March 17
March 17, 2009
Loyce "Lois" H. Matherne
March 19, 2009
The Gatorade Company, in conjunction with ESPN Rise magazine, named Vandebilt Catholic junior center Theresa Plaisance its 2008-09 Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year on Thursday.
She is the first player from Vandebilt and from the Tri-parish area to win the award.
“It’s very exciting, but I’m also shocked,” Plaisance said. “It’s an honor to be given this award.”
Plaisance helped lead Vandebilt to a 26-8 record, an undefeated District 8-4A title and the Class 4A state runner-up spot this season. She averaged 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 assists per game.
“It’s terrific for Theresa, Vandebilt and her teammates,” said Lady Terriers coach Kathy Luke. “I know she’s proud of her achievement, and Vandebilt is very proud of her.”
Plaisance learned she won the award from an old friend with whom she had not spoken in a while.
“My friend randomly Googled my name, and she found an article and called me (Thursday night),” Plaisance said. “She said, ‘You won Gatorade Player of the Year?’ And I was like, ‘Probably not.’ And she said, ‘No, you did.’ I was like, ‘No way!’ My whole family was going crazy.”
The daughter of Scott Plaisance and first-year Nicholls State Lady Colonels basketball coach Dobee Plaisance, Theresa transferred from Ursuline Academy to Vandebilt Catholic this school year.
Plaisance said her mother was especially thrilled about the honor.
“She knows it’s a great accomplishment. It took a lot of hard work, but I couldn’t do it without my coaches and teammates,” Plaisance said.
Despite not knowing much about Vandebilt Catholic or its program before the season, she has been accepted well and made the transition seamlessly. In the classroom, Plaisance has earned a 3.23 grade point average.
Plaisance was named a Ladies’ Top 28 All-Tournament selection. She nearly led Vandebilt to the school’s first state basketball championship. The Lady Terriers lost on a last minute three-pointer to top-ranked St. Michael on March 7.
“That was one of the toughest games of my life,” Plaisance recalled. “St. Michael was the best team in the state and everybody knew that going in. We were the underdogs. We just wanted to prove to everybody that we were supposed to be there. I think we proved ourselves.”
The hard work toward next season has already begun for Plaisance. Besides playing AAU basketball with the New Orleans Dominos, she has committed herself to a strict summer workout plan.
“I’m going to try and get quicker and stronger and also work on my ball handling and shooting,” she said. “This summer in AAU is going to be tough, and I hope to get better.”
As a junior, Plaisance will have the opportunity to repeat as Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year next season.
Only Seimone Augustus (in 2001 and 2002) and Whitney Jones (in 2005 and 2006) have won the award twice since the award began in 1986.
“Those are big-time players, and I would love to be in a group with them,” Plaisance admitted. “I’ll work hard for it, but my first goal is to get back to the state title game and win it. We (Vandebilt) have a lot players coming back. Hopefully, it will be just as much fun next year and also that we have a better finish.”
Junior center Theresa Plaisance is the first athlete from Vandebilt Catholic or the Tri-parish area to be named Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year award. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
