Alexis Morris paid her coach, Kim Mulkey, a huge compliment last week before the start of the NCAA tournament — the kind of compliment that, when I was Morris’ age, would have been like saying someone is “bad” when you meant they were very, very good.
“Coach Mulkey — she’s the OG in this league, in this game,” LSU’s senior point guard said.
“OG,” for those who don’t know, means “Original Gangster.” And that means, in this context, highly respected and regarded.
Mulkey may not be universally liked. For example, there was that entire episode last fall regarding what she would or wouldn’t say about former Baylor star Brittney Griner languishing in a Russian prison cell, which was predictably polarizing and predictably misunderstood.
But Mulkey has to be respected. Her place in the game, consistency, longevity — and now, what she’s building at LSU — demands it.
LSU won two games at home to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, facing Utah at 4 p.m. Friday in the Greenville 2 Regional semifinals on ESPN. This is the Tigers’ first Sweet 16 appearance since 2014.
This is Mulkey’s 16th Sweet 16 in 23 years as a head coach. She’s aiming for her 11th Elite Eight, then her fifth Final Four, with the ultimate goal a fourth NCAA championship.
In 23 years at LSU and Baylor, she has only missed the NCAA in 2003 and in 2020 (the latter tournament was canceled by COVID-19). Her teams have never failed to win at least 21 games in a season. She ended her Baylor career with 12 straight Sweet 16s.
Consider all that for a moment, juxtaposed against the fact that this is LSU’s 15th Sweet 16 appearance as a program.
Mulkey often says LSU hasn’t arrived yet on her watch because it hasn’t won a championship. Not only has she arrived, she’s been waiting at the table, tapping her nails impatiently, having ordered an iced tea (Mulkey doesn’t drink alcohol) and eaten dinner. She’s trying to rationalize something off the dessert menu.
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