DURHAM, N.C. -- The injury bug has struck early at Duke.

"This has been the worst preseason that we have ever had regarding injuries," said Duke coach Gail Goestenkors, in her 12th season with the Blue Devils. "We have a lot of injuries we are dealing with at this point."

As a result, just eight players practiced for Duke on Saturday as the 2003-04 season officially opened when teams across the country held their first practices.

Junior Wynter Whitley, sophomore Mistie Bass (sore knee) and redshirt freshman Caitlin Howe sat out Saturday's practice. Howe, who is recovering from ACL surgery, and Whitley (ankle surgery) are not expected to be ready for Duke's Nov. 16 season opener against Texas in the State Farm Classic in West Lafayette, Ind.

Bass is expected to return to practice in the next week.

Sophomore guard Lindsey Harding is recovering from a broken pinky finger on her left hand and participated in limited drills.

The Blue Devils, who return four starters and welcomed the top-rated recruiting class in the nation, went through drills, plays and had a semi-scrimmage at the end.

"Overall, I thought we had good intensity; everybody was excited about beginning a new season," Goestenkors said. "I was pleased with our effort."

Seniors Alana Beard, Iciss Tillis and Vicki Krapohl enter their final year with the Blue Devils after leading Duke to three straight ACC championships, 43 consecutive victories against ACC opponents, two straight Final Four appearances and three consecutive ACC regular-season titles.

Goestenkors is concerned that Duke's injuries will cost the Blue Devils some fitness and team chemistry.

"I think it will put us behind a little bit as far as players being in basketball shape and having good timing with one another; they just don't know each other on the floor," she said. "It just makes it difficult to be cohesive as a team on the floor when you have had players in an out with injuries the entire preseason."

One of the day's bright spots was the return of Monique Currie, who missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in a preseason exhibition game last Nov. 5.

"(Currie) did a great job," Goestenkors said. "I think she is physically almost 100 percent, but mentally I think she is still gaining confidence that the knee is ready to go full speed."

Duke's freshmen also impressed their new coach.

"I think Brittany Hunter is going to give us the low-post presence we have lacked at times," she said. I was very pleased with Alison (Bales) considering she has only had two days to go up and down the floor. She seemed to know to know what we needed of her. Her big thing is going to be getting in shape."

Boilers happy season has arrived
Three years ago, they helped Purdue reach the NCAA championship.

Now seniors Shereka Wright, Erika Valek, Beth Jones and Lindsey Hicks want to cap their Boilermaker careers with another trip to the Final Four.

All 14 Purdue players went through practice Saturday morning. After wrapping up Midnight Mackey Madness festivities around 1 a.m., the Purdue women returned to the court at 8 a.m. for numerous shooting, passing and defensive drills.

"It was great to finally get started," fifth-year coach Kristy Curry said. "We had a good practice, with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. We have very high hopes and expectations, and everyone understands that those things won't come without a lot of hard work."

The Boilermakers open their season against Kansas State in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 16.

Valek said Saturday's practice was the first step of what she hopes to be a long journey.

"We're so excited that this day finally came," she said. "Every day from here on out will give us an opportunity to build our chemistry and get better as a team."

Last season, Purdue finished with a 29-6 record, won the Big Ten tournament championship and advanced to the Elite Eight. This year, the squad will have a different makeup. Despite returning nine letterwinners, the Boilermakers will be youthful, with three freshmen to go along with a junior college transfer. The newcomer quartet was ranked as the nation's No. 3 recruiting class by All-Star Girls Report.

Wright, an All-American and national player of the year candidate, thought her new teammates did well their first day on the job well.

"The freshmen and (JC transfer) Aya (Traore) did a great job today," Wright said. "They have a lot to learn about our offenses and defenses, but they'll pick everything up pretty quickly. They're going to be a big key for us this year."

Texas faces high expectations in 2003-04
Forget the holidays or summer break.

"This is the best time of the year!" exclaimed Jody Conradt on Saturday before the Texas women held their first practice of the season. "There's great anticipation in every program across the country right now. We've all been waiting since last April to be on the court again.

"This is especially true with our program, because of the success our team had last year, and we are anxious on build on that."

More than 150 fans turned out for Texas' first practice, which last three hours at Frank Erwin Center, where the Longhorns went 15-0 last season en route to a 29-6 finish.

Defensive drills, fast-break transition drills, 2-on-3 drills, full-court five-on-five play and conditioning were the main focuses of the first day of practice.

"There is so much enthusiasm around our program at this point, so we coaches really don't have to worry about motivating the players," Conradt said. "Last year was an important year for us for teaching-wise and learning how to deal with failure and successes, and I expect that they'll be retention and carry-over from what we did last year."

Three Longhorns already have been included as preseason Wade Trophy candidates: senior guard Jamie Carey, 6-1 senior Stacy Stephens and 6-2 junior forward Heather Schreiber. Freshman forward Tiffany Jackson was named one of the top 15 freshmen student-athletes (male and female, across all sports) entering school this fall by Sports Illustrated's SI on Campus.

"We have really high expectations this year, but I think we know that we have to work just as hard, or harder than we did last year; no one is going to overlook us," Schreiber said. "We know it is going to take a lot of hard work to win the Big 12 championships again and get to the Final Four.

"Last year, we started the year at No. 13 and worked our way up, surprising some teams. This year, we are ranked in the top five in the preseason polls, and that brings a different kind of pressure with it. I know I'm ready for it, and I think my teammate are, also."

Throughout the season, the Longhorns will rotate between two practice sites -- the Erwin Center game floor and the program's new Denton A. Cooley Pavilion, the home of Texas men's and women's basketball. The practice facility is in the final stages of completion, and will house both programs with tremendous practice court space, state-of-the-art lounges and locker rooms, a sports medicine area and strength/conditioning complex, and an academic/resource room.

'First day a good day' at LSU
LSU coach Sue Gunter was very happy with the things she saw in her team's first workout on Saturday at the Maravich Assembly Center.

"I was very pleased; I loved the way we looked," Gunter said. "I thought we saw excellent evidence of the work we did in our four-player workouts (in the preseason). Our perimeter people looked strong, our inside looks good.

"The freshmen have a way to go, but they are going to contribute for us. We won't cancel any practices because we still have a ways to go, but for the first day it was a good day."

The women's roster all dressed for the practice with both Crystal White and Wendlyn Jones seeing limited action as they continue to work their way back in to the full rotation after offseason injuries. LSU Coach Sue Gunter was very happy with the things she saw in the course of the workout.

Gunter, in her 22nd year at LSU, said her first-year players "got some learning to do, but overall I was pleased with them."