For Kim Mulkey, the sting of a Sweet 16 exit lasts only as long as it takes to get on the phone. While LSU fans mourn the end of a season, she’s already poaching talent from an SEC rival to reload for the next one.

The two-point defeat at Duke was excruciating for everyone involved with the LSU women’s basketball team. Head coach Kim Mulkey had key staff to replace, as Gary Redus and Daphne Mitchell joined Rutgers to fill the vacant coaching positions.

But Kim Mulkey is not dwelling on it and has already moved fast to secure former Tennessee assistant coach Gabe Lazo’s future with the LSU women’s basketball team.

“Gabe will be an outstanding addition to our staff,” Mulkey said in a statement. “He has been an invaluable member of two SEC staffs with an unbelievable ability to teach the game and recruit the best players in the country.”

That Gabe Lazo is an excellent recruiter is a fact by now. During his time under Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell, the 41-year-old not only helped the program sign 2025’s top recruiting class but also helped the Lady Vols bring in Janiah Barker and Nya Robertson through the transfer portal.

In fact, right before completing his move to LSU, Lazo helped Tennessee land Oliviyah Edwards, a prospect ranked second by ESPN within the 2026 recruiting class, and also the highest-ranked Tennessee recruit under Kim Caldwell.

Kim Mulkey will need all the help she can get to revamp the LSU Tigers ahead of the new season. While the likes of Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow have exhausted their college eligibility, Divine Bourrage will enter the transfer portal.

Mulkey needs to replace the floor production of Flau’jae and Aneesah in the LSU setup heading into the new season while also adding more depth to the frontcourt. Lazo’s arrival will help her in her quest to sign targets like Serah Williams, who will be an experienced replacement for the outgoing Aneesah.

But Lazo could help steer her attention towards a Purdue duo who can solve a lot more issues plaguing LSU.

Purdue duo could emerge as LSU transfer portal targets as Kim Mulkey eyes frontcourt strength

Aneesah Morrow’s departure left a gaping hole within the LSU setup. But the Tigers also struggled to compete with other teams in height. This saw LSU concede stretches of dominance, especially around the paint. Rebounding became a huge issue in some games as well.

Targeting the available Purdue duo of Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear would help Kim Mulkey kill two birds with one stone.

Lana McCarthy could be the perfect rim partner to Kate Koval, who already averages 3.5 blocks per game for the Tigers. LSU’s 2023 championship run featured a heavy reliance on second-chance points. But offensive rebounding, and rebounding in general, has been an issue of late for Kim Mulkey & co.

McCarthy’s presence will alleviate the lingering problems around it, enabling the Tigers to gain more second-chance opportunities.

Puryear fits into Mulkey’s fast-moving LSU style and will add some much-needed mobility in the frontcourt. Both McCarthy and Puryear have three years of college eligibility left and have already proven themselves within the Big Ten.

While NIL packages keep becoming costlier for college programs, Lazo’s negotiation skills and connections will help neutralize the rising costs.

While bringing in two players from the same program through the transfer portal could be a costly gamble, these are moves that the LSU Tigers must make, with no Morrow in sight.