AT 4 P.M.

29TH

Happy Hour Crafts & Cocktails

DIY Disco

P.M.

Connecting community development with artistic culture

BY TOREY BOVIE @toeyb12

The LSU Museum of Art hosted its monthly installment of “Art at Lunch” on Wednesday with the chief operating officer of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge.

“Art at Lunch” is a event where speakers are invited to share their knowledge on a variety of topics pertaining to the arts. Guests are supplied with water and soda, all they have to do is bring lunch and talk. Luke St. John McKnight, COO of the Arts Council, broke down the effects artistic culture can have on Baton Rouge residents and the community in his presentation.

He said incorporating art into community building can lead to a greater sense of health, well being and even economic growth.

“One of the primary ways arts and culture strengthen communities is by fostering a sense of identity and belonging,” McKnight said.

McKnight said art allows for individuals of a community to see themselves reflected back, admired and acknowledged. This not only increases mental and physical health, he said, but boosts civic pride as well.

This cultivated identity can

also be leveraged by local governments, McKnight said. He said local art becomes embedded into a city’s personality, which can then be promoted to the rest of the state, country and world. For example, murals around neighborhoods.

Unique and vibrant areas tend to boost tourism and social engagement, he said. However, government planning and decision making must incorporate arts and culture for this promotional collateral to be created authentically.

“Collaboration between arts administrators, artists and policy makers is crucial to secure funding, develop infrastructure and prioritize cultural growth,” McKnight said.

Gerri Hobdy, owner of the consulting firm Pleroma and attendee of the presentation, said it’s important that we hear the voices of community and arts leaders.

“We have to continue to share with one another,” she said.

McKnight began his presentation and speech by letting the audience know that his key points not only came from research, but his life experiences as well.

“I’m a native son of Baton Rouge steeped in the African American experience, with the Black church as its community

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille Chief Operations Officer for the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge Luke St. John McKnight speaks Feb. 21 at the LSU Museum of Art in Baton Rouge, La.

anchor,” McKnight said.

He said his interest for the arts grew when he was in high school. His passions flourished through creative writing, music and theater at the Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts. He even went on to perform with artists such as rapper and music producer Lupe Fiasco.

McKnight said he realized the spaces that he used to perform in were always missing some -

thing on a cultural level. His next step was to curate spaces for artists to create openly and connect through culture, he said.

“Build The Fire” is a seasonal exhibition created by McKnight. It’s an event where artists from across different disciplines can gather and create together. Through planning and organizing, McKnight said he experienced how community connections can lead to increased well

being.

“Creating these events and curating these spaces not only connected attendees to one another, but also connected me to peers and mentors,” McKnight said.

Brandon V. Lewis, museum educator and public programs manager for the LSU Museum of Art, organized the event. Lewis said he has known McKnight for about 20 years. They both graduated from McKinley High School.

Lewis is also an artist and currently has an exhibit up in the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. The exhibit, titled “The Healing Power of Jazz,” will be up until September. Lewis said many people may not know about how the work McKnight is doing can help the community.

“Because so often, we highlight things that don’t have substance,” Lewis said, “Luke and his work has substance.”

McKnight said it’s his goal to ensure youth entering the arts don’t feel the way he did when he was going through his journey. There are physical, financial and cultural barriers that could make this process harder, he said.

McKnight said he will continue his work to show that arts education is not only for recreation, but for healing purposes as well.

IN THE ZONE

Photos by Matthew Perschall

LSU softball defeats Boise State in the Tiger Classic 8-5 on Feb. 23 at Tiger Park.

LSU softball senior outfielder/catcher Ali Newland (44) slides into second base.

LSU softball sophomore pitcher Emma Strood (5) throws the ball.

LSU softball graduate student infielder Taylor Pleasants (17) swings for the ball.

The LSU softball team meets on the mound.

LSU softball graduate student utility Karli Petty (14) stretches to catch the ball.

SPORTS

LSU women’s hoops comes away with 75-60 win over Tennessee

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8

Last time Kim Mulkey and her Tigers faced off with Tennessee, it ended with a two-point loss in the Sotheastern Conference Tournament.

This time around, however, LSU went to Knoxville and came away with a 75-60 win.

The Tigers were forced to adapt. Tennessee’s keys to victory were to limit LSU in the paint and keep the Tigers to a minimum at the foul line. In the first half, the Volunteers were successful in doing that.

With Tennessee coming within striking distance on several occasions in the second half, LSU was forced to extend its lead in small pieces to stay ahead and win the game.

LSU finished shooting 29-for-88 (33%) as a team, and 6-for-15 (40%) from three.

Hailey Van Lith kept LSU in front in the second half

Van Lith finished with a teamhigh 26 points, the most points she has scored since transferring to LSU.

The transfer guard from Louisville, Kentucky shot 9-for-18 from the field and 4-for-5 from three along with seven rebounds and three assists.

But Van Lith’s scoring production was most needed in the second half as Tennessee started to gain momentum. She scored 16 of her 26 points in the second half and

scored two for her four 3-pointers in the second half.

“Hailey has taken a lot of criticism, and it needs to stop. She’s learning a new position,” Mulkey said. “She made big shots when we needed them.”

Van Lith seemed to have perfect balance of playing the point, which is an adjustment from where she’s used to playing at Louisville, and also playing her game. While Van Lith was able to distribute the ball, she also took responsibility in providing scoring efficiency when the team needed it.

LSU’s fourth quarter surge

Van Lith helped LSU develop a surge of its own after being outscored in the third quarter. The Ti-

gers outscored Tennessee 27-15 in the fourth quarter, shot 45.5% from the field and 50% from three.

Mikaylah Williams had a helping hand in the fourth quarter as well. She finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, shooting 7-for-18 from the field and 1-for-5 from three. Six of her 15 points came in the fourth quarter.

Flau’jae Johnson was blank from behind the 3-point line, but regardless, she had an impact with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists. Five of her nine points came in the fourth quarter. Angel Reese was contained until she wasn’t

Tennessee’s priority was to con-

tain Angel Reese both all-around in the paint and at the foul line. In the first half, the Volunteers accomplished that.

But Reese found a window in the second half and took advantage. She finished the game with a double-double in 11 points and 16 rebounds, shooting 4-for-19 from the field and 3-for-6 from the foul line. Of her 11 points, eight of them came in the second half.

It took until just over seven minutes remaining in the second quarter for Reese to get on the board, a jumper that came from just outside the key. Reese first appeared at the foul line with just under two minutes in the second quarter, where she made one of two free throws.

Much of this is accredited to Tennessee center, Tamari Key, and her defensive efforts in the paint. Key finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

“Tamari Key is pretty tall. We knew she would be guarding Angel,” Mulkey said. “Her size altered shots.”

While Tennessee contained Reese’s scoring, her rebounding presence always remained forceful. Reese grabbed 16 of LSU’s 57 rebounds as a team.

Aneesah Morrow stepped up as much as possible given Tennessee’s efforts to control LSU’s scoring in the paint. She finished with eight points and 13 rebounds.

Tennessee’s big third quarter

The Volunteers’ scoring came alive in the third quarter, as they

cut LSU’s lead to as low as two points in the third quarter. Tennessee outscored the Tigers 19-10 in the third quarter, where LSU shot 4-for-18 as a team.

“In the third, we lost our composure a bit,” Mulkey said. “But Tennessee made us lose our composure. When you’re down, you play a little harder.”

However, Tennessee finished the game shooting 31% from the field, and just 16% from three. Of the team’s 18 attempted 3-pointers, they made three.

In addition to its lack of 3-point makes, Tennessee also had 10 turnovers compared to LSU’s seven. LSU outscored Tennessee 21-8 in fastbreak points, and 12-3 in points off of turnovers.

Obstacles like these stood in the Volunteer’s way to support its third quarter surge.

Rickea Jackson, who’s projected to be a top pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, finished with a teamhigh 16 points and nine rebounds. Of her 16 points, six came in the third quarter.

Tess Darby scored nine points, shooting 3-for-6 from the field and 2-for-5 from three.

Jasmine Powell added eight points along with six rebounds and seven assists, and Sara Puckett added seven points and eight rebounds.

Who’s next?

The Tigers will stay on the road and travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday.

Three players who lead LSU softball’s sweeps Tiger Classic

BY LIZZIE FALCETTI @lizziefalcetti

Another home tournament for No. 6 LSU softball. Another showcase of a dominant offense that clutches wins.

To kick off the Tiger Classic on Thursday, shortstop Taylor Pleasants hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning to beat Boise State 3-2.

That was just the start of what LSU’s bats would do.

The Tigers kept the win margins larger in the next four games against the Broncos, University of Houston Cougars and Austin Peay Governors. LSU tallied 37 runs and 56 hits.

Complementing this offense, the pitching staff blazed through batters from strikeouts to shutouts.

With a now 13-0 record, the Tigers remained undefeated.

“This is a great feeling,” left fielder Ali Newland said. “We worked really hard to put ourselves in this position, so it’s awesome to see the fruits of your labor come to life.”

Each Tiger in this lineup can make plays and score runs. However, these three player’s performances stood out.

Taylor Pleasants

There’s a reason head coach

Beth Torina calls Pleasants the best shortstop in the country, and in her final season with LSU, she’s already built a legacy.

This weekend, Pleasants left her imprint in the dirt, twice. With two diving catches, she caught airtime and the ball to turn base hits into outs.

She leads the Southeastern Conference in fielding percentage with .913 and has 46 catches.

“I always love the defensive part of it because it’s something that can be so easily overlooked,” Pleasants said. “It’s fun. It’s a game. Defense is the time to make plays and just go all out.”

With her unstoppable at-bats, Pleasants not only created a walkoff win, but added two more home runs and 10 RBIs.

She leads the team in extrabase hits and notched the first LSU grand-slam of the season in the opening weekend.

Pleasants has shined for the Tigers in these early-season games. She’ll continue to lead LSU this year, aiming to end her time with the Tigers in postseason play.

Raelin Chaffin

Chaffin’s arm became LSU’s backbone throughout the Tiger Classic. She appeared in three of the five games, starting in two

of them. Chaffin threw a shutout against Houston on Saturday and allowed only two hits.

“She’s really just the picture of toughness for our team,” Torina said. “I never have to ask her how she’s feeling or if she’s good to go. She just always wants the ball and will do anything for this team.”

Chaffin tossed five strikeouts against the Cougars and only walked one batter. In that game, she struck out four of the first six batters.

“We got a really good performance out of Rae Chaffin,” Torina said. “I’m hard-pressed to think of a better one [from her] … She was so good today in a moment where we really needed her to step up.”

Whether the starter or reliever, Chaffin added an extra level of competitiveness to the Tigers. She held up her end of the bargain on the mound, so the offense wasn’t in a deficit and needed to play catch up.

Ali Newland

Hanging over the wall with her feet in the air, Newland caught a foul ball against Houston that would’ve been out of play for most outfielders.

A hit in the air to the left field is an out for Newland. However, using speed and her glove become

her secondary talents when she’s up to bat.

Newland created quite the highlight reel for herself this weekend with 10 hits, including two home runs. She consistently got on base, from singles and doubles to walks.

Although instrumental in the team’s success, Newland emphasizes that their journey is far from complete.

“I think the theme for us just has to be happy, but never satisfied, continuing to work, continuing to find ways to be better as we continue to go through this season,”

Newland said.

The next battle

LSU will host Illinois, San Diego State, McNeese State and Louisiana Tech, starting on Friday, March 1, through Sunday, March 3.

With 13 wins, the Tigers are climbing their way up the national rankings and becoming the team to take down.

“I think we always knew this team was something … just being proud to play here and proud that people come in here and are like, ‘Oh, we want to beat LSU,’” Newland said.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille The sun sets Feb. 23 during LSU’s 8-5 win over Boise State at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball team huddles up following a Auburn score Feb. 22 during LSU’s 71-66 win over Auburn Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

WILLIAMS, from page 2

early was how fast Williams played and despite that, he always seemed to play in control. That’s useful for him as a scorer and playmaker, as he’s had nine games with double-digit points and six games with three or more assists.

Williams can also always be counted on for his leadership and his defense. Even as a freshman, he’s outspoken in the huddle, and he’s used his length and effort to come up with 1.1 steals per game.

“He’s just going to get more and more comfortable,” sophomore forward Jalen Reed said. “We expect a lot from Mike.”

“He provides stability,” McMahon said. “He’s just solid as a rock,

he’s tough as nails. Stability is exactly what LSU was looking for, and they’d found it from an improbable source: a freshman who’s used to being outmatched.

Sharpshooter

Shortly before LSU’s Dec. 13 win over Alabama State, it was announced that Cook and other ineligible two-time transfers would soon be able to play because of a federal court decision. After the game, Williams and Trae Hannibal were asked what to expect with Cook back.

They immediately looked at each other with a smile.

“It’s gonna be very fun,” Williams said.

Williams’ excitement came

from an unselfish place. Cook’s return as the starting point guard would mean Williams would have the ball in his hand much less, but that’s something he was more than willing to accept for the good of the team.

The change has been equally beneficial for Williams, who has now thrived in an off-ball role where he’s receiving high quality catch-and-shoot looks. Cook’s presence has taken weight off Williams’ shoulders and unlocked his 3-point shooting.

In Cook’s third game back on Dec. 29 against Northwestern State, Williams went off for 20 points with six 3-pointers on nine attempts, earning him SEC freshman of the week. That performance added to his already growing confidence and since that point, he’s shot 42.9% from beyond the arc on 3.8 attempts per game.

Three-point shooting has become the most prominent part of Williams’ game, but that wasn’t always the case. In high school, he preferred to play downhill or go to his midrange. In fact, in his junior year, he made only 22% of his shots from outside.

Williams said in between his junior and senior year, he fixed a hitch in his jump shot, leading to him jumping to 37% his senior year. Prete, though, thinks it was less about his mechanics and more about his comfort level.

“To me, shooting’s confidence,”

Prete said. “I think he actually had a pretty good looking shot, he just needed more repetitions to make it smoother. It was a young guy getting confidence and getting into the gym.”

When you watch Williams shoot nowadays, that confidence is the first thing that strikes you. He has no hesitation from catch to release. He’s letting it go as soon as it hits his hands.

“Sometimes, I’ll shoot a shot where I can’t believe I shot it because of how fast it was,” Williams said. “I didn’t even get a chance to process that I shot the ball.”

Part of that speed comes from his coaches empowering, or, rather, demanding him to shoot. When Williams subs out of a game after passing up a shot, he’ll ask his coaches if he should’ve taken it. The answer is always an emphatic yes. “Shoot it.”

“When a coach is yelling that, you ain’t got no other option,” Williams said with a laugh.

“When he’s making them, we all tell him to keep shooting it,” Cook said after Williams made four 3-pointers in a win over Arkansas. “So that’s what we need him to do.”

Getting the ball out fast has also been a necessity with other teams beginning to realize that Williams is a shooting threat. As opposing scouting reports change, defenders close out harder on Williams, giving him a shorter win-

dow to shoot.

Williams’ willingness to evolve his game is just another way he’s helped try to get LSU over the hump, even as the team has fallen short many times. The Tigers have fought to the end against almost every SEC opponent, even when they’ve fallen behind by 20-point deficits.

Until recently, they’d failed to turn all that effort and those comebacks into wins. For some, though, even coming close was impressive given the stage of team-building LSU’s program is in. But not for Williams.

“That’s not good enough for us,” Williams said. “We know who we are and what we can be, so we need to get there.”

LSU is starting to turn the corner, with impressive comeback wins over No. 11 South Carolina and No. 17 Kentucky representing rare successful clutch performances and the end of a 1-6 stretch. That’s palpably positive momentum for the program.

Though it’s uncertain what the team will look like next year with graduations and likely incoming transfers, Williams will almost certainly have a larger role as he continues to grow into a team leader for an LSU team seeking to return to prominence.

Williams has fought his whole life to turn underdogs into winners, and he won’t be stopping anytime soon.

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

LSU men’s basketball guard Mike Williams III (2) high-fives Jalen Cook (3) and Jalen Reed (13) after a free throw on Jan. 17 during LSU’s 89-80 win against Ole Miss in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

OPINION

Astrology should be offered as a course for college students

When you hear the word astrology, what do you think of? I guarantee you might say things like “zodiac signs” or “stars.” Both are true, but astrology as a practice goes beyond both and therefore should be observed more.

I first began studying astrology when I was 16 years old. At first, I was a bit of a skeptic, but as I began to do my own research, I noticed that it helped validate and cultivate my identity.

Seeing my natal chart and having it read was almost as if all of me was being seen for the first time. If it worked for me, I’m sure it can for others too.

Life is difficult for everyone, and no one leaves this planet unscathed. Therefore, if something like astrology helps us become happier and more at peace, there’s no harm in embracing it.

For centuries, humans have been asking big questions. ”What is life? What is my purpose? Who am I?” All examples of the kind of things that humans agonize over. It’s in our innate being to ponder in this way. We’re all on a quest of self-discovery or at least we should be. If you aren’t, astrology could help.

Since its creation thousands of years ago, astrology has been a way for humans to make sense of

their existence. Some of our most respected scientists and philosophers were also astrologers like Galileo, Hippocrates and Carl Jung. Surely there’s something awe-striking about this field of study.

I’m aware of the negative remarks made about astrology. Some view it as nothing more than a pseudoscience, and others believe that it’s demonic. I can’t quite wrap my head around that

one, though. Nonetheless, astrology is still very popular amongst Generation Z, and I think I know why.

For starters, it’s important to know what astrology is. According to Collins Dictionary, it’s “the study of the movements of the planets, sun, moon and stars in the belief that these movements can have an influence on people’s lives.”

This definition is simple and accurate in regards to the basic foundation of astrology, but there are layers beyond that. Within the practice, there are modalities, houses, aspects, elements, degrees etc., not just zodiac signs. All of them, including our signs, matter and must be analyzed.

But why is it so popular among Gen Z? I could answer this with astrology, but instead, I’ll simply say we’re more interested in defining who we are for ourselves.

Working from that understanding, I think schools across the nation should at least offer astrology as a course, not necessarily as a core requirement. Like

philosophy, astrology can provide answers to our existential questions.

If philosophy can be respected as an actual discipline, why can’t astrology? Both are theoretical and practical. Both can help us come to terms with who we are. Both can help students be more engaged at school, because there are different branches in both that can align with each student’s personality.

Both have the power to expand consciousness, which can lead to groundbreaking innovations and ideas. Both can help with problem solving and both are simply fun.

Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, there’s no way to deny the influence astrology has had on humanity, especially as it relates to discoveries, art, literature and cultural traditions. Besides, in a world of chaos, astrology offers us cosmic order.

Amyri Jones is a 22-year-old digital advertising and religious studies senior from Baton Rouge.

All Tiger Trails buses should be converted into party buses

The Reveille’s opinion section is home to some of the biggest critics and connoisseurs of LSU’s darling bus system. Tiger Trails has several flaws. Things like constant lateness, a lack of general cleanliness and a dark, ominous and malicious energy emanating from the purple exterior all plague the buses.

But disregarding all that, a lot of students just don’t know how to use the buses. And while that’s their fault, why should students want to learn?

As I already said, the buses are just as likely to be a hindrance as they are to be helpful. They possess an exterior that is neither lovely nor fun. The inside is no better, à la “Silent Hill.”

In fact, it’s my belief that if we changed the overall aesthetics of Tiger Trails, the entire attitude and effectiveness of the buses would increase.

Thus, my proposal: turn some of, if not all, of the Tiger Trails

EDITORIAL BOARD

Claire

Peter Rauterkus

buses into Tiger Trailblazers, LSU’s newest experience.

Tiger Trailblazers would be LSU’s contribution to a better community. You may be wondering, “What are Tiger Trailblazers? Is this just a name change?” Well, no! The difference between Tiger Trails and its hypothetical, cooler sister is that these buses will act as a mix between university transportation and party bus.

This upgrade will change the entire current exterior to the most glamorous glittering gold and violet. The outside will be utterly mesmerizing, glitzy and kitsch. Who doesn’t want their eyes to be lovingly caressed by the sight of sunbeams or moonbeams refracting off the micro-plastic fragments in the paint, turning the surrounding area into ground zero for an impromptu rave?

The Tiger Trailblazer’s interior will be similar to her sister’s. The seats will have to be redone, each infused with a specially made glow-in-the-dark serum for maximum effect. I’m imagining a purple glow-in-the-dark effect rather than the highlighter yellow we’re all so accustomed to. The backs of the seats will be faux tiger stripes.

Moving away from the seats,

there must obviously be a disco ball, if not several, decorating the carriage. Spinning orbs of splendiferous purple and gold because, duh, LSU colors.

All the metal railings in the bus must be redone in gold, and there will have to be at least one extra pole in the center, allowing for students to do a spin routine before getting off if they so wish.

The bus drivers will have the option to take on one of two new uniforms. The first, a bouncer suit with a tiger mask. The second, a fully LSU-ified DJ outfit. The driver will also have final say on any music, but students will be allowed to submit music for a queue in a style similar to the 459 Dining Hall.

This isn’t to say that all current buses should be redone. We’ll ob -

GRAPHIC BY JACOB CHASTANT

viously leave some of them alone to preserve history and also let the other schools know that LSU isn’t just a party school.

Nay-sayers will proclaim that this is a bad idea, that it’s pointless and idiotic. To them, I say one word, “No.”

Garrett McEntee is an 18-year-old English freshman from Benton.

Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the Week

B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

“If you want to know how to handle a crew, it’s great to be part of a crew.”

GRAPHIC BY JACOB CHASTANT