Oak Grove, a town of about 1,300 residents in Louisiana’s northeast corner, was the center of the state’s basketball world Monday evening.
A large group of family, friends and other supporters gathered as Caroline Bradley, the star junior center, announced her college commitment to home-state LSU.
The decision, shared fittingly at a crawfish boil, wasn’t necessarily surprising given the clear connection between Bradley and coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers staff, the stature of the program and the setting for the announcement.
But the significances of Louisiana being home to a consensus top-10 prospect in the nation and LSU being able to land her early commitment can not be overstated.
“It was really cool to see that learning curve there both physically and mentally,” LBR director Kris Goff, one of the state’s most well-versed and well-connected girls basketball resources. “As far as on the basketball court, man. (LSU associate head coach) Bob Starkey’s been quoted talking about her footwork. You know he’s real big into post play, and her footwork or whether it’s getting out on defense hedging, she can knock a 3-ball — we saw that in the semifinal game. She can create off the bounce. She can find her teammates.
“And it’s at several different levels. So not only in high school is she getting this done. She’s getting this done at the high-level AAU. She’s getting this down at Team USA. And that’s why she it the best post player in the world in the 2027 class. Like, you can go back and look at all the rankings and everything else. Everyone says she’s top-whatever in the country. She is the best post player in the world for the 2027 class. Let that sink in. That is how good Caroline Bradley is.”
The 6-foot-5 center is now a three-time LSWA all-state and two-time Outstanding Player selection, a two-time Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year and a Team USA U16 gold-medalist.
And Goff, a former Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State assistant and Ursuline Academy head coach, has seen Bradley develop from the time she was in middle school and first began attending his organization’s camps, which originated specifically on the girls side as LGR.
He joined Louisiana vs. All Y’all this week to share some context on her elite combination of size, talent, skill and competitive mindset, where she stacks up among some of the best players to ever come through the state and what her addition means to the Lady Tigers.
“Everyone in the country wanted Caroline, and it’s just a testament to the work that she’s put in,” Goff said. “She is probably once every 10 years, 15 years, you’ll see a kid like this. We’ve been fortunate. She’s a future McDonald’s All-American, so to have her and Mikaylah Williams (Parkway) within five years is crazy. I don’t know that that’s happened to have two McDonald’s All-Americans in a four- or five-year stretch.
“But, especially at the post position, we don’t see a player like her since Kalani Brown (Salmen) and Theresa Plaisance (Vandebilt Catholic), and when you start getting to those names, those are people that went on to have historic careers in college, compete for the John Wooden Watch List in college. Kalani was a three-time All-American in college, and I think Caroline’s in that same conversation. She is in my opinion really the biggest prospect that we’ve had since Kalani Brown at the post position. And Kalani Brown was a three-time All-American, so it’s pretty good company.”
Also a question of note: Will Bradley stand as the cornerstone of LSU’s 2027 recruiting class, or could she potentially re-classify up a cycle and join Mulkey, Starkey and assistant Seimone Augustus and fellow former Louisiana Miss Basketball winners Williams (Parkway) and Jada Richard (Lafayette Christian) in Baton Rouge this year?
Goff and LVAY founder Jerit Roser broke down all the details of Bradley’s old-school recruiting process, commitment and what’s next.