This Friday evening (Sept. 30), your Guelph Gryphon's women's basketball team will take on the Ryerson Rams in an exhibition game at the W.F. Mitchell Centre. Guelph, 9-13 last season, looks to open the year in winning fashion against a strong Ryerson squad, who finished last season with a 10-12 record.

Expect this game to go a long way in determining which players ultimately get the call once the season kicks off, especially for a young Gryphon squad sporting eight rookies.

What To Look For: Gryphon's Frontcourt
Fourth year starters Jasmine Douglas and Samantha Russell will once again anchor the Gryphon backcourt. Both are very well rounded players, capable of averaging a double-double this upcoming season. The main concern for this upcoming season will be depth, so this game could help determine the primary bigs off the bench. While the team will be going through the usual growing pains on offense, expect a strong defensive effort to play a big part in determining playing time.

What To Look For: Gryphon's Backcourt
Last year's starters Chelsea Kane and Ali Dzikowski will be penciled in as the starters in the Gryphon backcourt, with Kayla Goodhoofd the likely candidate to start at small forward. Again, most of the game will be used in determining how the bench will work itself out. Third year guard Marlee Freeman is likely to play a sixth man role this year, and Guelph has a number of young guards eager to prove their worth. With the focus on playing hard defence this year, a solid effort could easily translate into strong consideration for the upcoming season.

What To Look For: Rams Frontcourt
Angela Tilk and Alexandrea Tkaczyk should start in the Rams frontcourt, and are expected on last year's successful campaigns. Tilk averaged 10 points and 6.7 rebounds, while Tkaczyk led the team with 6.8 rebounds to go with a 5.3 scoring average. Both players should continue to improve, but might be undersized against the Gryphon frontcourt of Douglas and Russell.

What To Look For: Rams Backcourt
The Rams have a very talented backcourt in guards Ashley Macdonald and Kelsey Wright. Macdonald, entering her 5th year, averaged 16.9 points per game last year, good for 2nd in the OUA. Wright, not to be outdone, averaged 13.7 points per game in her 2nd year and is expected to improve on last season's success. The Gryphon's will have their hands full containing these two talented guards, which should help in preparing them for this upcoming season.