In the Big East, several teams (most notably Notre Dame) have experienced key personnel losses, as have the Hokies. Connecticut and their brilliant shooting guard Diana Taurasi are a lock at number one. The order behind the Lady Huskies is anyone's guess. The Hokies could finish as high as second or as low as sixth in the conference, depending on the answers to the following questions.

Tere Williams and Amy Wetzel leave as two of the greatest players in team history. They scored the bulk of the points last year. More importantly, they were clearly the team leaders. Will anyone step up to fill this void? The most likely candidates are shooting guards/small forwards Sarah Hicks and Crystal Starling. These veteran players have the ability to both score and lead this young Hokie team.

Mollie Owings, a fan favorite, may get some starts early due to injuries. She is athletic and can play tough defense, but lacks the scoring punch needed at shooting guard.

Since the storybook ride to the Sweet Sixteen in the 1998-1999 season, the Hokies have searched to fill two needs. The first is to find a consistent point guard to replace Lisa Witherspoon. Junior Emily Lipton was thrown to the lions as a freshman and performed admirably in 1999-2000. Last year, Lisa Guarneri showed flashes of brilliance, but performed inconsistently. This year, Lipton has reclaimed the starting role, at least for now. Lipton has yet to overcome her own inconsistency or to show that she can lead the team at the point. Don't be surprised if Starling moves to point, as Amy Wetzel did during the last two years.

The other key player from 1998-1999 that the Hokies have yet to replace is Michelle Houseright. Often overlooked, she provided the gutty, physical presence and leadership in the paint. Sophomore Ieva Kublina is an outstanding 6'4" power forward who will play the high post on offense. She can shoot the three and is fundamentally sound. She may help fill the scoring void but has yet to show that she can mix it up down low.

Rayna Dubose and Erin Gibson are the two freshman post players. Gibson is the most likely to see significant playing time this season. She is a 6'2" wide-bodied glass and space eater. Her soft hands and ability to run the floor continue to surprise. Gibson will contribute this year, most likely as the back up to Kublina and Jones at the four and five spots.

Dubose shows great promise. She is 6'3" and athletic, similar to Georgetown standout Rebekkah Brunson. Brunson has a nonstop motor though, and Dubose has not shown that yet. She needs more polish than Gibson. If she matures quickly, she could help this year. Gibson has a mean streak and will hopefully play the role of enforcer. However, Kublina and Gibson are both quiet and reserved. To expect either of these young players to provide leadership at this point is probably a stretch.

Six foot two-inch junior center Chrissy Strother returns after shoulder surgery this summer to repair the injury that plagued her last season. A wide-bodied bruiser, Strother may see significant playing time, perhaps as a starter for the hobbled Nicole Jones, at the beginning of the year. However, when Jones fully recovers, and as Erin Gibson learns the system, Strother's minutes likely will decline significantly.

Senior Jones will move from center to power forward this year, but will likely play low post on offense. Her improvement during her freshman year, when she blossomed into a starter, led to high hopes for her future. Although a solid performer since that year, she has not improved as much as many expected. She will lend experience and solid play.

For the Hokies to excel this year, they must receive significant contributions from at least two of the incoming players. Besides Gibson and DuBose, the Hokies have three other newcomers, all perimeter players.

Amy Lingenfelder, a 5'8" transfer from Georgia Tech, figures to see significant time at shooting guard once she qualifies after first semester exams. Lingenfelder was a freshman standout at Georgia Tech during the 1999-2000 season, starting 11 games. She can shoot the three, a skill much needed by this edition of the Hokies. I can see Starling, Lingenfelder and Hicks starting at the one, two and three spots once Lingenfelder becomes eligible. Either Starling would man the point, or the three could share the duties. Hicks has seen some playing time at point in the past, but very little. Fran Recchia, a 5'7" point guard from Texas, shows promise but needs seasoning to play the point in the Big East.

Davina Simmons, a 6'0" sophomore small forward, was slowed by injuries last year. She shows the speed and quickness that is sorely missing on the team. She is a slashing scorer. If she can grow quickly, she can provide scoring punch and athleticism off the bench.

Kacy O'Brien, a 5'11" shooting guard, is the other freshman. She has been slowed by some preseason nicks and is unlikely to see significant playing time this year.

If healthy, the season will start with Lipton, Starling, Hicks, Jones and Kublina in the starting lineup. After Ligenfelder becomes eligible, the lineup could change to Starling, Ligenfelder, Hicks, Jones and Kublina.

The starters, with the exception of Starling, lack the necessary quickness to play with the elite teams. However, the newcomers, if up to the challenge, give Coach Bonnie Henrickson some flexibility. Tech can go big with Kublina, Gibson and DuBose on the front line and Strother providing additional muscle from the bench. Or Tech can go quick with Starling, Simmons and Dubose in the lineup.

In conclusion, the Hokies remain a mystery this year. They are likely to finish neither as high as second, nor as low as sixth in the conference. One asset that cannot be overlooked is coaching. In short, Virginia Tech has the best coach in the country. Coach Henrickson faces another challenge this year in cobbling together diverse players, many very young, into a cohesive unit.