Exhibition game first chance to play

The women's basketball team faces off against the Reebok Lady Stars at 7:30 p.m. today in Assembly Hall, kicking off its exhibition season. \nThe team has a new coach and a new strategy heading into the game, and the Hoosiers hope to gain more insight on what else needs to be improved before IU's regular season.\n"I'm excited to finally play a game," coach Kathi Bennett said. "I'm anxious to see where we're at, because we've only been playing against each other. Exhibition games are an experimental thing where you get to really see your players and try some new things."\nThe Reebok All-Stars have three players from the state, including center Rachelle Bostic, who was a letter winner at IU from 1981-84. Bostic holds the record at IU for most field goals in a single game (17) and in a career (839). Bostic was All Big Ten (second team) in 1984, and is part of the 1,000 Point Club (1,827). Bostic is the only member who has played all 13 years of the Reebok All-Stars game.\n"I've played against (Bostic) for the last two years," junior center Jill Chapman said. "She's pretty cool. She talks to you and makes you laugh, but you've got to keep your head in it. She's really strong, and it's good to play against her." \nThe All-Stars have three players from the WNBA. Forward Monica Maxwell, who spent her college years playing for Louisiana Tech, plays for the newly formed Indiana Fever. Guards Robin Threatt and Stacy Frese are members of the Seattle Storm and Utah Starzz, respectively. The team is coached by Tom O'Brien, who has been a coach of AAU men's basketball for the past three years, and took them to the championship three years ago.\nThis event started 13 years ago to give the Indiana All-Stars a team to play against. Team coordinator Garry Donna of the Hoosier Basketball Magazine gathered a group of former college players to play in exhibition games against the team. Donna expanded the All-Stars, and began playing against four collegiate teams in the first year. This year, the team is taking on nine different teams.\n"We like this, because we get to play against good competition in good facilities," Donna said. "I've known Kathi Bennett since she was head coach at Evansville, and she's good people, which also makes this game fun."\nThe Hoosiers are hoping all the work they have put into their defense will show on the court. The smallness of the team made it easy for teams to get inside the post, which is something the team hopes to eliminate this season, Chapman said.\nIt is the first game IU has played without Jim Izard on the sidelines in 11 years. Bennett was named head coach in March, and has worked on not only improving the team's defense, but working to improve team's closeness.\n"It's going to be a lot different having Coach Bennett on the sideline and not Coach Izard," Chapman said. "It's going to be a lot better."\nThe roster for the Hoosiers isn't set in stone yet. Junior guard Heather Cassady will start, as well as senior guard Rainey Alting in the one and two positions. In the inside positions, Chapman and senior forward Rachael Honegger are expected to start. The rest of the positions are up in the air, but all of the players will be making an appearance, Bennett said.\n"It's going to be really challenging," Chapman said. "Then again, it's going to be really good, because we can show a lot of people we are ready to play this year"