Things are looking up for the Muhlenberg women’s basketball team.

The defending Centennial Conference champions enter the 2006-07 season, which begins tomorrow with a Scotty Wood Tournament game against North Carolina Wesleyan, with what is probably the tallest team in school history. The Mules have

Wright averaged 5.4 points per game two years ago and leads all active Muhlenberg players with 20 career three-pointers.

four post players 6-0 or taller to go along with several wing players who have good size for their position.

But what it will take most of all to make a serious run at a second consecutive title is an elevation in play. Muhlenberg graduated seven seniors from last year’s 26-3 squad, so it will need significant contributions from players who were in lesser roles or in high school last year.

Overall there is great potential, balanced out by tremendous youth: 12 of the 16 players are freshmen and sophomores. In addition to their size, the Mules have good speed and should be able to score more consistently than they did last year, which will be important since it would be hard to expect such a young team to match last year’s defensive prowess (52.1 points per game allowed).

How quickly the team learns to work together (a trademark of past successful teams) and how fast individuals develop and learn to mesh their skills into the team concept will go a long way in determining how strong a contender Muhlenberg will be this season.

The Mules have their top two scorers back in senior center Meghan Courtney and sophomore guard Lauren Boyle. Courtney had a breakout year in 2005-06, emerging as one

CC preseason poll school points 1. Johns Hopkins (7) 181 2. Dickinson (7) 178 3. MUHLENBERG (4) 164 4. McDaniel (4) 156 5. Ursinus 125 6. Gettysburg 118 7. Swarthmore  93 8. Franklin & Marshall  78 9. Haverford  50 10. Washington  48 11. Bryn Mawr  24 first-place votes in parentheses

of the top centers in the region. The first-team All-Centennial selection led Muhlenberg and ranked in the top 10 in the CC in scoring (14.4 points per game), rebounding (8.6 rebounds per game), blocked shots (1.39 per game) and field-goal percentage (.447). In one of the best years ever by a Mule freshman, Boyle averaged 10.7 points and seemed to hit a big basket or make a clutch free throw in every close game.

The other six returnees played supporting roles to court veterans and will get the opportunity to showcase their talents more this year. Senior Emily Wright, junior Michelle Feldman and sophomore Kaitlin Strumph will contribute at the wing positions, junior Abra Like is poised to take over as the starting point guard, and sophomores Bethany Enterline and Erin McSherry will be big factors in the frontcourt.

Muhlenberg will again feature pressure defense and a place a heavy emphasis on the transition game. In the end, however, the Mules’ ultimate success will likely depend on how well they defend and rebound, two things they did very well in 2005-06.