After two convincing exhibition victories, the women's basketball team begins its regular season at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday against Texas in the opening round of the State Farm Women's Tipoff Classic in West Lafayette, Ind.
The second-ranked Blue Devils will find out how ready they are to live up to their lofty preseason expectations against the third-ranked Longhorns.
"This game is really exciting because it gives us a chance to see where we stack up," Duke senior Iciss Tillis said. "We're number two, so we want to see how we compare to number three. Playing one of the top-five teams in your first game will show you what you need to work on, because the better teams expose all of that."
The last time Duke and Texas met, the Blue Devils routed the Longhorns 62-46 in the round of 16 in the 2002 NCAA tourney.
"We've faced Duke only once before, and we don't remember it in a positive light," Texas head coach Jody Conradt said. "They handed us a severe beating. Our motivation is strong going into Sunday's matchup."
The 2003-2004 Texas team is far more experienced and talented than the one that was dispatched two years ago.
The Longhorns return four starters from last year's Final Four squad, which is led by a trio of preseason Naismith candidates. Senior point guard Jamie Carey, senior post Stacy Stephens and junior forward Heather Schreiber give Texas one of the most balanced attacks in the nation.
Stephens, who is the first player ever to lead the Longhorns in scoring and rebounding for three consecutive years, averaged 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds during her junior campaign.
The 6-foot-1 center will likely matchup with Duke freshman Brittany Hunter, who, at 6-foot-3, will be counted on to limit Stephen's effectiveness.
"Stacy's a great player, but Brittany's really good, too, so I'm not worried," Tillis said. "I'm confident in Brittany's post skills and our defensive skills."
Hunter, who scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in last Sunday's exhibition game against EV-1, will be joined in Duke's starting lineup by senior All-Americans Tillis and Alana Beard, as well as senior point guard Vicki Krapohl and redshirt sophomore Monique Currie.
The trio of Hunter, Tillis and sophomore Mistie Bass give the Blue Devils perhaps their most talented frontcourt ever, and their increased post presence should open up more opportunities for Beard, Currie and their plethora of three-point shooters against the Texas defense, which was ranked 11th in the nation last year.
"I think we have a huge post presence this year, and that makes everyone else better because Texas will have to defend our post," said Currie, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. "We just have a very versatile and deep team."
Despite Duke's depth, it enters Sunday's contest with an extensive injury list. Few players have escaped the preseason without suffering some ailment, which concerns head coach Gail Goestenkors.
"As far as injuries, this has been the worst preseason that I have ever had," Goestenkors said. "We are not in the kind of shape we would like to be in, but we feel like we are going into this game with the right attitude. It's about learning who we are at this point in time."
The Blue Devils know that this first game--which will be televised on ESPN2--provides a chance to start the season on a positive note, but it is just one part of the most challenging non-conference schedule in school history that should have Duke fully prepared for its title push at the end of the season.
"I think this game matters a lot, but you can lose plenty of games early in the year and still be in the Final Four in March," Currie said. "It's just for us to learn what we need to work on and where we need to be. I'm just glad that we have these challenging games because it only makes us better."
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