Battle for New Orleans

After two consecutive seasons filled with high expectations but ended by disappointing losses in the Final Four, the second-ranked women's basketball team is determined to raise its first national championship banner in the program's 28-year history to the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"Last year, it was really unacceptable that we didn't win the national championship," senior Iciss Tillis said. "When you get there two years in a row and keep losing the same game, it's really a heartbreaker. This is my senior year, and I just don't want to leave here a loser."

Duke's 2003-2004 squad is perhaps the most equipped ever to bring a title to Durham. After losing only three players from last year's 35-2 team, the Blue Devils will be led by a trio of seniors, including All-Americans Tillis and Alana Beard, as well as point guard Vicki Krapohl.

Krapohl and Beard anchor a backcourt that has traditionally been Duke's strongest point. Beard, the 2003 ESPN.com National Player of the Year, has spent the off-season honing her jump shot, which had been perhaps the only potential weakness in her game.

Harding and Foley are part of a dynamic sophomore class that head coach Gail Goestenkors expects to have a major impact on the team's success.

"We're really excited about them," Goestenkors said. "I think [Harding's] experiences are going to make her a great player for us this year. I think she's really going to have a major, major impact on us.

"And Jessica Foley at this point, I would say, is probably our most improved player from last year. She gives us some really good looks and some stability out there."

The outside game will also receive a significant boost from the return of red-shirt sophomore Monique Currie, who missed the entire 2002-2003 season with a torn ACL. Currie started Duke's final 20 games of her freshman year, and she will complement Beard and Tillis as a third potent scoring threat.

"Monique's going to be another primetime player we can go to whenever we need a big shot," Kraphol said. "She's a gusty player, she plays all out, and she leaves everything on the court."

Despite the strong perimeter attack, the key to the Blue Devils' success may lie in their inside game.

Duke enters this season with its deepest and most talented post players ever. Tillis and sophomore Mistie Bass will be joined by two highly touted freshmen: 6-foot-3 Brittany Hunter and 6-foot-7 Alison Bales.

"If we can keep them healthy, I think this is definitely [our strongest inside team]," Goestenkors said. "We're running more high-low plays out of our fast break and our set offenses. We have several plays that are set up specifically for our post, where as in the past I didn't have any plays for our post players. We believe that to win the national championship, we have to have a low-block presence."

The Blue Devils will be able to test their mettle early and often this season, as they have their toughest non-conference schedule in school history. Two games in November against Texas and Purdue--both preseason top-10 teams--and mid-season matchups with perennial powerhouses Connecticut and Tennessee should have Duke fully prepared when it may meet some of those squads again in the NCAA tournament.

"We didn't want any surprises in March," Goestenkors said of the challenging schedule. "We want to be prepared for the very best teams and feel like we're ready to compete with anybody. We want to find out about ourselves early, find out what we need to work on."

If the preseason rankings hold form, Duke should make its third consecutive trip to the Final Four, which is being played this year in New Orleans.

Beard, a Louisiana native, would like nothing more than to cap off her stellar college career with two victories in front of a hometown crowd.

"Anything less than a national championship would be very disappointing," Beard said. "I think that's the highlight of it, going back to my home state and putting the icing on the cake in New Orleans. In a way, I think it's set up like that for a reason."