After losing nine players from a two-time Big Sky Conference women’s basketball championship team, Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski consoled himself with the idea of trying some new things. There would be no expectations on this newly-rebuilt version of Bengal basketball, and Sobolewski wouldn’t have to adhere to the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

How about some zone defense as a counter to Sobolewski’s lifelong commitment to “player to player” D? Maybe pound the ball inside offensively to some of the new post players ISU has accumulated, rather than rely on motion offense to produce open perimeter looks? Maybe Seton will just coach from the bench, rather than restlessly roaming the sidelines during the game?

“You know, it’s funny, I think I felt excited about trying something new and doing some different things,” Sobolewski said in a recent interview. “And as time goes on, I’m falling back into my comfort zone. Early on, I was like, ‘Yeah, we’ll run some zone, we’ll do this, we’ll do that.’ But I think the biggest thing we’ll do differently right now is just digging a little bit deeper into the playbook, bringing out some of the old stuff we haven’t run in a long time.”

It truly is difficult for Idaho State’s all-time winningest coach to change his Bengal stripes, as it were. There are core values that every Sobolewski team must adhere to, and he carefully articulated them in our talk in advance of ISU’s exhibition opener with Black Hills State Friday in Reed Gym:

“Everyone’s gotta be a defender or you won’t play,” Sobolewski said. “You gotta defend, you gotta be smart, you gotta follow a scouting report, you gotta rebound.”

So even though the Bengals return just one full-time starter in point guard-power forward Callie Bourne, only one other player who saw substantial minutes last season, and a newly-revamped coaching staff, you can still expect this year’s team to look a lot like the 13 other ISU teams Sobolewski has put on the Reed Gym floor.

“We’re still developing, but we have a lot of energy on this team,” said Finley Garnett, the other returner who played significant minutes last season, and who will get the start at the power forward position against Black Hills State. “Especially with a lot of young people. We’re scrappy, and I like that.”

Because defense is the glue that holds all Sobolewski teams together, teaching the ISU person-to-person approach to the nine new Bengals has been a point of emphasis during pre-season practices. “Because we were so much older the last two years, we could focus more on learning the plays of the other team,” Garnett said. “But I think now there is more (Sobolewski) has to teach people about how to correctly guard a certain position. The previous years, people would already know that because they’d been here awhile.”

Garnett said Sobolewski stressed the importance of defense when he recruited her out of the College of Southern Idaho, but it still took a while for her to fully grasp its importance. “It’s difficult, I mean, early on, if I got beat once, I’m out of there,” Garnett said with a laugh. “Yeah, that was frustrating, but it’s good.”

Perhaps because they have been in his system longer and better understand the expectations, Sobolewski is planning to start a largely veteran team on Friday night, even though only Bourne and Garnett saw significant game action last season.

“I’m very proud of the returners,” Sobolewski said. “They’re ready. They have locked in. They knew early on, ‘Hey, this is my chance.’ “

Those returners include guard Carsyn Boswell and forward Ivvana Murillo. Both were limited by injury issues last year, with Boswell sitting out the season and Murillo playing just nine games.

“Carsyn looks a lot like a veteran player that we had on our team last year,” Sobolewski said. “She just knows what’s going on. She’s just really smart.”

The 6-1 Murillo, who averaged a point a game in nine contests after transferring from San Diego State, “has really taken on a new role in terms of trying to be a leader, playing more and being assertive,” Sobolewski said. “She’s doing great.”

Joining Bourne, Garnett, Boswell and Murillo in the starting lineup on Friday will be redshirt freshman Sophia Covello, who sat out last year recovering from an ACL injury. “We didn’t really get to see her do much other than in high school, but man, she’s smart,” Sobolewski said. “She’s smart and she handles the ball really well and she’s a great decision-maker. And she’s got a really good three-point shot.”

Coming off the bench will be 6-3 Laura Bello, a Division II transfer who is probably the most physically imposing Bengal. “She’s just athletically and physically really impressive,” Sobolewski said. “She can grab the rim without it being very difficult. We had a scrimmage recently and she was one of our top performers. Laura has looked really good.”

Bello and Murillo are two of a group of post players that have Sobolewski excited about the possibility of improving what was really a diminished inside game last season. They will be joined by junior college transfer Martyna Kowalska, redshirt freshman Mia Flor and true freshman Halle Wright as inside threats.

“We’re emphasizing, hopefully, getting the ball into the post a little bit more,” Sobolewski said. “We really like some of our post players. Ivvana is one of the older ones, but we do have some younger ones that we need to develop and get them some touches and some game experience. The more we get them the ball, the better the chance they have to feel part of what’s going on and develop.”

The Bengals also have some young guards that excite Sobolewski, including freshmen Kacey Spink and Bridee Burks and transfer Cam Collman. “Bridee Burks, from a mentality and energy and motor perspective, she’s ready right now as a freshman,” Sobolewski said. “In our recent scrimmage, Kacey scored seven points and didn’t miss a shot, and rebounded the ball really well in nine minutes of play. Bridee scored seven and had a couple of assists and a couple of steals in 15 minutes of play. Halle had eight points in eight minutes…. I think by the end of the season, you’re going to see all of them out there running around.”

As she prepares for the first game of her last season, Garnett, like Sobolewski, will be looking for certain things in Friday night’s exhibition game. “I’m looking for hustle plays, I’m looking for our team to just gain more chemistry in general,” Garnett said. “And to see how well we can catch onto the scout, how well can play against these other teams in what we’ve been working on in practice. It’s all going to be new for so many people.”

For Sobolewski, this season of so much change and unfamiliarity will be a success if he and his staff can extract the best from this bunch. “It’s exciting to see what this new, young group is going to look like,” he said. “I think we have some kids that have some fun length, athleticism and a great style of play, and once they get it, they’re going to be fun to watch. It’s going to be a little bit different than the past, but it’s still going to be really good once they figure it out.”

For Garnett, meanwhile, she’s hoping the energy and confidence this young team has displayed early on continues throughout what will be her final season as a Bengal. “Everyone is so confident in going to the basket and shooting, and I love that,” she said. “Even the new people and the freshmen, and I love that and I hope it continues. And if that continues and everyone learns more and more about what they’re good at, I count that as successful.

“I really love this team,” she added. “I’m a fifth-year senior and it’s been a long time, so I’ll be ready to be done when it comes, but I’m going to be super sad because I really like this team.”

Brad Bugger has observed athletics in southeastern Idaho for over 40 years, as a sportswriter, broadcaster and fan. He can be reached with comments, questions and column suggestions at bpbugger@gmail.com.