By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Saturday’s top-10 showdown in Baton Rouge between No. 3 South Carolina and No. 6 LSU already carries major implications for this season, but the matchup will also help set the tone for the future of the Tigers’ program, with four recruits scheduled to visit.
LSU (22-3, 8-3 Southeastern Conference) is set to host Kaleena Smith on an official visit, while Caroline Bradley, Kie’Aundria Acree and Zaniya Johnson will take unofficial visits, sources told Tiger Rag.
Smith, a 5-6 point guard from Ontario, California, is a consensus five-star and the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2027 (ESPN and 247Sports). She was named the California Girls Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year last year after averaging 23.2 points, 8.1 assists, 4.5 steals, and 2.7 rebounds over 31 games for Ontario Christian High School. Smith was also recognized as MaxPreps’ National Sophomore of the Year.
Bradley, a 6-5 center from Oak Grove, Louisiana, will visit Baton Rouge for the second time this season after attending LSU’s 70-65 win over No. 2 Texas on Jan. 11. A consensus five-star, Bradley is rated as the No. 3 overall player in the country and is the top center nationally in the Class of 2027 (ESPN and 247Sports).
Bradley was named Louisiana Girls Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024 after averaging 21.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.5 blocks. She helped lead Oak Grove to the Non-Select Division III state championship game last season. Bradley’s top-10 schools include LSU, South Carolina, UCLA, Duke, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M.
Acree, a 6-0 forward from Albany, Georgia, will make her first trip to Baton Rouge this weekend. The four-star prospect from Monroe High School is rated as the No. 32 player nationally and the No. 9 small forward in the Class of 2027 by 247sports.com. She is also a top-40 player in ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT – Super 60 rankings, coming in at No. 39.
Johnson, one of the nation’s top-risers, will also take her first trip to the Bayou this weekend. The 6-4 five-star forward from Biloxi, Mississippi, is rated as the No. 13 player in the country in the ’27 Class according to ESPN. LSU offered Johnson on Feb. 4.
In her sophomore season at Biloxi High School, Johnson averaged 14.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks, helping lead the Indians to a 30-2 record.
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