Team-wise, the ambition will be to win consistently and finish at the top of the Ivy League.

“As a team, I want us to win Ivy,” Budischak says. “They started last year ranked first and didn’t win, so that was a disappointment. This year, we started ranked second, so we want to win.”

LINDSAY HALLION

The Crimson had better pick up wins in bunches this year, because Hallion—a 5’9 guard from Westwood, Mass.—hasn’t had much experience losing, helping Westwood High win 71 straight games, including two Division 3 state championships. “It was a really amazing run for a team to accomplish, because it really needed everyone. It really said a lot for the team,” Hallion says.Or a lot about her. Hallion averaged over 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game in becoming her high school’s all-time scoring leader. She also earned Massachussetts South Sectional Player of the Year and 2004 Boston Globe Super Team honors.

“I think that in any team, to be successful, everyone has to play their certain role,” Hallion says. “Everyone has to be ready to step in and contribute any way they can, whether it’s cheering on teammates on the sideline, going in for a second and getting a loose ball, or being the leading scorer or leading rebounder.”

According to Delaney-Smith, Hallion is the most likely freshman to contribute. “[She] is a very athletic, talented point guard,” Delaney-Smith says. “She’s doing a great job, and she’s a strong 1-on-1 player for us.”

LAUREN FREID

Freid, a 6’ forward from Gwynedd, Penn., could also make a push for some early playing time.

“Lauren Freid is a utility player. She’s powerful inside and comfortable on the perimeter,” Delaney-Smith says.

Freid’s alma mater, Germantown Academy, didn’t lose a league game during the two-time All-League selection’s tenure. Freid started on her varsity team four years and captained the Germantown Academy squad her senior year.

“We always had a really strong team,” Freid says. “During senior year, I was called upon to be a leader, and I was the captain.”

Freid looks forward to Ivy League play as the highlight of the season.“I grew up near the University of Pennsylvania, so I’ve been watching Ivy basketball all my life.”

ADRIAN BUDISCHAK

If her size and high school performance are any indication, Budischak, a 6’1 forward, will prove a presence crashing the boards for the Crimson.

Budischak averaged 17 points per game during her senior year, scoring over 1,600 points through high school. During the Budischak Era, Wyomissing Area High School won four division titles and entered the state semifinals after making the district finals for the first time since the 1970s. Budischak earned a spot on the Class AA All-State second team.