All is not lost for Rahman and the Cobbers in 2005-06. They will have a trio of returning players who are all MIAC-tested and have the ability to step up and live in the spotlight. Pearson’s backcourt-mate for the past two seasons, Annie Keeley (Grafton, N.D.), has all the tools to be a top player in the conference. She was named to the MIAC All-Conference team last year and was the third leading scorer on the team last year. Her quickness and ability to shoot the three-point shot makes her a tough match-up for opposing teams. Last year she led the team in 3-point field goals and was third in the MIAC in 3-point field goal percentage. She is also a top-notch perimeter defender who will help ease the pain of losing Pearson, one of the top defenders in the league.

For the first time since she began her coaching duties at Concordia, Rahman will have a pair of legitimate scoring options on the inside. Tori Ehlert (Battle Lake, Minn.) is the lone senior on the team and is coming off a season where she was named to the MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Team. She has blossomed into one of the toughest post players in the league. As a freshman, she played a total of 39 minutes. Last year she led the team in rebounds (6.3 rpg) and was fifth in scoring with a 7.4 points per game average - both totals are career bests. She was tenth in the league in field goal percentage (47.3%) and 11th in rebounding.

Joining Ehlert underneath will be sophomore sensation Melanie Hageman (Fargo, N.D./Fargo South HS). Hageman was named to the MIAC All-First Year Team last season. She made an impact from her very first game in maroon and gold as she scored 29 points against Mayville State. She finished the season by scoring in double figures in 14 of the team's 24 games. She was fourth on the team in scoring with a 10.8 points per game average and finished sixth in the MIAC in field goal percentage (51.7%).

The key for Rahman and the Cobbers in 2005-06 will be to find a second guard that can become a legitimate scoring threat once opposing teams start to clamp down on Keeley on the perimeter. Rahman will have to choose from a crew of untested sophomores and freshmen and only time will tell if one player emerges from a group of six players. Another important key to Concordia being able to return to the playoffs will be finding a third inside player to go along with Ehlert and Hageman. Leanne White (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Sarah Krabbenhoft (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt HS) have both had games where they showed the ability to attack the basket and defend in the paint. They will have to be able to produce solid numbers throughout the course of the year if Concordia wants to earn its third straight trip to the MIAC postseason.

One key addition for the Cobber women’s team is the arrival of assistant coach Mark Askerooth. Askerooth spent the past four seasons as the head boys’ basketball coach at Roseville Area High School. He brings a wealth of coaching experience and a basketball pedigree that will make Rahman’s transition into the post-Pearson era a lot easier.