Like any champion, ISU must avoid complacency

Sports clichés are about as tired as the Tim Tebow storyline in New York.

But one of them has defined the offseason for ISU women’s basketball, and it’s too irresistible not to explore until I beat it into the ground deeper than Idaho’s chances of reaching a bowl game.

Here it is: Can the ISU women, winners of the 2011-12 Big Sky Championship, adjust to playing with a target on their back?

I don’t want to dramatize ISU’s run to the Big Sky title to a fulsome degree, but the Bengals were three games better than the second place Northern Colorado Bears. Last year’s nine-game winning streak, a road sweep of the Montana schools and wins over Boise State and Utah State highlighted the season.
   
With nearly the entire roster back, excitement over this year is nearly bubbling over.
   
Here’s the rub. How will this group react to adversity?
   
Idaho State was tabbed to finish fifth by both the coaches and media last year. As the wins mounted, the Bengals were simply enjoying the ride, exceeding predictions on the way to the pinnacle of the Big Sky.
   
ISU largely avoided injuries, won on its home court and clawed out road win after road win. And they did it all without shouldering the weight of expectations.
   
What happens when they stumble in 2012-13? Media folks will constantly badger head coach Seton Sobolewski and his team asking, “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you as good? How can this team get back to how it was playing last season?”
   
So it’s not just about dealing with that invisible target. It’s not just that every team in the conference has schemed, prepared and theorized about ways to beat ISU since last March.
   
Now, internally, the Bengals must embrace the burden that any favorite carries.
   
Of course, this problem, if it should even be referred to in that manner, is one anybody would love to accept.
   
And it’s not like Sobolewski put his feet up this offseason and went into hibernation. He and his staff understand that no champion can expect to defend their title without a few new tactics.
   
The New England Patriots, running on a decade plus of wild success, transformed from a defense-first, hard nosed team to a high-scoring juggernaut with Randy Moss running wild to today, a dual tight-end, short passing team.
   
The Miami Heat, after falling short against Dallas in the finals, responded in its next finals’ appearance and put Lebron James in the post while playing small ball against Oklahoma City.
   
What can ISU do differently?
   
“It’s a lot more offensive minded,” said senior guard Kaela Oakes. “We’re trying to really excel offensively.”
   
Sobolewski  added, “We’re going to implement a few new things on offense, see if we can score a few more points.”
   
Senior forward Ashleigh Vella remarked, “This year, we’re really fit. We’re really athletic, so maybe we can use that to our advantage.”
   
The challenge is to push the envelope on offense but remain as stifling as ever on defense where the Bengals were second only to the Bears of Northern Colorado in points per game allowed.
   
Challengers to the title are voraciously awaiting their opportunity to knock off ISU, and questions are swirling about the team.
   
But the questions are for the media and fans.
   
I’ll let Sobolewski add one more cliché.
   
“We don’t focus on the big picture as much as taking individual steps,” he said. “We’ve got to win one game at a time.”
   
Eighteen days and counting until ISU welcomes Colorado State Pueblo.