Remember the Viterbo University women's basketball team's Iron Eight? Well, that's so 2008.

This winter, the V-Hawks will feature something new: The Freshman Eight. A large and talented recruiting class has Viterbo coach Bobbi Vandenberg looking forward to the near and distant future - not to mention filling up all the chairs next to her on the bench.

"So far, so good," Vandenberg said. "It's a very talented group. They're showing a lot of commitment, and as far as freshman classes, it has to rank up there with any I've had here at Viterbo as far as talent, depth and focus."

The flip side is lack of experience, something Vandenberg is aware of.

"I've made it clear that they know I'm anticipating they're going to make mistakes," Vandenberg said. "I don't want them to be afraid of that, but they need to know what they're supposed to do. If they don't know, they're not going to be on the floor."

The backbone of this year's team will be senior forwards Katina Mandylaris and Joni Stanek, plus sophomore point guard Brooke Anderson, who were part of the V-Hawks' eight-player roster for the first semester of last season. The lack of depth took its toll, and Viterbo finished 9-22.

Sophomores Sally Colby and Paige Babiash also will get plenty of playing time, but after that, it's a whole lot of freshmen.

"You know what, when I first got here (for preseason practices), it was overwhelming," Mandylaris said. "But they're a great bunch of girls. What's exciting from day one is that they're all hard workers and they all can play. There's no having to hold their hands."

Vandenberg said there are a variety of skills among the newcomers, with some inside players, some quick guards, some pure shooters and some all-out grinders.

Now, they just have to come together and be patient. Vandenberg thinks they understand that.

"Both our scrimmages (against North Iowa Area CC and Luther) were wake-up calls for them," Vandenberg said. "They could see, 'OK, this is different.' We're just focusing on them getting better and learning something every time on the floor."

Vandenberg said Dani Templin, a 6-foot guard/forward from Richland Center, Wis., is at the head of the freshman class so far. Templin will start Thursday's opener at Judson (Ill.), alongside four veterans.

"She's very versatile and can do a lot of things," Vandenberg said. "She's heady and instinctive. She's the one that emerged as the one to put into the starting lineup. Two or three weeks into practice is when we saw she'd be able to hold her own."

Templin said it's been a day-to-day process for the freshmen, helped along in a big way by patience from the coaching staff and older players.

"You have to be willing to learn something new all the time," Templin said. "You make your mistakes in practice, not in games, and stay focused on what the coaches are having us do out there."

The other seven freshmen will all work into roles as the season progresses, Vandenberg said. Sami Weaver, a Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School product, appears to be the next "energy" guard, following in the tradition of Kari Thiel and Leah Olson.

"Sami is going to have a very big role," Vandenberg said. "She's adjusting; she's used to dominating in high school, and we have to figure out where she fits in. She tries to make a lot happen, and we have to reel in her energy sometimes."

Guards Laquita Becker (Caledonia, Minn.) and Jada Straub (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) have both done things to earn time as backups to Anderson at point guard.

Guards Kenzie Kolb (Waunakee, Wis./Madison Edgewood), Jess Pavlinec (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy), Emily Larson (Middleton, Wis.) and Jocelin Finn (Stevens Point, Wis.) are working at off-guard.

Vandenberg compared this year's freshman class to the 2004-05 version that helped the V-Hawks win the MCC title and earn a berth in the NAIA National Tournament.

She told the team as much, although she's not sure if the story registered with the freshmen. That's OK, Vandenberg said. They're starting to write their own history.

"We're just going to have to be patient," she said, "and good things will happen."