Nov. 4, 2005

On August 27, 2005, most of the members of the Tulane women's basketball team converged on the New Orleans campus, ready to begin the 2005-06 academic year. They moved into dorm rooms as the freshmen began the orientation process; team meetings and physicals were scheduled, and preseason conditioning plans were distributed.

But just a few hours later, team members left their belonging, their new dorm rooms, and their teammates and coaches, as the campus and the city evacuated in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina. With little more than the clothes on their backs, the Green Wave players departed for various points to wait out the hurricane with friends or family. Little did they know that it would be weeks before the team would reconvene and those practice plans put in place, and months before they would be able to return to campus.

As Katrina devastated the city, making a return to campus impossible and scattering Tulane students across the country, Tulane Athletics officials ensured that Green Wave teams would continue to compete as University President Scott Cowen called on the student-athletes to "Carry the Torch, Be the Face and Represent the Name" of Tulane University during the fall semester. A few days later, the women's basketball team reunited in Dallas en route to Lubbock, Texas and Texas Tech University, their "home" for the fall semester, as Tulane teams were placed at four universities across Texas and Louisiana.

Although they started classes a week late and the beginning of preseason workouts was delayed while they adapted to their new surroundings, the Green Wave were quickly "adopted" by the Texas Tech community and especially the Red Raider women's basketball fans, who embraced the team with open arms.

"The people at Texas Tech have been absolutely amazing," head coach Lisa Stockton said. "There are a lot of challenges in coming to a totally different place to go to school and to play basketball, but I've been very pleased with the attitude of everyone on our team. They have absorbed this, and it has brought them closer together. They have really bonded and looked after each other.

"Sometimes adversity really brings people together," Stockton said. "This group has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and is looking forward to representing their school and the city of New Orleans."

Stockton's 2005-06 squad is the youngest of her 12 Tulane teams, as the lone senior on the roster, D'Aundra Henry, will take a medical redshirt and not suit up for the Wave this year. That makes way for the squad's only junior, guard Jami Montagnino, to lead the Tulane charge.

Montagnino, who was the only player to start all 27 games during the 2004-05 campaign, was the team's most dangerous shooter from behind the arc and ranked third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 7.5 points per game. The Baton Rouge native also grabbed an average of 2.8 rebounds per contest and dished out 67 assists as a sophomore.

"With the displacement, we really needed someone to stand up and take charge, and Jami has done that," Stockton said. "She doesn't want any excuses for us not doing well. She is leading by example and showing the team what we have to expect from each other. With 10 players on the roster, everyone is important. It is easier to motivate the players when they all know they are going to play a part in the season. I couldn't be happier with Jami and the way she has handled the situation."

Joining Montagnino in the backcourt are veterans Nikki Luckhurst and Khadrereil Ferguson, who both saw reserve duty during their rookie campaigns, and newcomers Ashley Langford and Sasha Staidum. While Langford has emerged as the frontrunner to run the Tulane offense in Henry's absence, Luckhurst, Staidum and Ferguson could all be called upon to run the point.

"The interesting thing about Ashley is that she does not make a lot of mistakes like you would expect from a young point guard," Stockton said. "She is a bit small (5'5"), but when you are smaller you have to play smarter. She has a great knowledge of the game.

"Nikki has really improved her game and has become more versatile. She is a great shooter who brings a lot more confidence into this season. Rabbit (Ferguson) gives us a strong presence on the floor in that she is a bigger guard that can score and rebound."

One of the most interesting battles for playing time will be at forward. Sophomores Alendra Brown, who started 23 games last season, and Dominique Philpots picked up valuable playing time as rookies a year ago. Fellow sophomore Jennifer Sands has shifted from guard to forward for her second season and will vie for time with highly-touted newcomer Kendra Barnes.

"Alendra has worked tremendously hard and has improved her game," Stockton said. "She has really committed herself and is providing a lot of leadership."

Philpots, who emerged during the conference schedule, will be looked to more this season with the absence of former standout Lakethia Hampton.

"Last year we saw flashes of what Dominique could do," said Stockton. "She is the quickest player on the team and she is very agile, which makes her very difficult to guard. Once she got adjusted to college basketball, she really improved and was really key for us in the conference games."

While Stockton and her staff will rely heavily on Brown and Philpots down low, they now have the option of Sands and Sapulpa, Okla., native Barnes.

"Jennifer is going to present a mismatch and a challenge to the defense in that she is a good passer that plays with a lot of intensity and can shoot the three," Stockton said. "Kendra has big-time potential. She is very explosive like (former Tulane and WNBA standout) Teana McKiver; she is strong, agile and has the ability to score."

With the losses of Shelly Cayette and Cashmir White due to graduation and injury, respectively, the Green Wave roster lacks a true center, but Stockton speculates that any of her forwards could fill the role.

"This year's team is extremely young with no seniors and only one junior competing," Stockton said. "We are very talented, and our freshmen are very talented and will be called upon. Last year's freshmen were very good and contributed a lot and this class will be expected to do the same."

Although she has the youngest team in her 12 years at the helm of the Tulane program, Stockton is optimistic that her squad will fare well in the realigned Conference USA. On July 1, 2005, the league welcomed newcomers Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UCF and UTEP to form a "new" Conference USA that features more geographically and academically compatible schools. Tulane will play in the West Division along with Houston, Rice, Tulsa, SMU and UTEP and is scheduled to play everyone in their division twice (home and home) with one game each against teams in the East.

"With the realignment of the league we have a lot more built in rivalries, especially having two divisions," Stockton said. "Our division has schools from Texas that are a lot like Tulane in that they are private schools with high academic standards, and I think they are schools that our fans can really identify with.

"Several Conference USA teams have Top 25 potential, and this league has the potential to be one of the top five leagues in the country in a few years."

Although the Wave will face many new faces during the conference season, the team can be assured that the competition will be just as fierce as in years past. And while she has a young squad in a "new" league, Stockton looks for her team to bring a highly competitive product to the floor.

"Our lack of game experience is a concern for us, but our intensity level has risen dramatically this year," Stockton added. "I cannot say enough about our freshmen. The maturity level and the way they have handled this situation has been very impressive."

While the Tulane players and coaching staff are anxiously awaiting a return to New Orleans in December, they are also looking forward to taking the court at Texas Tech and representing their university and their city during the fall semester.

"Our kids realize that it is a much larger cause than a game or a season, and they have embraced it," Stockton said. "The fans should be very proud of who is representing their school and their city."