FAIRBANKS - The night before coaching his first college women’s basketball game, new Alaska Nanooks boss Dave Thompson still had some decisions to make on his starting lineup.

Thompson knew who three of his starters were going to be, but he was still unsure who the other two were. He wasn’t going to announce that until today, most likely when the team meets this morning for a shootaround prior to the season-opener against the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans at 7 p.m. at the Patty Center.

“We’re just really looking forward to getting a game in,” Thompson said. “We’re so ready to play. We’re tired of playing against each other.”

With a roster chock full of newcomers and players who are returning from major injuries suffered last season, the Nanooks are hoping to establish their identity early in the season.

“I really hope we can establish a good defensive game then go from there,” he said. “I would like us to establish our inside game and then attack in offensive and defensive transition.”

When the Nanooks take the court tonight, Thompson said senior captains Rohisha Edwards, the only player to see action in all 25 games last season, and Lakeshia Levi will be on the floor with redshirt junior post Jessica Harrison, who suffered a knee injury last season.

He will have to choose two guards from among junior college transfers Brittany Aldrich and Alexandra Melonson, and Eielson freshman Britany Anderson.

“The nice thing about our guards is that they can all hit the 3,” Thompson said. “That should make it easier for us to get the ball inside.”

Thompson is taking over for Darryl Smith, who resigned for family reasons after just one year at the helm of the Nanooks.

Thompson coached the Hutchison High School boys to the Class 3A state championship last March and this is his first stint as a college head coach.

“You have much more ability to prepare at this level,” he said. “You’ve to a shootaround and an hour to warm up before the game, whereas in high school they might come out and say ‘We’re got to cut your wamup down to 10 minutes because we’re running late.

“You just have a whole lot more time to go over things at this level,” Thompson said.

Hawaii-Hilo opened its season losing games to No. 8 Alaska Anchorage on Sunday and Monday.

“We feel like we should be able to compete and come out with a couple of wins,” Thompson said. “They should be some good games.”