After finishing the preseason undefeated, the Wisconsin women's basketball team opens the regular season playing Houston and Cleveland State this weekend.
The Badgers are looking for a strong start to the season, even though they are facing a tough opponent in Houston.
'We got a powerhouse coming in and they're very athletic and they're very good and we gotta make sure that we're on top of our game,' sophomore guard Janese Banks said. 'We gotta give 100-percent effort in everything we do.'
The game will give the Badgers some insight as to where they stand against their competitors and hopefully will show that they can contend with the dominating teams.
The Badgers are confident, but they also know they still need to work hard to be successful.
'We have to bring the same intensity day in and day out,' sophomore guard Jolene Anderson said, 'whether it's a game or just practice.'
The success of the team is dependent on the amount of effort the Badgers put forth.
'We need to put all our effort into all 40 minutes of the game,' said Banks.
The Badgers are looking to avenge the loss they had to the Cougars last season. Although they were ahead at halftime, UW was outscored in the second half and brought Cougar players to the foul line too often.
In Anderson and Banks, the Badgers have an impressive offensive backcourt. However, there are other aspects of the game that the Badgers must focus on to change the losing atmosphere.
'Defense will be imperative in finding success, as well as rebounding,' head coach Lisa Stone said.
Banks agreed the Badgers must focus more on the minute details in order to be successful.
'We have to put effort in everything we do,' Banks said. 'We got to do the little things to win this game. We just have to get used to boxing out and doing the little things to win.'
The Badgers hope the biggest change between the 2005-'06 season and years past will be in the win-loss column. To change the trend, the Badgers have to maintain their confidence and stay together.
'They're very ready, they're very eager and they're very, very coachable,' Stone said. 'Being a cohesive unit will undoubtedly have an effect on the team.
'We just have to stay together and communicate,' Anderson said. 'We can't let anything negative off the court come onto the court.'
The game against the Cougars will be a good measuring stick of the state of the team.
'This game will show how much effort we put into the game and then we can work from there,' Banks said.
Although the season-opener is going to be tough for the Badgers, if they focus, prepare well and play with intensity, there is a definite possibility that they can come out on top.
