Co-captains Amy Waugh and Reetta Piipari give XU a solid backcourt. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        The Faithful 50. That's what Melanie Balcomb and her Xavier players nicknamed their tiny contingent of fans five years ago in Schmidt Fieldhouse. “Most were family,” she said.

        The family has grown and, locally, so has the sport. Balcomb says the most rewarding thing about her program's progress is what's going on in the stands.

        “The university is treating games like a big-time event,” she said. “Ushers at a game? Woo! People are worried about parking already; that's so cool.

        “Those were some of my dreams, as little as they sound — my vision for Xavier.”

        The Musketeers' 31-3 record and Elite Eight finish last season capped the program's rapid rise. The players on display at 4 p.m. today in Cintas Center for “Musketeer Madness,” young though they are, will be charged with keeping XU from taking a step back.

TODAY'S EVENTS

3 p.m. — Doors open.   4 p.m. — Contests; performances by band, cheerleaders and dance team; highlight video and countdown to introductions.   4:30 p.m. — Women's team introduced. Full scrimmage follows. Halftime includes contests and a performance by the Extreme Team slam-dunk acrobats.   5:30 p.m. — Meet the Musketeers reception.

        Co-captains Amy Waugh and Reetta Piipari came up with the slogan “New Team, Same Dream” that adorns the players' practice jerseys. “Everyone has the dream about getting to the Final Four, playing for a national championship,” Waugh said.

        Such goals would have sounded silly around campus a half-decade ago. But the Musketeers have held a season-ending national ranking each of the past three years, going 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament in that time — with two of those losses coming by a combined three points. XU hasn't missed the postseason since 1997.

        The trappings of a big-time program are emerging.

        The team plays in a $46 million arena. The attendance average last season, a school-record 2,673, was more than three times the 786 average of the prior season. XU had sold 837 season tickets as of Friday, up from 219 total last season.

        For the first time, the team is on radio: 12 regular-season and all postseason games will be on WVXU-FM (91.7). Three regular-season games will be on TV. Balcomb had her contract extended through the 2007-08 season. The university has given the team its own Musketeer Madness, rather than making it the undercard for the men's event.

        And, yes, there are ushers.

        “That's the biggest thing we're proud of here — what we've done for women's basketball in the city, the community, the university,” Balcomb said.

Coach Melanie Balcomb | ZOOM |

        The weightiest accomplishments now give way to the heaviest lifting.

        Xavier must replace four starters and 75 percent of its scoring from last season. Taru Tuukkanen, Nicole Levandusky and Jennifer Phillips - who all ranked in the top five on the school's scoring list and were drafted by WNBA teams — are gone.

        No player remaining has been in the program more than two years. Because of some transfers and injuries, XU has just 11 scholarship players, four under the maximum. There's just one senior: guard Shavon Bell, in her second year here.

        “We're pretty doggone young,” Balcomb said.

        This could be a pivotal season. If the Musketeers can halt a significant slide — say, by returning to the NCAA Tournament — they would seem set to establish themselves as a power.

        “It'll be a tremendous challenge for the players to keep the program at that level,” Balcomb said.

        The coach built the program on an offense that would look either for quick 3-pointers or work the ball inside to Phillips and Tuukkanen. XU ranked in the top three nationally in field-goal percentage each of the last three seasons, ranking in the top three in 3-point shooting in two of those.

        This team will be smaller but perhaps faster. Balcomb said her five freshmen are fleet, and the Musketeers will push the pace even more.

        They will rebuild around the junior backcourt of Piipari and Waugh. Piipari led the nation in assists (8.3 avg.) last season and averaged 10.9 points. Waugh came back from a ruptured Achilles' tendon to average 7.2 points and 3.9 assists.

        Bell, who averaged 10 minutes and 2.4 points, is the defensive stopper. Sophomore Kate Kreager is the expected frontcourt star; she averaged only 3.1 points last year (in 10.4 minutes), but led the team by shooting 65.2 percent.

        “A lot of people think with the loss of five seniors, we're going to fold,” Kreager said. “We'll enjoy the underdog role. I think we'll surprise a lot of people.”

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