RUSTON - After two consecutive years of receiving a much lower seed in the NCAA Tournament than what people thought, Louisiana Tech head coach Kurt Budke had one thought in mind when scheduling for this season.

Play more big-named out of conference opponents. However, as he has also found out, that is easier said than done.

Road games against Tennessee, Penn State and Illinois, and home contests against Mississippi State and Tulane highlight the 2003-04 Lady Techster basketball schedule. Budke hopes the upgrade will do the trick.

"I think you can count on one hand the teams that will play both the Big Ten champion (in Penn State) and the Southeastern Conference champion (in Tennessee) at their places this year," Budke said. "I doubt anyone else in the country is doing that. Then we play three more NCAA teams in Illinois, Tulane and Mississippi State. I would think this schedule is pretty challenging."

Louisiana Tech has received No. 5 seeds in each of the past two NCAA Tournaments despite the Lady Techsters easily winning both the Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. Both years Tech ranked in the Top 10 in the country and had recorded impressive winning streaks in the second half of the season.

However, both times, the NCAA committee dealt Tech a low blow.

"Until anyone understands the RPI system, we aren't totally sure about what to do," Budke said. "Some people think just win as many games as possible. Others say play a tough out of conference schedule. I know I personally like to play a challenging schedule and our kids like to play a challenging schedule. Here it is."

Tech opens the season Nov. 21 at Stephen F. Austin, who usually vies for the Southland Conference title, and then follows that game up three days later with a trip to Big 10 foe Illinois on Nov. 24. The home portion of the Lady Techster schedule begins Dec. 2 when Tech hosts in-state rival Tulane. Five days later, Budke and Co. head to Knoxville to face Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols.

"There aren't too many teams in the country that open the season with four tougher games," Budke said. "We will find out a lot about ourselves early."

Tech plays three consecutive home games against Arkansas-Little Rock on Dec. 9, Southern on Dec. 11 and Mississippi State on Dec. 14 before finishing the non-conference portion of the slate at Penn State Dec. 21.

The Lady Techsters begin defense of their WAC title Jan. 3 as they travel to Tulsa to face the Golden Hurricane before heading to Rice on Jan. 5.

"Another thing that is different this year is we start conference play on the road at Tulsa and at Rice," Budke said. "That will be a tough way to get started after Christmas."

Once again the Lady Techsters will play a home and home with all nine conference teams with games against SMU on Jan. 24, Hawaii on Feb. 12, Rice on March 4 and Tulsa on March 6 highlighting the home portion.

Budke said he still has room for one more game on the schedule but hasn't had any luck finding a quality opponent.

"I won't say it is impossible to schedule tough out of conference opponents, but I spent the month of July recruiting, sitting next to all of these head coaches, and I asked everyone of them if they would play," Budke said. "Most of them won't play. A lot of them will be glad to let us come to their place, but they won't return the game. Teams don't want to come to Ruston because of how successful this program has been over the years."

During the 29 years of Lady Techster basketball, Louisiana Tech is 400-24 in games played in Ruston, including a 316-18 mark at the Thomas Assembly Center.


2003-04 Louisiana Tech Lady Techster Schedule

N21 @ Stephen F. Austin
N24 @ Illinois
D2 Tulane
D7 @ Tennessee
D9 Arkansas-Little Rock
D11 Southern
D14 Mississippi State
D21 @ Penn State
J3 @ Tulsa*
J5 @ Rice*
J8 Nevada*
J10 Fresno State*
J15 @ San Jose State*
J17 @ Hawaii*
J24 SMU*
J29 Boise State*
J31 UTEP*
F5 @ Fresno State*
F7 @ Nevada*
F12 Hawaii*
F14 San Jose State*
F21 @ SMU*
F26 @ UTEP*
F28 @ Boise State*
M4 Rice*
M6 Tulsa*
M9-13 WAC Tournament in Fresno, Calif.
* WAC games