Jeff Speedy is entering the 2011-12 Atlantic University Sport women's basketball season with an open mind.

On the eve of the Accreon Helen Campbell Tournament, the head coach of the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, with the success of last season and loss of two pillars from the starting five and the first player off the bench in his rear-view mirror, deflected the typical terms that are often pegged to a young squad.

"I think it would be unfair to label this team as rebuilding team or having an uphill climb," Speedy said. "I really don't know what our climb will be, and I think if we look at our results in March it would be unfair to the process."

For a moment early this summer, the program was at a loss to fill the void left by AUS all-stars and staples of UNB basketball Amanda Sharpe and Leah Corby, who graduated in the spring. To make matters worse, third-year guard Laura Fowler injured her knee and is not expected to return this year.

Sharpe finished first in team scoring last season, averaging 19.7 points per game and was named the league MVP, while Corby (14.3) was third in scoring with Fowler (7.1) in fifth. The trio were instrumental in lifting the team to a 14-6 record and a spot in the AUS final. They finished 10th in CIS rankings.

"That's a huge blow for us, losing three of our top six players. There's no way getting around it," said Speedy

Now, the remaining squad, along with a group of new recruits, is young and inexperienced. Speedy, who is about to begin his seventh campaign with the Reds, will be taking small steps with his squad: identify their strengths and weaknesses, then build from there.

"Every time the calendar flips to a new month, we just want to be a better basketball team," he said.

As he flipped his calendar to October, Speedy said he was pleased with the progress the club has made over the previous month.

"We've got good leadership and good chemistry; I've seen a lot of good things," Speedy said.

"Our margins of error might be a little smaller than in past years when we were a little older or a little deeper. We're just going to have to work a little harder to be successful."

He will get his first chance to see how hard his squad works tonight in their first tournament match against Bishops' Gaiters of Lennoxville, Que. at 6 p.m. in the Richard J. Currie Center.

Speedy said the growth of key players has allowed him to keep the same high-intensity play as previous years despite the player losses.

Even though first, third and fifth in scoring last year will not be on the court this season, the Reds will see Claire Colbourne (18.6 points per game) and Megan Corby (7.3), who finished second and fourth, respectively, throw on the UNB jersey.

"As successful as Amanda and Leah were at scoring, it was Megan who got them the ball," he said. "So, there's no need to not continue to play an up-tempo style with Megan as our quarterback."

As the younger Corby sister calls the shots, Speedy will rely heavily on Colborne's dynamic scoring presence. The six-foot, second-year shooting forward from Calgary was a rookie standout for the Reds last season, and was named Canadian Interuniversity Sport rookie of the year.

The Reds' coach expects a decrease in team scoring, but feels the Corby-Colborne connection, along with strong minutes from some new faces, will keep them competitive.

Among those new faces who should see plenty of playing time this weekend is Colleen Daly. The 5'5" guard was recruited to add another dimension to the Reds' three-point game.

"Colleen can flat out shoot it," said Speedy. "She's got one of the quickest releases I've ever seen for a female basketball player."

UNB fans will get their first impression of the new-look squad this weekend against Bishops', York University of Toronto and the University of Prince Edward Island. Speedy had little to say about the competition, keeping his focus on the Reds. They play at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday against York and UPEI respectively.

"I'm just concerned about us and getting better. I don't care if we play the Harlem Globetrotters or Bishops', York and UPEI," he said.

"You can evaluate a lot in practice, but probably a little more because it's a different opponent and the stakes are a little higher."