inning a fourth consecutive Big Ten reg-
ular-season championship was never go-
ing to be easy. The Penn State women's
basketball team has graduated too many
talented, experienced players during the past two
years to just keep rolling along unabated.
But the three-time defending champs are facing
obstacles this year that have nothing to do with the
loss of last season's top four scorers and everything
to do with the changes the Big Ten underwent re-
cently with its decision to expand to 14 schools.
That's right: Maryland and Rutgers. Big Ten football
fans may have shrugged when they o!cially joined
the conference earlier this year. These were two
schools that had not enjoyed a lot of gridiron success
over the years, having combined to make only one
|
LOOKING
AHEAD
Washington
addresses re-
porters on the
Lady Lions'
first day of
preseason
practice in
October. The
team has
won the past
three Big Ten
regular-sea-
son champi-
onships. Pho-
to by Bill Zim-
merman
BALANCE OF POWER
Expansion has reshaped the Big Ten landscape
W
W O M E N ' S
B A S K E T B A L L
