| Is she full tank Flau'jae Johnson or just scraping by Flau'Jae Johnson entering the NCAA Tournament? That's the question du jour as the LSU women's basketball team, No. 3 seed in the NCAA Spokane 1 Regional, prepares to open play late Saturday night against No. 14-seeded San Diego State (9:15 p.m., ESPN). After three weeks on the shelf with shin splints, is Johnson ready to help make LSU make another deep tournament run? She says "I have my joy back," but we'll all have to wait and see. As important as it is for LSU's "Big Three" of Johnson, Aneesah Morrow (she's recovering from a foot sprain) and Mikaylah Williams to play their best, the Tigers are almost certain to need one or more role players to have big games as LSU role players of the past have done, someone wrote in their column (OK, me). Also on the women's basketball beat, check out Kim Mulkey's connection to George Mason (GMU plays Florida State in Saturday's first game here, about 6:45 p.m.) and we've got a nice photo gallery for you to peruse as well. It's also championship time for gymnastics, as the No. 2 LSU Tigers are in Birmingham for Saturday's SEC Championships. The Tigers compete with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida and No. 7 Missouri at 7 p.m., with LSU having come to expect a great contribution from freshman Kailin Chio. Not only is she one of the best freshman in the country, but she's one of the best gymnasts in the country, period. While you're here, check out our five gymnasts to watch in Saturday's championships (the first session is at 2:30 p.m. featuring Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Kentucky). LSU baseball is far from playing for a championship, but you figure the No. 2 Tigers' trip to face No. 5 Texas in Austin will give us a better clue as to how much of a championship contender LSU can be. The Tigers got off to an impressive start Friday night, beating the Longhorns 8-2 behind the strong battery work of starting pitcher Kade Anderson and catcher Luis Hernandez, the latter homering off a former Indiana State teammate. Speaking of baseball, you won't guess what Paul Skenes' rookie card just went for. Well, you might if you heard about it on "SportsCenter" or some such, but here are the financial fine points. Spring football is still chugging along, as is LSU's recruiting effort. Friday, the Tigers pulled in another top shelf prospect for the Class of 2026, getting a commitment from four-star safety Dylan Purter. Finally, LSU softball also went on the road for its first big SEC test this weekend, traveling to face No. 13 Georgia. The No. 3 Tigers also opened their series with a win, 5-3 over the Bulldogs. Whew! That's a lot, folks. I'm tired from typing. But follow me to Birmingham as I bring you coverage from the SEC Gymnastics Championships. Until then, have a great sports weekend. Scott Rabalais | 