Will this be the year women’s basketball coach Jane Albright sees her team’s hopes come to fruition?

Well, for starters, Albright will have a squad of her own. Meaning that all nine of the players listed on the roster have been recruited by the Huskie coaching staff and have adhered to the philosophy of one coach—Albright. A philosophy that identifies with a winning program.

Although the Huskie bench will not be too deep, Albright knows she has to make do with what she has available.

“We don’t have any other option,” said fifth-year coach Albright. “Those kids are going to have to be ready to play every time they (NIU) come on the court. We aren’t going to be able to have stupid fouls like we had when we were younger. It’s quality that we want to dwell on not quantity. We all need to be in great shape, we need to all stay healthy.”

Health is going to be a concern for the early part of the Huskie season. Junior Lisa Foss continues to be watched by coaches and trainers. After undergoing knee surgery over the summer, Foss has been rehabilitating since the operation. The Huskie coaching staff will have to decide within the first five games of the year if Foss will remain on the roster, or fall victim to being a medical redshirt.

If Foss’ participation in an early exhibition game is a good indication of the guard’s readiness, she’ll get the green light to go the whole season.

The 5-foot-7 Foss scored 22 points in the exhibition match to go along with her two assists, one steal and 1.000 shooting percentage from the free throw line.

Preseason standout Carol Owens looks to lead the Huskies to a winning season. Albright expects a lot from the experienced co-captain.

“Carol is a different player and more confident player than I have ever seen her,” Albright said. “I think you’re going to see a lot of leadership from her. She is a breath of energy.”

The other team captain, Gena Stubbs, has Albright admiring her recruits. The 5-foot-8 forward was third in Huskie scoring last year with 400 points and a 14.3 points-per-game average.

“Gena is turning into one of the most complete players on our team,” Albright said. “She’s getting a lot of steals. She is the total all-around player.”

A bright spot for NIU was the arrival of Tracy Mondek. The 6-foot-1 freshman from Darien will fill in as a forward and use her height and finesse to contribute to the NIU campaign.

One player who Albright said does not get the recogniton deserved is junior Tammy Hinchee. The 6-foot-2 forward led the team in total rebounds last season while pumping in 330 points (11.8 average).

“(Tammy) has the potential to be a great offensive threat. Defensively she really knows the game. She’s usually a step ahead of the game.”

This year’s point guard will be Denise Dove. Albright said the Minnesota native has returned to the team in much better shape than last year, as well as being more improved in the game. Dove is a lot more confident this year, her coach said, and as the point guard she will need to be the brains of the team—”the quarterback”.

Kris Weis, Dee Dee Jeske and Denise Lipnisky will also contribute to the Huskie effort. Weis and Lipnisky return from last year’s squad much improved, and Jeske is a freshman that has a lot expected of her in the future.