Bayou Bella: Eldorado star Bella Hines commits to play at LSU

It was only two weeks ago that Bella Hines announced her top 10 finalists.

She didn’t wait long to narrow that to a single name:

LSU.

Eldorado High School’s sensational junior combo guard, New Mexico’s leading scorer and one of the country’s top recruits in the Class of 2025, on Tuesday afternoon announced her commitment to the powerhouse Tigers and coach Kim Mulkey.

“My personality just fits LSU,” Hines told the Journal.

Hines just took her official visit to Baton Rouge less than two weeks ago, a trip that convinced her that there was no need to search any further.

“100 percent,” Hines said. “I always had a close bond with the coaches from LSU. … It just felt homey to me. When people say, when you know, you know … when I went out there, I just knew.”

Hines said she told LSU she was going to commit there even before she boarded a plane back to Albuquerque.

The 5-foot-9 Hines, who averaged 32.5 points a game last season for Eldorado, is ranked No. 31 on ESPNW’s list of top 60 prospects for the Class of 2025. She is listed as a four-star recruit.

LSU offered Hines on Jan. 1.

Brandon Clay of 247sports.com wrote that the addition of Hines will help give the Tigers the “backcourt diversity and depth that they lacked this season.”

LSU won a national championship in 2022-23. The Tigers were eliminated this season on Monday night in the Elite 8 by Iowa. Hines attended their first-round game against Rice.

“The fans, just the culture out there, how the fans cherish women’s basketball, it was super cool,” Hines said. “Everyone was coming up to me asking me if I was coming to LSU. Just to feel so welcome, it was a blessing.”

Mulkey has been in the news quite a bit the last couple of weeks, related to a Washington Post profile on the coach, who has multiple national titles combining her time at Baylor and LSU.

“Coach Mulkey is the most amazing woman I could have ever met,” Hines said. “Everyone on the internet is portraying her as some kind of villain, but coach Mulkey is one of the most genuine human beings I’ve ever met.”

Hines said she admired Mulkey even going back to when she coached Baylor.

“I wanted to play for a coach like coach Mulkey,” Hines said. “(Baylor) was one of my bucket list teams.”

Hines said the Washington Post profile was “not relevant to me. It wouldn’t change my decision. Wouldn’t change how I view coach Mulkey.”

Hines last month announced her 10 finalists — a list that also included Iowa, Baylor, Arizona, North Carolina State, TCU, Kansas State, West Virginia, Florida State and Texas Tech.

Hines this spring and summer will be competing for Houston-based CyFair Elite. The No. 1 recruit on the aforementioned ESPNW list, guard Aaliyah Chavez of Lubbock, is one of Hines’ club teammates. Chavez hasn’t yet committed. LSU has offered Chavez.

As for Hines, her club season begins later this month. She’ll sign with LSU later this year, she said.

“Finally being able to have that out there felt like a hundred-pound weight was lifted off my shoulders,” Hines said.