Film Room: What LSU Is Getting in Hailey Van Lith
Kim Mulkey continues creating a “superteam” in Baton Rouge after the addition of All-American guard Hailey Van Lith. After her announcement on Thursday, it sent shockwaves across all of college basketball.
Van Lith will join the No. 2 prospect in America, Mikaylah Williams, and the No. 7 prospect, Aalyah Del Rosario, as the three headline the fresh faces of next year’s roster.
A program fresh off of winning a National Championship, Mulkey reloads her roster for year three down South.
But what does Van Lith provide this program? How can she step in and make this team even better following a title run?
Lethal Scorer
All Van Lith has done through college is improve each year. She went from 11.2 points a night during her freshman campaign to 14.4 points per game in year two, but that number skyrocketed to 19.7 points during her junior season in 2022-23.
The ability to score from all three levels, Van Lith gives the Tigers an immediate threat on the offensive end. She’s crafty around the rim and has a midrange game that is impressive at the college level. Van Lith has proven to be successful with her pull-up, but also keeps defenders off balance with the way she can get to the rim as well.
During her time at Louisville, Van Lith had to carry much of the load offensively, which factored into inefficient numbers at times. When looking into her percentages, the 41.1% from the field and 29.3% from three-point range shouldn’t be alarming. When surrounded by players like Angel Reese and Co. it’ll make all the difference in freeing her up for easy chances.
Vision/IQ
An underrated aspect of Van Lith’s game is her ability to get others involved, and with the star-studded roster Mulkey is assembling in Baton Rouge, we could see this piece of her game reach its potential.
Despite only averaging 3.2 assists per game, it can be due to a few things, including the scoring burden on her shoulders for the Cardinals to win games. Now paired alongside Reese, Flau’jae Johnson and more, it brings less defensive attention, giving her the chance to show just how impressive her court vision can be.
The passing and playmaking will come, especially being coached by Mulkey, but she’s certainly improved in this area since arriving to college. We’ve seen Coach Mulkey take her point guards under her wing and it’ll be much of the same when Van Lith arrives in town.
Significance of the Addition
Van Lith is a culture fit for this program. She’s a loud, tenacious hooper who isn’t afraid of talking trash. It’s a similar mindset as Reese, making the future All-American duo a match made in heaven.
When looking at how the two can fit on the floor together, it immediately draws attention to what they can do in the pick and roll. As Van Lith gets more comfortable as a passer, we could see the best one-two punch in women’s basketball unfold rather quickly.
The addition also gives the Tigers a perimeter scorer. An area LSU struggled in last season, Van Lith fills the role almost instantly. We saw Alexis Morris get her buckets in the midrange with an occasional three-ball and Van Lith can come in and give you a consistent shooter from the jump.
Mulkey and Co. now add the No. 1 transfer portal player once again after welcoming Angel Reese last offseason. With Van Lith heading to town and the No. 1 2023 recruiting class arriving this summer, this LSU program is reloading its roster with the chance to bring another title to Baton Rouge.
