There are times Mary Bukovac needs to pinch herself to make sure she didn't imagine the Hampton girls' basketball team she coaches won its first WPIAL championship last season.

"Sometimes when we're practicing, it's still hard to believe until I look up and see that little banner," said Bukovac, entering her fourth season as the Talbots' coach.

But as pleasant as the memories are and as much as every member of last season's team will cherish them, the run to the WPIAL Class AAA title can be a curse .

"As great of a thing that is and as hard as it is to get to that level, right now we're just starting trying to do it again," Bukovac said. "This year is a whole new year and last year really doesn't have any affect on what we're doing now."

The Talbots begin defense of their WPIAL crown in earnest against Mount Alvernia at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Fox Chapel tournament. That contest will be the first of about two dozen until the playoffs -- should Hampton qualify, of course.

Despite the loss of two starters, Hampton is seen as a solid bet to make it to the postseason. The Talbots are No. 4 in the Post-Gazette's preseason rankings and on the short list of teams expected to be strong enough to make a run at earning the title this season.

"[Being the defending champion] kind of puts some pressure on us," junior point guard Adrianna Ferraro said. "I think we're ready and we know it's going to be difficult. We lost [leading scorers] C.J. Graham and Jodie Luther from last year, but we have people who are ready to step up so we can do it again -- or at least try to do it again, anyway."

Luther was a 1,000-point scorer over her career at Hampton and now plays at the University of Rochester. Graham scored double-digit points during 19 of the team's 29 games last season. They were two of six seniors last season. No returnee averaged in double figures and closing that scoring gap will be part of the storyline for Hampton striving to defend its title this season.

"I definitely think that I'll be one of the one who steps up and tries to be one of the impact players," Ferraro said. "Laurel Hansen will be a key scorer for us and Breanne Goodman will be strong underneath and definitely will contribute more this season as well.

"We have lots of people able to fill in the gaps of what we lost last year."

A 6-foot-2 senior, Hansen would be the player most likely counted upon for offense after scoring 9.2 points per game last season. She has a chance of being one of the WPIAL's best post players. Senior guard Mallory Schaffer is the second-highest returning scorer at 6.1 points.

However, both have had tumultuous preseasons, so their status as the players being heavily leaned on remains a question. Hansen did not practice until Monday because of illness. Schaffer sustained an ankle injury during the WPIAL soccer playoffs and is not expected to be cleared to play until next month.

"Right now we're still trying to map out who will contribute and in what role," Bukovac said.

Ferraro is arguably the biggest constant as the lone returning starter other than Hansen and Schaffer. She averaged 4.6 points per game last season. Seniors Danielle LeFevre, a 5-9 guard/forward, and Goodman, a 5-10 forward, join the projected regular starting lineup.

Junior guard Kiersten Wilson and junior guard/forward Emilee Goodman and sophomore forward Emily Gally are candidates to fill in the starting lineup, at least until Schaffer returns.

"Even though Jodie and C.J. leave big shoes to fill, we have the ability to do it," Bukovac said.

"Through [fall league basketball], we worked at pulling all the pieces together and filling in spots. We're letting the people who are filling in for the people who left just have their own identity."

As the Talbots' roles shake out through the first month of the season, Bukovac expects her team to be peaking at precisely the time it matters -- when the playoffs start.

"I expect to be right back in the [WPIAL title] mix this season," she said. "I tell the kids not to worry how you start the season, just about how you finish it."