Angel Reese is a star forward for the LSU Tigers. And through the first two games of the NCAA tournament she averaged nearly 30 points and 20 rebounds. Yes I said 20 rebounds! Polishing it off with 6 blocks against Michigan, just because she could. And in both of those games she led her team to wins by 23 and 24 points. Anyone who has ever watched the Tigers play this season, knows that she is the best player on LSU, but that’s only half the story. She is rarely ever mentioned in the conversation for the best player in the nation, but she probably should be. Because at the very least Angel Reese just might be the Most Valuable Player in all of college basketball this season, and here is why.

How did Angel change LSU?

To know how valuable Angel Reese is to the LSU Tigers, you have to know what they were before she got there. Up until 2023 LSU had not made the Sweet 16 since 2014. And she entered this season as the top recruit for Coach Kim Mulkey via the transfer portal. She originally began her career at Maryland and was an All American in her second season on campus. But that was before she exploded on offense and defense, raising her season averages from nearly 18 points per game up to 24, and her rebounding from under 11 to nearly 16. Angel Reese is not just a double double every night, but she is a threat for 30 and 20 every night. No player has dominated the paint like that in an LSU uniform since Shaquille O’Neal did it himself 30 years ago.

How dominant is Angel?

And this season Angel Reese is top 5 in the nation in both scoring and rebounding. She accounts for more than a quarter of every point LSU scores, and nearly one third of every rebound they grabbed. And this isn’t all just stat padding, she led the Tigers to an undefeated record through the first 23 games of the season, before they ran up against Aliyah Boston and South Carolina, where she underperformed and the results on the scoreboard showed it. Their only other loss this year was to Tennessee who is also in the Sweet 16, and once again she underperformed, specifically on the boards in a game they lost by 2 points.

The Bottom Line

The fact of the matter is that LSU is unlike any other team because they go as far as their leader can take them at a level that is unparalleled. When she has played at or above her averages this season, LSU is literally undefeated. The only way that any team has actually beaten the Tigers, is by neutralizing Angel Reese. That means that the path to the final four, LSU’s first since 2008 is simple. Put Angel in positions to be successful, because without every single one of her points and rebounds, the odds are not in their favor. There are several truly great players in college basketball, and you can argue she might not be the absolute best. But her team needs her just a little bit more than anyone else’s does. And if LSU does make the final four, we  know exactly who they will have to thank for taking them there.

KNOW THE GAME. WIN THE GAME.

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