By Travis Akin 10

The regular season has not yet begun for SIUC women’s basketball coach Cindy Scott, but so far she is enjoying coaching more than she has in recent years.

This team is really tight, Scott said. They really like each other, and I am having a ball coaching them. I’m having more fun coaching them than I probably have had in 10 years of coaching. That is not a knock on any of my other teams it is just these guys are really fun to coach.

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This season will mark the 21st year of coaching at SIUC for Scott, who has compiled a 378-197 record with the Salukis. Scott also is No. 31 in the nation in victories and is 13th on the NCAA list of youngest coaches to reach 300 wins.

At SIUC, Scott has steered the Salukis to eight 20-win seasons, four 19-win seasons, three Missouri Valley Conference titles and four NCAA appearances. And since 1983, she has guided the Salukis to first- or second-place finishes in 11 of 16 conference races.

Scott said the Salukis’ inside game will be a key factor in turning around the fourth-place conference finish of last season. The Salukis finished 14-14 overall and 9-9 in the conference last season.

The team seems to have adjusted to having senior point guard Beth Hasheider run the offense, Scott said. Hasheider is taking the place of three-time MVC Defensive Player of the Year Kasia McClendon.

This team is a great fit for Beth, Scott said. They are very secure in her running the show. I have been really pleased with the way she has been playing. We are very big and strong inside. I think we have the most potent inside game around.

But in the preseason polls in the conference, the Salukis are picked to finish fourth.

Scott said she does not pay any attention to preseason polls, and she has confidence her team can produce a conference championship this year.

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I’d like to think we can compete for the championship, Scott said. I’ll be disappointed if we don’t win. We’re competitive. We think we are good enough to do that. I could really care less if they picked us fourth.