Chatman scours country for players

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) LSU women&#39;s basketball coach Pokey Chatman had a busy fall and winter.<br> <br> Things haven&#39;t slacked off much in the spring and summer.<br> <br> Rather than enjoy the success of her first year leading the Lady Tigers they were 33-3 last season and went to the Final Four Chatman and her assistants have been working to ensure more of the same in the future. They have been looking for the players to continue that success.<br> <br> ``You don&#39;t want to be a flash in the pan,&#39;&#39; Chatman said. ``You don&#39;t want to just maintain. You want to keep building and building. That&#39;s why it&#39;s so crucial to make sure you have key cogs so we don&#39;t lose that level.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Chatman estimated that she and her staff have traveled to Atlanta, Augusta, Ga., Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Fla., Portland, New Orleans, Shreveport, and Washington D.C. to watch the nation&#39;s top players in either AAU competition or in individualized showcases.<br> <br> Some of those days stretched from early morning one day to the wee hours of the next.<br> <br> Among the players she has to replace are national player of the year Seimone Augustus, outside shooting threat Scholanda Hoston and reserve forward Florence Williams.<br> <br> ``This is the most important class in the history of LSU women&#39;s basketball period,&#39;&#39; Chatman said. ``Not just because of the obvious with Seimone, but also the level that the program has reached. We have not recruited from this standpoint because of the back-to-back Final Fours, because of the TV exposure, because of the rise of the game.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The Tigers would like to find a center, power forward and some other top talent, Chatman said.<br> <br> ``We would also like another perimeter player that best fits our needs.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.timespicayune.com<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)