The biggest challenge the UNM women's basketball team will face this year is meeting the standard they set last year by advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16.
The Lobos lost three key players to graduation and the roster features five new freshmen and two transfers.
But head coach Don Flanagan said returning to the big dance is not out of the question.
"We lost some very important players in our program," he said. "But it's going to be a real deep team this year, it won't be oriented around one person. I'm excited about this team because we have a lot of youth. And we have youth that can help us."
Flanagan said this team is similar to the Lobo team two years ago, when point guard Mandi Moore and forward Lindsey Arndt were freshmen.
"We really had to depend on our freshmen that year," he said. "And they stepped up and became starters and we went to the NCAA tournament."
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Although they're inexperienced at the college level, the freshmen bring decorated resumes to the team.
Julie Brody, a guard from Lynnville, Ind., averaged 27.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.8 steals per game last year. Brody was a 93 percent free-throw shooter in high school.
Forward Timi E-Nunu was named co-MVP of the Baseline league in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where she averaged 12.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
Guard Katie Montgomery was one of the top five basketball players in Nebraska, leading her high school team to a 23-2 record her junior year.
Wande Olude was honored as MVP in every high school tournament she played in. Olude comes to UNM from Manitoba, Canada, and was named Miss Basketball Manitoba her senior season.
Fatima Maddox, of Colorado Springs, has multiple athletic abilities. She was the state champion in triple jump and long jump. At 5-feet-6, Maddox averaged 17.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and five steals per game.
Maddox said she looks up to all the upper classmen on the team, but Moore in particular.
"I can relate more with her," she said. "She plays the same position as me. She's been starting for two years, so I have a lot of respect for her."
Moore was the only Lobo to be named to the preseason All-MWC team. As one of UNM's few veterans, one of her goals is to continue the Lobos' winning tradition. However, she realizes the task at hand will not be easy.
"It'll be different," Moore said. "I'm definitely going to miss last year's seniors. I got used to playing with them for two years. We knew each other well. But I think I can get the same feel for these guys. It's just a matter of time."
One advantage Moore said this team already has is athleticism.
"We're a lot quicker than we were last year," Moore said. "And I think we'll run the floor better. There's a lot of new dimensions to the team that I think will help us out."
Flanagan said he is pleased with the effort he has seen from the freshmen so far, but one element each of them is naturally lacking is confidence.
"They've worked really hard," he said. "Their skill level is right where we need them to be. But one of the keys to being successful is confidence. I'm going to be working on the confidence factor throughout the year. They have some growing to do, but I believe in them and I'm hoping that they believe in themselves."
