The Louisiana State University Tigers won against the Vanderbilt Commodores convincingly by an 85-62 margin. Both their forwards Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow basketed a double-double. While Reese smashed a team-high 15 points with 16 rebounds, Morrow smoked 13 points with 10 rebounds. This led to a lot of fans praising the duo. Their head coach Kim Mulkey too took part in lauding Morrow, albeit for a different reason.

Mulkey was present at the post-match press conference when a reporter reminded her that Morrow along with Reese had made it to a coveted list. With her reply, Mulkey underlined why Morrow has been one of their top players this season.

What did Mulkey say?

Mulkey was asked about the recent ‘Naismith Defensive Player of the Year’ watchlist that was announced on Wednesday and had both Reese and Morrow on it. The 15-player list is one of the most prestigious lists in the NCAA. Though Mulkey wasn’t initially aware of Morrow’s accomplishment, once she got to know it, she only had praise for her mentee.

“O, I don’t know when that came out. That’s the first time I’ve hear that. That’s awesome,” Mulkey remarked. “She’s deserving well you see… I didn’t know that, so I better get on Grant. He should’ve told me that, right?,” joked Mulkey most probably pointing to the LSU’s Assistant Communications Director Grant Kauvar.

The 61-year-old went ahead to remark that “She’s deserving. She’s got anticipation skills. She gets in passing lanes and picks off passes on ball reversals, especially she is an undersized post player that has to really work down there. She can’t get caught behind and for her to be recognized on that watchlist. She’s very deserving.” 

Notably, both Morrow and Reese have smoked brilliant double-doubles this season. While Morrow has smacked 15, Reese has scored 14. The Bayou Barbie has always been in the news for her double-doubles, but Morrow’s stepping up to the occasion and displaying her brilliance has been a pleasant surprise for the LSU fans. Both the players have benefited a lot from their rebounding skills.

Morrow especially is a diminutive post player who uses her agility to guard the rim. She has exceptional defensive abilities due to her quick-moving feet that allow her to pull the chair and send shockwaves to the opponents. Furthermore, it is her quick reactions that get her to play perimeter defense.

Watch This Story: “He Passed That Sunday”: Shaquille O’Neal’s 66YO Buddy Reminisces the “Surreal” Moment When the World Lost NBA Legend, Kobe Bryant

Morrow leads the LSU in terms of steals and blocks with 2.9 per game and 1.2 per match respectively. Also in rebounding and points scored averages she is not much behind their top player Reese. Morrow has a brilliant 17.7 points per game with 10 rebounds per contest to her name. And it has been a much-needed performance from Morrow especially since at one point in time Reese had been out of the regular season for unspecified reasons.

Who are the other players on the coveted list?

Meanwhile, the LSU is the only school to have multiple players on the watchlist. Apart from Reese and Morrow, the other famous players on the list include the Stanford Cardinal forward Cameron Brink, the South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso, the Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, and the University of Southern California Trojans center/forward Rayah Marshall. Looking at the list it seems to be a neck-to-neck competition among the athletes.

Moreover, Reese and Morrow would be looking to bag the award as both have been performing exceptionally well. And now Morrow has got the applause she deserved. Going ahead the LSU will be a tough contender for other teams especially defensively since they have two of the most prominent defensive players on their roster.

Read More: Michael Jordan’s “Rebellion” Displayed Distrust in Patient Phil Jackson in 1990