LSU WBB vs. Michigan preview: Familiar foe stands in Angel Reese's way

Less than one week ago, Angel Reese was named to the AP All-American First-Team, solidifying her as one of the top players in the country. On Friday night in Baton Rouge, Reese backed up the accolades with another incredible performance, scoring 34 points to go with 15 rebounds in the first round win over Hawaii.

She became the first SEC player to record 30 points and 15 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game this century.

On Sunday at 6:30 p.m. CT, Reese and LSU take on Michigan, a much larger team with experience coming from the best conference in the country. One year ago, Kim Mulkey was in this round with a very different cast of players, but with the transfer portal, returns here with perhaps an even more talented and deep roster.

Now, everything revolves around Reese.

For the 6-foot-3 junior out of Baltimore, this is a statement game. Coming from a Big 10 team in Maryland, Reese knows all about Michigan and the talent on hand. Last year, as Reese broke onto the scene as one of the leading scorers for Maryland, yet Michigan gave her fits, defending her with senior All-American forward Naz Hillmon. 

In the two games against Michigan last year, Reese combined to shoot 4-of-20 from the field for 15 points and 15 total rebounds in the two games. Michigan won the two games by 12 and 20 points.

“We definitely watched [those games from last year],” Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “We got those clips from last year just to show our team. And we also had an All-American who has graduated and is playing in the WNBA right now, she guarded her, so that helped a little bit. I think we did a great job on her two times that we played her, but she’s also improved a tremendous amount. She was a sophomore going against Naz Hillmon who was a senior last year. And I think Naz, kind of, had the advantage. But she’s grown so much. She’s matured so much. And her game has really exploded this season. She’s not the same player. But I do think it is helpful for us to see as many clips as possible when people had success and when she really had success, and what we can do against her.”

Barnes Arico has built an incredibly consistent program at Michigan, reaching the NCAA Tournament five straight years. This matchup with her good friend Kim Mulkey will be their third meeting in the last five tournaments. The familiarity is evident.

Michigan’s new plan of slowing Reese

Reese understands buckets won’t come as easy as they did against Hawaii, but the SEC has prepared her for physicality and adversity within a game. The star forward averaged 23.1 points and 16.9 rebounds in her 16 conference games this year.

She will be defended mostly by Emily Kiser, a 6-foot-3 graduate senior who has spent all five years of her career at Michigan and enters this game coming off the best year of her career. As a first-team all Big-10 selection by the coaches, Kiser has scored double-figures in 28 of 31 games and is well experienced against talented forwards like Reese.

“I definitely take defense to heart,” Kiser said. “I’m definitely going to play my best one-on-one defense, but I think it’s really a team effort. The post play in the Big 10 has been huge and prepared us for this moment. We actually played Angel Reese a couple times in my career, with her at Maryland. Taking those experiences and moving forward with those.

“I’m obviously not out jumping Angel Reese. We can laugh at that. Even pushing her back, she still might get a couple [offensive rebounds]. Really trying not to foul off those and just stay relentless for 40 minutes.”

Kiser is one piece of an incredibly experienced and balanced attack from Michigan on offense. The Wolverines are the only team in the country with three players averaging 16 or more points. 

Meanwhile, LSU is looking for players to step up to help Reese. Coming off of a game where LSU’s guards combined to shoot 8-of-32 from the field, there’s an urgency for senior guard Alexis Morris to step up and provide balance to this offense. Freshman Flau’Jae Johnson and senior Jasmine Carson have to settle in as well. Fellow post LaDahzia Williams is a consistent force alongside Reese on both ends. The pieces are in place, now they just need to perform.

Reese’s impact is inevitable, but LSU knows it will take more than one player scoring in double-figures to advance to the Sweet 16. 

“I’m sure Michigan has scouted me and they know what to do playing against me,” Reese said. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do all the easy things I was able to do yesterday. They have a great post player, a great guard. I know they will come to play.

“One person can’t win the game.”