With two new staffs trying to implement their system into a team, it could make for an interesting game with whichever team can execute the best possibly coming out on top.

“Our thing is, really, to get into a flow and start working together, run our stuff the best we can and get after it on both ends of the floor,” Merchant said.

The two teams met last season, a 64-55 MSU victory.

“We’re not going to take them lightly,” junior forward Aisha Jefferson said.

“We don’t know their new system, but we know that when we played them last year, they went after it. We’re still going to take that as what they were and go with it.”

The players are just excited to get into a game setting.

“We’ve just been really excited about playing that first game,” Jefferson said.

“It’s kind of surreal that it’s already here. We’re a little nervous going through because it’s our first game with a new coaching staff, but there’s a lot of excitement going through here.”

Like a typical coach, Merchant would like some more practice time to work out the kinks.

“I feel like, as a coach, we could always use another week of practice,” Merchant said. “(The players) seem like they’re more ready to play, and I’m wanting more time, but I think they’re excited to tip it up and quit practicing and start playing.”

Merchant said that freshman Brittney Thomas, senior Alisa Wulff, freshman Kalisha Keane, Jefferson and sophomore Allyssa DeHann would comprise the starting lineup.

“We have been building as a team,” Merchant said. “We’re getting better offensively and defensively, which is all you can ask for.”

Talking about her bench, Merchant believes she has “some talented kids that can do some things,” but stressed that, right now, this isn’t a very deep team.

“We’re always in pretty good shape, especially our post players,” Jefferson said.

“We’d love to go deeper in the post, but some things just don’t work out like that, but I think we’re ready to produce more minutes than we did last year.”