Why Kim Mulkey has one of LSU's freshman guards in the post

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The LSU women’s basketball team is listing ZaKiyah Johnson as a guard, but she worked on the low block in the Tigers’ first practice of the preseason.

Johnson — a 6-foot freshman from Kentucky who enrolled at LSU as one of the 15 best recruits in the country — is beginning her career as a post player. Coach Kim Mulkey said Wednesday at SEC media days that Johnson hasn’t had to adapt to that position because she’s played it before.

"I need to get her on the floor,” Mulkey said. “The best way to do that is give her minutes at the four.”

Every post player from the team that LSU fielded last season either exhausted her eligibility or entered the transfer portal. The roster churn forced the No. 5 Tigers to build a brand-new frontcourt. The new-look group now feature