KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- As freshmen, Tamika Catchings, Semeka Randall and Kristen Clement helped lead Tennessee to a 39-0 season and the 1998 national championship.

	Pat Summitt, talking with Tamika Catchings, right, and Semeka Randall, would like nothing better than to knock off UConn.

Three seasons later, they are the seniors looking to newcomers to help them add another banner to the rafters of Thompson-Boling Arena.

"If we win, if it's meant to be this year, we can appreciate it a little more," Clement said. "We have struggled. We have been through adversity."

After their perfect season, Tennessee was beaten by Duke in the regional final in 1999, the senior year for one of the best players in women's basketball -- Chamique Holdsclaw.

Last season, the Lady Vols were embarrassed in a 19-point loss to rival Connecticut in the national championship game. The program that had won six national titles and dominated the sport was suddenly vulnerable.

Now the seniors feel an urgency they didn't have the past two seasons.

"They have embraced this freshman class. It is an indication that they realize that this class can help our entire basketball team achieve our goal of winning a national title this year," said coach Pat Summitt, beginning her 26th season at Tennessee after her induction last month into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Summitt believes the three players wrestled with their new leadership roles last season after the departure of Holdsclaw, who now plays for the Washington Mystics.

"There was probably the thought of 'it's our team, it's our turn,' but I don't think players realized the responsibility of taking that ownership," she said.

The three players made their mark early.

Catchings was the player of the year last season after Holdsclaw won it for two consecutive years. "Catch," as she's known by her teammates, will probably become only the second Lady Vol -- after Holdsclaw -- to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in her career.

Randall, known for her feisty energy and leadership, has been listed on the All-America second-team each year.

Clement, who moved from point guard to off-guard in the middle of last season, is known for her no-look passes and 3-point shooting.

With their experience, fifth-year senior Kyra Elzy and the freshmen, Tennessee can revive the faster pace and suffocating full-court press of the 1997-98 season.

The Lady Vols have enough players to pull it off. They have 15 on the roster, the most since 1983.

"We are excited about putting in a new offense, going back to what we did freshman year. I feel like 15 can handle it," Catchings said.

Summitt hasn't determined a starting lineup, but that might be a formality because many players will be in the rotation. The freshmen are expected to contribute quickly.

Tasha Butts, LaToya Davis, Courtney McDaniel and Ashley Robinson were all considered four of the best players in the South last season.

The new offense means change for Catchings, Tennessee's leading scorer. Summitt has decided to move her from power forward to the perimeter to free her from double-team defenses and prepare her for the WNBA.

"I just really feel like this will open up her game. I think we can obviously benefit from having her spread the floor in transition ... and then open her 3-point shooting," Summitt said.

Catchings spent most of the preseason getting adjusted to her new role.

"It's definitely different playing out on the wing. I'm so used to having the ball in my hands, but it is something I realize I have to get used to to help this team out," Catchings said.

Helping each other win is the goal. Without it, the road to March will be long.

"We understand," Clement said, "we can't win alone."