ORONO – It isn’t starting over from scratch, but fans can expect a vastly different University of Maine women’s basketball team this season.

First-year coach Ann McInerney inherits a Black Bear squad with solid frontcourt experience and talent, but one thin at the guard spot.

“I’m extremely pleased with our progress.” McInerney said. “By no means are we a finished product right now.”

UMaine, coming off a 20-10 campaign during which it went 16-2 in America East play, begins the transition to a new coach and a fresh philosophy in earnest Friday with a nonleague road opener at Rider.

“We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be,” said senior center Abby Schrader. “We’ve just got to get out there and get after it.”

While the Bears hope to maintain the program’s status as a championship contender, there will be challenges after losing three starters, including two all-conference players.

“We can’t really base much on last year because we are so inexperienced,” McInerney said. “I think we just need to allow this group to grow together and to gel together; to try to build on the tradition of the program, but not put too much pressure on what’s been done in the past.”

Junior swing player Bracey Barker of Bar Harbor, Schrader and junior shooting guard Ashley Underwood headline the ballclub, which includes veterans in junior center Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa, senior forward Katie Whittier of New Gloucester and sophomore point guard Margaret Elderton.

Barker, a captain, may hold the key to UMaine’s fortunes. The 6-foot-1 forward, who came into her own last season while averaging 11.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, will be counted upon to take another big stride.

“I think she’s done a very good job of leading this team and now the challenge will be her taking over in that go-to player role,” McInerney said. “She’s just so versatile.”

Schrader is the focal point of the frontcourt. McInerney wants the 6-3 center, who averaged 6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots last season, to reach her potential and establish more consistency.

“We need her to have a monster year,” McInerney said. “She knows what it’s like down in the trenches and we need her to step up in her leadership role and be a strong scoring presence.”

The other returning regular is Underwood, who hit a team-best 53 3-pointers a year ago and shot a school-record 93 percent from the foul line. Her long-range shooting and defensive tenacity will be needed.

Underwood continues to diversify her game with better dribble-penetration moves.

“She’s a very tough competitor, a tough defender,” McInerney said. “Those [3-pointers] should help open up our inside game.”

On paper, the big question mark is at point guard. Elderton is working her way back from a season-ending knee injury and surgery.

Elderton, who may need some time to get back into the swing of things, is a key piece of the puzzle.

“She’s a sparkplug and we’re going to need her,” McInerney said. “She has to be a coach on the floor.”

Up front, Whittier and Hugstad-Vaa have shown improvement. The 6-2 Whittier should give UMaine a solid scorer, rebounder and defender at power forward.

“She definitely has stepped up and been one of the highlights of the preseason,” McInerney said. “We’re really looking for big things from her.”

Hugstad-Vaa, at 6-1, provides a more physical presence down low. While known more as a defender, she has improved her offense and complements her frontcourt mates well.

“She is one of our hardest workers,” McInerney said. “Coming off the bench she should be able to add to the flow of the game and make her presence felt.”

Redshirt freshman wing player Ameshia Bryant may be another spark for the Bears. Her quickness, rebounding ability and defensive intensity could help her break into the regular rotation.

Tenacious freshman shooting guard Brittany Bowen also has shown potential.

The Bears’ 12-member roster also includes sophomore point guard Kris Younan, freshman wing player Colleen Kilmurray, frosh post Brittany Boser and freshman guard-forward Shelby Pickering of Lee.

Pickering walked on after finishing her first season on the UMaine soccer team. Katie Lutts of York is filling in as a practice player.

McInerney hopes to build the Bears’ success around good defense based on man-to-man principles. UMaine will implement a variety of schemes depending upon their opponents.

As the Bears establish their half-court chemistry and consistency of execution, they may be best served by rebounding hard and running often.

“I’ve always been an uptempo coach. I like to run the ball, create stuff with our defense in the full court,” McInerney said.

The Bears believe they have enough talent to be a winning team in America East.

“Our goals this year remain the same: Building on the tradition that the women’s basketball team here has, yet knowing that we have to work harder because we’re a new team and we don’t have a lot of experience,” McInerney said.

UMaine will be challenged by a testy non-conference schedule that includes road games at Michigan, Mississippi State, George Washington and tourney games against the likes of Mississippi.

“We’re a really young team, but we have so much potential. We can get better every day,” Barker said.