A week after receiving their NCAA Division III championship rings, the No. 1 ranked women's basketball team is preparing for their season opener at the Franklin Tip-Off, playing Otterbein Univesity on Friday night.
The top-ranked team in the nation returns from an undefeated season, going 34-0 in the regular season, and winning both the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament and the NCAA Division III Championship.
The team only lost three graduating athletes this season - guard Kate Walker, forward Ellie Pearson and guard Kathleen Malloy. However, coach Kris Huffman's class of 2013 was essential to the Tigers' perfect season. The three players won their 100th game together in a 91-46 win at Hiram College. The game, one of the highlights of the season, clinched the NCAC Conference title for the Tigers, the second in a row for the program.
Last year's season was filled with awards and recognitions, including a handshake with President Barack Obama and an honorable mention of "the 34-0 DePauw Tigers" at a White House event this past June.
Last year also saw head coach Kris Huffman's induction to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in late April. Huffman was also the recipient of several coach of the year awards, including a Division III Coach of the Year award courtesy of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
All of Huffman's starters, forwards Pearson and senior Alex Gasaway and guards Walker, junior Savannah Trees and senior Ali Ross all earned All-NCAC awards for stellar performances. The starters helped DePauw win all their games by an average scoring margin of 26 points. On the average game of the 2012 season, the team outbid its opponents in every statistic, including a +12 rebounding margin and +6 on turnovers.
Huffman acknowledges her players' hard work, which has them ranked as the top team in the nation again this year.
"One of the costs of being a really good program is that you cannot take moments off," Huffman said. "It truly makes you respect what our women's basketball team endures every time they step on the court."
One of Huffman's returning players is Alison Stephens, a 5-foot-10-inch senior forward from Kansas. She notes the team is preparing for this season just as they have previously.
"We're going in like we have all games. We respect our opponent and make sure we do our fundamentals," Stephens said. And after a season with no losses, Stephens said they do not worry about the added pressure.
"This in itself is a new season and we're going to do the best we can to win the championship," she said. "It's the same as any other season."