The reigning NCAA champion LSU Tigers gained a famous person in Hailey Van Lith this offseason. The switch guard from Louisville has introduced a brand new dynamic to Kim Mulkey’s dominant program.

Van Lith shines each on and off the courtroom for LSU. Her addition has elevated the seventh-ranked Tigers’ already elite pedigree, as they proceed steamrolling any opponent of their path through the 2023-24 marketing campaign.

Van Lith took an unconventional path south, however the electrifying guard joined LSU’s star-studded roster, able to make an affect.

Why did Hailey Van Lith switch to LSU?

For Hailey Van Lith, transferring to LSU offered a brand new alternative and the prospect to compete for a championship, one thing she’s lengthy strived for. However her journey to Baton Rouge extends past that.

Popping out of highschool, Kim Mulkey recruited Van Lith to Baylor. The 2 instantly related, with uncanny comparisons made between them that stunned even the LSU employees. In the end although, Van Lith selected Louisville over Baylor throughout recruiting. She starred for 3 seasons at Louisville, averaging 15.4 factors, 2.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per sport.

But some issues are simply meant to be. For Mulkey, that was getting the prospect to sometime coach the electrifying guard. When Van Lith entered the switch portal final offseason, she had particular standards for her subsequent vacation spot: She wished to win on the highest stage and proceed growing her sport.

LSU proved an ideal match. Van Lith spoke to the Tigers, South Carolina and Stanford amongst others throughout her re-recruiting, which randomly included a shock go to to Baton Rouge that caught LSU staffers off guard. However the impromptu journey made an impression, as Van Lith dedicated to the Tigers with the chance to attain one thing particular below Mulkey.

What occurred throughout Hailey Van Lith’s go to to LSU?

As a non-contact switch, Hailey Van Lith managed every step of her recruiting course of. She knew her worth and performed by her personal guidelines. Though LSU appeared the front-runner, this system usually felt left guessing the place it stood. Communication was intense at occasions, then would go silent, leaving the Tigers uncertain if she would go elsewhere.

In the end, a shock go to to Baton Rouge modified the trajectory. LSU knocked it out of the park internet hosting Van Lith on campus. The reference to Mulkey shined via from their previous recruiting relationship. That sealed the deal, as Van Lith selected to deliver her skills to the Tigers.

LSU assistant coach Gary Redus offered particulars to LSU Nation about Van Lith’s pivotal go to to the Tigers’ campus.

“(Van Lith) decided out of nowhere to come on a visit,” Redus mentioned. “We did not even know she was approaching a go to. She was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna come up’ and we had been like, okay, so we set it up actually fast.

“It was a good visit. I think she saw the things she needed to see. I think she heard the things she needed to hear. She wanted to continue to push her player development forward. She wanted to be pushed. She wanted to get taken out of her comfort zone that she had found at her previous school and she wanted to win.