Illinois senior Aminata Yanni may have provided Louisiana Tech with a little bulletin board material for next Monday's game.

When asked about her thoughts on Tech's storied history, Yanni replied by saying, "What history?"

Aside from 13 Final Four appearances, three national championships and 21 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, Louisiana Tech has rattled off 28 straight winning seasons and has boasted an overall winning percentage of 85.6 during the program's 28 year existence.

But before the Illini look to make some of their own history against the No. 12 Lady Techsters, they'll have to host Wayne State in the regular season opener tonight at 7 p.m. at Assembly Hall. Tonight's opener against the Division II Warriors (1-2) should prove to be the softest opponent in a four game stretch that will span nine days.

"Right now the only game I see is Wayne State," junior sharpshooter Jere Issenmann said. "We've got to take it one game at a time. But it's definitely realistic to go 4-0. If we play together we'll have a 4-0 record."

After Wayne State and LA Tech, the schedule shifts to the West coast. The Illini travel to California for a pair of games against UC-Santa Barbara and UCLA.

"We're going to have to learn to play in a hostile environment," head coach Theresa Grentz said. "We need to play within ourselves and stay completely focused."

The Illini will see a familiar opponent when they enter the Thunderdome for their 9 p.m. matchup against Santa Barbara on Nov. 28. The 18th ranked Gauchos defeated Ilinois 77-72 last February in Champaign. The two teams have met three times in the past five years, with UC-SB leading the series 2-1.

"We came out scared and flat in last year's game," Issenmann said. "But I remember that we should have won that game. They're a great team, but we've got some payback in us."

If the Illini are going to be successful in Santa Barabara they're going to have to contain senior center Lindsay Taylor. Taylor owned the interior in last year's contest, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

"I always look forward to playing opponents from last year," Yanni said. "It always gives us that grit in our teeth."

Illinois will end the holiday break playing in UCLA's Pauley Pavilion at 4 p.m. on Nov. 30. Last year's Bruins finished 18-11 but failed to make the postseason. Illinois has beaten UCLA in their only two matchups, but the two have not met since 1985.

"Yeah it's the holiday, but there's nowhere else I'd rather be than with my team getting ready for the Big Ten season," said Yanni, whose family will travel with her to California. "We want "W's". We want to come back undefeated."