So in 2001-2002, the Big 12 got its first team to the Women's Final Four, got seven of the top 16 NCAA seeds and drew more than a million fans (1,002,251) in leading the nation in attendance for the third consecutive season.

	Jia Perkins and Texas Tech reached the Sweet 16 in '02.

The rest of the country that hadn't previously picked up on it got to see what a smart cookie Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale was. And overall it was just a fine, fine season for the Jumbo Dozen.

Of course, with the departures of the likes of Oklahoma's Stacey Dales and LaNeishea Caufield, Iowa State's Angie Welle, Colorado's Mandy Nightingale and Baylor's Danielle Crockrom and Sheila Lambert, many might think this will be a down year for the league.

No, it won't.

Sure, most folks will give the SEC the power edge this season. And there might not be seven Big 12 teams in the NCAA top 16 again. Some programs will take hits. Right now, it appears of the aforementioned seven -- Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech -- that Baylor and Iowa State are the most affected by graduation.

But Texas Tech and Texas should be better than last year. Maybe K-State, too, although -- unlike Tech and Texas -- the Wildcats have some depth worries, especially at guard.

It would be hard for Oklahoma to meet last year's standard, but the Sooners aren't going to think that way. It's full-speed-ahead for them, no looking back. More on OU and Texas Tech, which represent the league Sunday in the State Farm Tipoff Classic, in a bit.

Here's the other 10 first:

Texas wanted guard depth and got it. Once again, the key with this team may be finding the right combinations of players on the floor. The Horns certainly have a lot of options. Junior Stacy Stephens will dish it out in the block again and Heather Schreiber and Kala Bowers ought to have great sophomore seasons. Folks are eager to see transfer Jamie Carey and freshman guard Nina Norman.

K-State brings back its Fab Four: Nicole Ohlde, Laurie Koehn, Kendra Wecker and Megan Mahoney, all of whom started every game last year as the Wildcats had a major Sweet 16 breakthrough. Kari Hanson, who started eight games last year but then battled injuries the rest of the way, is out indefinitely with an illness. That's bigger than most folks who didn't see the Wildcats regularly last season might realize. Hanson would have started, replacing senior Kristin Rethman, who was a dependable fifth cog.

So the Wildcats have just nine players, although they don't seem worried about it. Depth is not something K-State's had the luxury of in many years.

Colorado has its usual stack of post players, led by 6-foot-5 star-to-be Tera Bjorklund. But coach Ceal Barry has to find a solid point guard or acceptable point-guard rotation. She said at media day, only half-jokingly, that having Nightingale hanging out helping with practice was just making her more miserable because it reminded her what she and the Buffs lost.

Baylor also has a budding star in post Steffanie Blackmon, and coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson has shown in her first two seasons in the Big 12 that she will maximize whatever she's got.

Missouri has some new blood that might get the Tigers back in the NCAA field, while Kansas has new blood that should ensure it can't possibly be as bad as last season (0-16 in the league). Oklahoma State has a new coach in Julie Goodenough after 19 seasons under Dick Halterman. The Cowgirls also have a heap o' transfers, so we'll see how that shakes out.

As for Iowa State, Welle's name tops just about every important career chart at the school (except assists, obviously) and it almost seemed that she played all but about 3 minutes the last four years.

	Caton Hill, left, and Dionnah Jackson will help keep OU in the mix.

The Cyclones, who were the first of the old Big Eight teams to really blossom attendance-wise, now will find out how loyal their fan base is. Because it could be an up-and-down year. This is not to say Iowa State is dropping off the map. It's just that without experienced post play, the Cyclones should be at a disadvantage against several of their Big 12 counterparts.

Then again, here's a moment from Big 12 media day recently: Senior point guard Lindsey Wilson was looking a little out of sorts with all the questions about how the Cyclones were going to deal with the loss of Welle and guard Tracy Gahan. Meanwhile, coach Bill Fennelly was sitting next to her, suppressing laughter.

Later, Fennelly said, "It kind of ticks her off that people think we're not going to be any good.''

The rest of the Big 12 really doesn't want to see Wilson with any extra motivation; she's fiery enough as it is.

Then there's Texas A&M, which has a standout in guard Toccara Williams and a solid forward in Kim Moore but not much bench at all. However, what will almost assuredly keep the Aggies from being the Big 12's anchor weight is the disaster Nebraska finds itself in.

Three players, including coveted recruit Katie Robinette, left the program in the spring, as did coach Paul Sanderford for health reasons. Coach Connie Yori came to Nebraska from Creighton, dismissed two players for reasons she didn't discuss and then found out that returning leading scorer Keasha Cannon would miss the year because of a medical condition.

So at last count, the Cornhuskers had five healthy scholarship players. They're expected to get another, guard Shahidrah Roberts, back. And volleyball star Greichaly Cepero will hop in the penthouse elevator after finishing the season with that powerhouse team and go find the hoop Huskers in the basement.

Unless Yori stumbles upon a sack of magic dust, this team could repeat KU's oh-fer in the league. Everyone who watched Yori at Creighton thinks she can make things work at Big Red U, but she'll have to survive this season first.

Which brings us back to ... Oklahoma (which plays Tennessee on Sunday) and Texas Tech (which meets Louisiana Tech).

We last saw Oklahoma putting up a fight but losing to Connecticut in the national championship game. The Sooners lost four starters, but post Caton Hill returns.

Here's the deal with Hill. You know how ridiculous some people's bios are: They were president of every club, played 18 different sports in high school, saved the town from raging flood waters, won the science fair seven consecutive years by building and adding onto a biosphere ... only slightly exaggerated, that's Hill.

She wants to be a doctor, so I can guarantee that means she will be a doctor. If someone gives her a chance and she wants to take it, she'll play in the WNBA, too. Not sure yet when her run for the White House will take place.

"People have asked how is Caton going to handle the leadership now that those others are gone,'' Coale said. "I'm like, 'Are you kidding? She's chomping at the bit.' She loves the spotlight, she wants to run the show, and she's good at it.''

OU also has Dionnah Jackson back and added a juco transfer guard, Maria Villarroel of Venezuela, whom everyone says is faster than Jackson. Including Jackson herself.

At Big 12 media day, Coale said the pronunciation of Villarroel was "bee-zhah-rowel.'' Or something like that. We're thinking just "Speedy V'' will do.

Coale also will have 6-3 senior Theresa Schuknecht, who played two seasons at Arizona State, one at Southern Nazarene and now will finish her career at OU. She spent last year as a practice player with the Sooners, so she's ready to step right in.

The Sooners add six freshmen, including expected starter Chelsi Welch. Sunday's game will be the first ever between Tennessee and Oklahoma.

"What a great game to get involved in,'' Coale said. "There can't be a better way to start off the Division-I careers of these freshmen.''

Meanwhile, while Oklahoma has largely a new look, Texas Tech will look like its "old'' self. Standout post player Plenette Pierson, suspended after four games last year for having some attitude and "team player'' problems, is back for her senior season.

Which is a big help to Texas Tech, especially guard Jia Perkins, who last season seemed to feel pressured to do even more than her considerable talent could pull off.

"We had some questions we needed to answer,'' Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp said. "We finished lower (seventh) than we had in any conference race since the mid-80s. We have an urgency to get back. The players have worked individually to correct a lot of things.

"Plenette has done every thing we've asked her to do to get back in the mix. She has a renewed commitment and has handled things really well.''

And as for the league as a hole, Sharp said, "I don't think you'll see a big drop.''

Mechelle Voepel of the Kansas City Star is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. She can be reached at mvoepel@kcstar.com.