Although Jolette Law doesn't have any children of her own, she does have a well-appointed "kids area" in her Champaign home.

It's where her "babies" go to play. All 14 of them.

"The players on my team - they're all my babies," doted the Illinois women's basketball coach. "They love coming over to my house. So as much as possible, I'll invite them over.

"They'll be like, 'We'll bring games, we'll bring potluck, we'll bring our own snacks.' They pretty much take over. That's why they've got the kids area downstairs."

Equipped with a pool table, a movie theater and a Wii console, the "kids area" is definitely worth taking over.

The Illini also congregate there to play every board game under the sun.

"We play cards, games, Pictionary. We love Pictionary," Law said. "We do a lot of competing with numbers and words and describing stuff. Anything that's competitive and challenges us, we do it."

Law, who spent some time chatting with me at last week's Big Ten media day, is hoping her Illini will pose a challenge to the rest of the Big Ten this season.

Now in her third year at Illinois, Law has brought in nearly half the team herself and says that she's becoming more and more optimistic about where the program is headed.

The Illini finished 10-21 last year and ninth in the Big Ten with a 5-13 record in conference games. The good news is that every starter is back and the six freshmen on the roster are ranked as the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation. It's the highest-ranked recruiting class in the history of the program.

Adrienne Godbold a freshman guard from Marshall, has looked impressive so far, as have fellow freshmen Kersten Magrum, a forward from Lincoln-Way East, forward Karisma Penn from Ohio and forward Destiny Williams out of Michigan and ranked the No. 8 freshman in the country.

"Those kids are winners," Law said. "They're competitive. I've really been impressed by how each and every day they just bring it. The freshmen are really exciting."

Combine that infusion of new talent with all-Big Ten center Jenna Smith, defensive standout Lacey Simpson from Zion-Benton and a much improved Lana Rukavina, a forward out of Wheeling, and Law is champing at the bit to get started.

"The competition is intense in practice. We've got a lot of talent this year," Law said. "But I think we've also got a lot of really good chemistry that is going to help us on the court. This team is really a close team, and I think a lot of it comes from the bonding we're able to do at my house."

The fun happens elsewhere, too.

"Oh, these guys have me out roller skating and playing laser tag," Law said with a laugh. "This group just really likes spending time together. We'll even read books together. We share our thoughts, our feelings, what's on our minds. I have a quote of the day that I share with everyone.

"It's just a fun group of kids to be around. It should be a fun season."

Orange crush: One of the best centers in the Big Ten, senior Jenna Smith, will finish her career in Champaign as one of the best players in Illinois history.

The 6-foot-3 Minnesota native is on pace to become the program's all-time leader in points, rebounds, field goals and double-doubles.

She has 1,545 points, 589 field goals and 32 double-doubles. She already owns the Illinois record for career blocks with 161.

And speaking of records, Lacey Simpson of Zion-Benton broke Illinois' record for career steals last year. She has 255 heading into this season.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com