This time of year, even the longshots are still in the title hunt.

In January, contenders begin to separate themselves from pretenders, shattering some teams' preseason dreams.

To see where your favorite squad fits into that scenario, check out the 2008 previews below.

Bryn Mawr

2007-2008 record: 9-11

Returning starters: seniors Paige Greene (5 feet 6, guard) and Annie Thomas (5-9, guard/forward), junior Grace Parente (5-3, point guard), sophomores Kaleigh Noon (5-11, center) and Dyllan Peterson (5-9, forward).

Breakdown: Coach Mimi Walters returns plenty her entire starting five and will need all of them to stay afloat in the newly fortified Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference, which now boasts former A Conference members St. Vincent Pallotti, St. Mary's and Notre Dame Prep.

The cat-quick Parente will run the offense, with Greene and Thomas also lending a hand in the backcourt. Noon is more of a traditional center and Peterson is a fine rebounder.

Juniors Cate Kanwisher (5-5, guard) and Carlie Badder (5-10, forward) will also figure into the mix with a pair of newcomers -- junior Bailey Johnson (5-7, guard) from the junior varsity team and freshman Nancy Dunbar (5-5, guard).

"It makes for a more interesting conference with more parity," Walters said about the new B Conference alignment. "There's a lot more teams to prepare for now."

The Mawrtians will host Friends Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. in the Sherry Shootout, the proceeds from which will go to the Carson Scholar Fund.

Friends

2007-2008 record: 8-12

Returning starters: seniors Catherine Rosenberg (5 feet 4, guard). Emily Orrson (5-7, guard/forward) and Kylie Davis (5-11, forward/center).

Breakdown: New coach Matt Lang will be walking on a tightrope -- without a net -- until he can call up some promising help from the JV.

Lang has decided to attempt to play the early portion of the schedule with just seven players, all of whom will log plenty of minutes for the Quakers.

Joining her senior classmates on the starting unit will be Charlotte Heyrman (6-0, forward/center) and junior Erin Lochary (5-9, guard/forward).

The only two substitutes will be sophomore Bealela Donnelly (6-0, forward/center) and freshman Emma Sissman (5-6, guard) until Lang decides which player to pull up from the JV.

That's slated for early January, a month before he'll add one more call-up for the stretch run.

"It could be ragged in the beginning," Lang said. "But I don't care how many games we win, as long as we continue to improve every day."

Park

2007-2008 record: 8-8

Returning starters: senior Dawn Lee (5 feet 9, power forward), juniors Adrienne Tarver (5-7, small forward), Lucie Weinberg, (5-6, shooting guard) and Kristen Smith (5-3, point guard) and sophomore Rose Coll (5-11, center).

Breakdown: Coach Kevin Coll welcomes back five starters from a team that lost to Lutheran last year in the IAAM C Conference championship.

That makes the Bruins a heavy favorite to win it all.

"That's what people are saying," Park coach Kevin Coll said. "That's what drives me crazy. We have a lot of talent back from a good team, but no one hands you anything."

Lee, a four-year starter, will be a focal point inside.

"She is incredibly tough in the post and has a great sequence of moves," Kevin Coll said.

Coll's daughter, Rose, and Tarver also could be offensive weapons.

"We feel we have a real good inside game and we will try to pound the ball inside," Kevin Coll said.

The Bruins will press often, giving sophomores Autumn Cohen (5-6, guard), Liz Pace (5-6, guard) and Ashley Hohman (5-6, forward) as much playing time as Weinberg and Smith.

Seniors Becka Althauser (5-9, forward), She-tiel Coley (5-8, forward) and Emily Monnett (5-6, guard) expect to be significant contributors.

Roland Park Country School

2007-2008 record: 7-19

Returning starters: senior Jackie Kell (5 feet 9, guard), juniors Lynette Jackson (5-7, point guard) and Lauren Carter (5-11, forward) and sophomore Lauren Edwards (6-0, forward).

Breakdown: It's more than having experienced performers back that makes coach Scott Buckley happy.

"They all played very hard over the summer," Buckley said. "And they've gotten much better."

Although she wasn't a starter last year -- in fact, she didn't play at all -- for the Reds, senior Jasmine Barksdale (5-10, guard/forward) had been a starter before deciding to sit out for a year.

However, the most intriguing player could be freshman Daisy Alaeze (5-10, wing), who was probably good enough to be on the varsity as a seventh grader.

She will be joined by senior Emily Sunderland (6-0, forward) and sophomores Maya Jackson (5-6, guard) and Katherine Gordon (5-11, forward) as players who must contribute this season for the Reds to be a success.

"I don't know if we'll win a lot," Buckley said. "But we're going to be pretty entertaining."

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