With perhaps her most promising corps of veterans in her six years as head coach, Kellee Barney is looking for some millennium magic as Gonzaga University enters the 21st century.

Barney will greet 10 returnees from last year's squad as well as a promising group of newcomers.

"We're excited about the coming season. We have a good mix of some solid returnees who have been our base, and we have some good young players," Barney said. "We have some talented youth and we are trying to blend them with some veterans who have some experience with the style of play we are trying to establish."

Barney acknowledges disappointment in last season's 8-19 overall record and 4-10 West Coast Conference finish that left the Bulldogs in a tie for sixth. Gonzaga made a first-round exit from the WCC Tournament for the fifth straight season.

"This team has a hunger. I think all of us were extremely disappointed with last season. This team can compete. What we have to do is be able to blend the new talent with our veterans," Barney said. "We've added some size that will help us in the long run. We still want to rely on our quickness. Coming off a disappointing season, but knowing we can compete, will give them a drive we haven't had in the past."

Jessica Malone will be hoping the sophomore jinx doesn't bite her after leading the team in scoring as a freshman at 12.8 ppg. She was the only player to play and start all 27 games for the Bulldogs. Malone was one of three Bulldogs earning WCC honorable mention recognition.

Malone, an athletic 5-10 guard, scored just 9 points total in her first three collegiate games, but then put up double-digit numbers for the next 18 games. She scored a season-high 26 points in back-to-back games against a pair of WSU's - Weber State and Washington State. Malone paced the Bulldogs with 53 3-pointers while shooting 34.2 percent from long range.

"We were pleasantly pleased with what Malone brought to us last year. Not only her outside shooting ability, but her ability to slash to the basket and also drive," Barney said. "She had to run the point for us at times and did a great job. She brings some versatility and she has matured a lot over last year. She's a real competitor who hates to lose."

While Malone is one of the young veterans, she'll be complimented by a pair of fellow WCC honorable mention performers who return for their junior campaigns.

Holly (Turner) Bruno has a new moniker after her June 12, 1999, marriage to Gonzaga soccer player Andy Bruno, but Barney doesn't expect that to change her intensity on the court. Bruno, a 5-10 guard, averaged 11.3 ppg last season despite missing six games due to illness. Bruno was second behind Malone with 46 3-pointers, shooting 35.1 percent from beyond the arc.

"Holly can bring a number of things from that outside threat. We're hoping her health problems are under control. It may be a case of having to rest her for longer periods earlier in the game," Barney said. "We did more of that late in the season."

As for having the demands of marriage in an already hectic life, Barney doesn't expect Bruno to have any problems juggling school, basketball and a marriage.

"I think marriage can be a godsend for certain people. I don't expect it to be any different coaching Holly Bruno than it was Holly Turner. I look at it as a positive," Barney said.

The third member of Gonzaga's WCC honorable mention trio is 5-10 forward Kristin Deal.

Deal was one of the most consistent players for the Bulldogs last season, starting the final 16 games. She averaged 7.0 ppg and her 5.3 rpg game tied with Malone for the team lead. She had a pair of double-digit rebounding nights with 10 at Washington State University, and a career-high 12 against Santa Clara. She also posted eight double-digit scoring nights among her 16 starts, including a career-high equaling 14 at San Diego.

"I thought Kristin had a terrific year last year. By far, she was the most consistent player we had. She gained a lot of respect from coaches in our league, not so much by putting up huge numbers but by being a solid force you could rely on," Barney said.

Malone and Deal were two of four players who started every West Coast Conference outing a year ago for the Bulldogs. The other two were point guard Jessica Waltz and center Melanie Tipps.

Waltz inherited the point guard spot all to herself when freshman Celeste Quitiquit suffered a season-ending knee injury the first day of practice. Waltz was the lone Bulldog to start all 27 games.

Quitiquit is healthy and ready to go, but she'll have to beat out Waltz for the starting job.

"I think Celeste will be 100 percent when she comes back. It was good she was able to sit back and watch a lot of things with our team last year," Barney said. "But I was proud of the way Waltz stepped in. Right now it it's Jessica's team. She is a true point guard. Celeste will be looked at to give some relief duty, but we need to stay healthy at that position.

Barney said the coaching staff needs to give their point guards a better idea of what is expected of them."

Waltz is definitely a point guard, but she needs more definition of what we want. We need to be more defined at the point guard. When the ball is in her hands and she knows she can make decisions, that's when she is at her best. I thought she made a huge improvement from her freshman to her sophomore year," Barney noted.

After starting the first four games of the season, Tipps came off the bench for five of the next six outings before stepping into the starting center role for the final 17 contests. She had a season-high 13 points twice during the season while averaging 7.3 ppg.

In Barney's eyes, all the junior Tipps needs is more experience.

"The more experience Melanie gets, the more you'll see her contribute," Barney said.

Barney also said she's not looking for 20-point, 10-rebound nights from her big people, but rather a consistent effort throughout.

"We have a number of people with the ability to step up and make things happen. That's an asset. There's not one person we need to give us 20 points or 10 boards on a given night. We need to become solid and consistent," Barney said.

Sydney Perno is one of the people with the ability to be a force on the inside, and after a disappointing 1999 campaign Barney thinks it's a matter of the 6-1 senior regaining her confidence.

Perno started 47-of-54 appearances through her first two seasons, then lost her starting 10 games into the '99 season. Although she scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the third game of the season against Eastern Washington, she would not reach double-digits in either category the remainder of the season.

"Syd was a little disappointed in herself last year, and that will drive her to become better her senior year. We expect Syd to do the same things we know she's been capable of doing all along. She needs to be our finisher on the inside and step up from the defensive side and stop that other top post player. A lot of it is just confidence. If she can get out of the gate early she'll be fine and great things will happen for her," Barney predicted.

If there's someone Barney is looking to as the inspirational leader, it's senior forward Tennille Jeffries. Barney is also hoping she'll step her game up on the court as well.

"From an emotional standpoint as far as the type of person our team looks to for leadership, Tennille Jeffries is that type of leader. Everybody gravitates to her. We need her to step up and make that impact on the floor. She's capable, but hasn't been as vocal a person on the floor as she has off the floor. If you're looking for that natural leader, it will probably be Tennille," Barney said.

Jeffries came off the bench in 25-of-27 appearances last year, but her numbers were down from her previous two seasons. After shooting 38.4 percent from the floor as a sophomore, she slipped to 31.3 percent last season. She also hit on just 15.0 percent of her 3-point attempts after hitting 30.0 percent a year ago. Both percentages were well below her career totals.

Jeffries showed the spark Barney is looking for early in the season, posting a 10-point, 10-rebound night against Arizona State, and later hitting for a season-high 12 points against Idaho.

As was the case last season, Heather Osberg will return to the Bulldogs following volleyball season. An outside hitter for the volleyball team, the 6-2 forward gives the Bulldog basketball team an inside/outside presence. She scored in double digits in 8 of the final 9 outings of '99, including a career-high 22 points in the regular-season final against Loyola Marymount.

Her 18 3-pointers were third on the team behind Malone and Bruno, and her 8.8 ppg in WCC play were third on the team.

"Heather will definitely be back. Unfortunately, we don't get her back until we've had pre-season games," Barney said. "The question will be how quickly she can adapt from volleyball to basketball. From an athletic standpoint she has no problem making that transition. The problem is putting her on the floor with four people who click with her. Now that we've done it a year, I think we both have a better idea of what it takes as far as a timeline to fit in and feel comfortable with the system.

"We expect great things from her. She can go inside or out, and toward the end of the season she put together some great games for us. If she can start from there and finish even stronger I think great things will happen for her," Barney said.

Sophomore guards Erin Bergman and Casey Correa got plenty of minutes a year ago, and should again provide valuable depth.

"I'm hoping Casey and Erin's roles will increase. Erin can bring us a lot of things, most notably defensive intensity that is uncanny. If she can control that and not pick up cheap fouls, she can help us. Erin has a good 3-point shot and pull-up jumper. We need Erin to improve her ball handling and passing skills. If she can do that she'll see a significant amount of playing time.

"Casey is more a point guard. She brings a "street ball" type mentality to the game. She has very good instincts and plays good defense. She has excellent court vision," Barney said.

The Bulldogs will also welcome one player who hasn't been in a game situation in two years with the return of 5-11 junior forward Chelsea Clark. After playing 217 minutes as a freshman in 1996-97, Clark was sidelined for her sophomore season after playing just 13 minutes in the first game of the season. She rehabilitated foot and ankle injuries but was unable to return to action. She had surgery in August of '98 and did not play the 1998-99 season.

"Chelsea has been cleared to play. She had been playing last spring. With Chelsea it's anybody's guess. We'll have to see her on the floor and see what she is able to do. I don't think she's had any problems with her legs. Her playing time is yet to be seen, because we haven't seen her in 5-on-5 and see where she stands," Barney said.

Barney doesn't know how the lack of competition will impact Clark's progress.

"She hasn't played in two years in a competitive sense. We don't know what she can do, and I don't think she knows. She's set some high goals and that's great. If she can meet those goals we'll be even better at the four spot. Anything Chelsea can bring us will be a pleasant surprise. The timing and just "playing" the game are the two things that don't just come back after such a long layoff. It's something you have to work at," Barney noted.

Barney won't have to rely on only her veterans. Sophomore guard Carmel Lampson will be joined by a trio of freshmen - 6-2 forward Nathalie Chevally from Glaud, Switzerland, 6-3 forward/center Anne Bickelhaupt from Waitsburg, WA, and 6-3 center Amanda Fahsholtz from Yakima, WA.

Lampson spent two seasons at the University of California-Santa Barbara, redshirting her first season. She attended the Community Colleges of Spokane in 1998-99 but did not play basketball. She prepped at Kamiakin High in Kennewick, WA.

"Lampson is a proven player. She knows what it takes to play at this level. Transferring from Santa Barbara you know she is legit," Barney said. We're counting her in the mix immediately," Barney said.

As for the freshmen, whether or not they play or redshirt depends on their progress.

"Our plan with the freshmen is to see how they adapt to the conditioning phase, then see how they adapt when they get on the floor and see what they are capable of doing. We have some size. Nathalie is perhaps more experienced because she has played club ball in Switzerland. We need to see if they can contribute. If they can right away then we'll play them," Barney said of the young newcomers.

Barney expects her team to evolve to more a high-pressure defense, something she felt the team got away from last season.

"We got away from the high-pressure intensity last year. We may not look at using it for 40 minutes, but it will be a big part of what we're all about," Barney said.

Se's also excited about the size of this year's team, although the real rewards may be a year away.

"We really tried to attack underneath depth from a recruiting standpoint. We're young, and we may not reap those benefits this year from a depth standpoint. But I think we've set a tone for the future," Barney said.

A mix of veterans, youth and a new hunger have Barney looking forward to the upcoming season.

And if all else fails, perhaps she can call on some of that "Millennium Magic" to get the Bulldogs back into the upper division of the WCC.