RUSTON - According to head coach Kurt Budke, Louisiana Tech is not truly ready for a game.

However, Budke also knows his team needs to face some competition in order to gauge where it is at this point of the preseason workouts and that competition will come Monday night in the Lady Techsters' first exhibition game of the season.

"I think we are at the point where, no, we are not technically ready to play a game, but at the same time, I think the only way for us to get better is to play a game," said Budke, whose team will host the Perik Jumpers, an exhibition team from the Netherlands, at 6 p.m. Monday at the Thomas Assembly Center. "Then we can go back over the film and go back over the mistakes and show the kids what they are doing wrong. We are playing hard and running the floor, but our timing and defensive consistency and rebounding aren't where they should be."

Since practice opened Oct. 18, Budke has kept his team divided evenly in its practices in order to get the best competition possible on the floor. That plus the fact that senior forward Trina Frierson has still yet to hit the floor following surgery in early October has kept Budke from getting a good look at his starting five.

"That time is coming," Budke said. "We are getting very close to putting the starting five that will start Monday together in practice."

A starting five that will not include Frierson, the preseason WAC Player of the Year, whose date of return is still uncertain. However, despite the fact that the Techsters have been without their top returning scorer and rebounder, Budke said he feels this year's squad is progressing nicely.

"I think we are a little ahead of where last year's team was at this point," Budke said. "I think there is no question that we would be ahead if Trina was practicing, but with her out we have some question marks."

One tool Budke and Co. have been using this week in order to prepare for Monday's exhibition opener is the Dream Team, a practice squad comprised of male Tech students.

"It definitely helps because it lets me play some different combinations together," Budke said. "Combinations that we wouldn't be able to do if we were just going against each other, especially with Trina out. There's no question they help us."

Monday's exhibition game will be the first of a doubleheader as Bulldog head coach Keith Richard's team will face VASDA at 8 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.