It all goes down tomorrow.
All of the speculation, preseason polls and analysis that preceded this year's women's basketball season have little bearing once the officials blow the first whistle and the teams tip off in the first games of the Div. I 2006-20 season.
As with the beginning of every women's basketball season, the question still looms - will this be the year in which the nation's parity finally comes to fruition?
If this season turns out to be "the year," it will likely be the result of an overall anemic senior class across the board. While this lack of cream on top may not be a good sign for the NCAA, it may have real implications for the nation's storied dynasties.
Take UConn and the Big East, for example. The annual goliath of the league, the Huskies are at it again, having been voted the frontrunner to win the conference by the Big East coaches, with Rutgers and the rest of the league close on their heels.
Such recognition is old news for a team that has won five national championships in the last 12 years. But this time, there is no Diana Taurasi or Sue Bird to tear through the league. In fact, there is not one senior on the team, never mind an All-American.
Coach Geno Auriemma is so thin on seasoned players that his co-captains - Mel Thomas and Renee Montgomery - are a junior and sophomore, respectively. In addition to those two, the burden will fall on the dynamic junior, Charde Houston, who despite seemingly having infinite talent, has struggled to play consistently during her career at Storrs.
Rutgers is in a similar bind. After losing star Cappie Pondexter to professional ball, the team has five new players and not one senior to guide them. The season will hinge on the play of juniors Matee Ajavon, and Essence Carson, and sophomore Kia Vaughn.
Although the coaches picked these two teams to lead the league, it may not be that easy for them to pull away from the pack. But that could be a good thing. In the Big East's 25-year history, Connecticut has won 14 regular-season crowns and 13 tournament titles. It seemed a welcomed break when Rutgers finally snapped UConn's streak of 11 consecutive conference championships at the end of the 2004-05 campaign.
If the title goes to another Big East team - say, challenger DePaul or Louisville - the league can claim greater parity. But if that parity is the result of poorer, less mature play, it may not be to the advantage of the conference.
The Big 12, the Big Ten and the SEC are experiencing a similar trend.
Without a senior on the squad, LSU faces a similar problem. The team will sorely miss Simone Augustus, the top pick in the 2006 WNBA draft and the two-time national player of the year. Junior center Sylvia Fowles will carry much of the weight on a team that may have trouble finishing above Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky in the SEC this season.
Although the powerhouse Tennessee Lady Volunteers have three seniors on their roster - Sidney Spencer, Elizabeth Curry, and Dominique Redding - the player to watch for on that team is 6' 4" All-American sophomore Candace Parker, possibly the most dynamic player in women's basketball since Taurasi.
Even ESPN's preseason No. 1 pick and defending national champion Maryland Terrapins will be led by less-seasoned players. Although all five of their starters from last year's team take the floor again this season, the team has only two seniors and will rely on the play of second-year guard Krisiti Toliver.
With an inexperienced crew leading this year's NCAA women's basketball season, this year could prove to be a test of youth-versus-youth. The jury is still out on whether this trend will benefit or hinder the league, but if these dynamic players perform close to their billings, the league could be in for an exciting, if perhaps messy, 2006-07 campaign.
