Before she becomes one of the Huskies, Cassie Kerns still has some unfinished business with the Vikings.

Last year’s Post-Tribune Girls Basketball Player of the Year will be headed to the University of Connecticut, the premier women’s NCAA program in the country, next year.

But first, Valparaiso’s 6-foot-3-inch senior center will try to lead one of the premier high school programs in Northwest Indiana at least one step further in the postseason.

The Vikings lost to Warsaw 53-51 in overtime at semistate after committing four turnovers in the last four minutes of regulation.

So before Kerns can think about being the first Northwest Indiana girl to go to the pinnacle of college basketball, she has 20-some games to focus on wearing green and white.

“I want to get to that point,” Kerns said, referring to playing under coach Geno Auriemma at UConn. “But knowing I have one year left, I want to do all I can for this team and get us as far as possible. It would be the greatest thing to win a state title.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted and that’s more important than the future.”

She’s still a little overwhelmed by being sought out by the defending national champions, admitting she didn’t believe it at first.

“When I first heard they were interested in me, I just thought, 'Yeah, whatever.’ They’re probably just saying that to have an option. I didn’t really think much of it,” Kerns said.

The doubt was understandable. Besides Tennessee, UConn is the ultimate destination for an aspiring young female basketball player, though Kerns actually had another institution as her No. 1 choice.

“Notre Dame was at the top of my list,” she said. “Then I found out UConn was interested in me and that just expanded me as a person and a player.”

Auriemma confirmed his intent to have Kerns commit to his program, comparing the role he wants her to fill with another star on his squad.

“They want me to be like Ann Strother — driving to the basket and shooting,” said Kerns, referring to the 6-foot-2 guard who scored 17 points in the national championship game against Tennessee last March. “But they also want me to post up. All of their posts can really shoot also.”

That would be slightly different than her role for the Vikings, but not as much as the average fan would think. Kerns spent most of the 2003 summer working on her outside shot.

Her 3-point shooting was an underrated and often overlooked weapon in the Vikings offense. This year will result in improving other parts of her game.

“I’m a very competitive person and I’d would say I have to improve on everything for the next level,” she added. “That’s just the way I am.”

Humes’ new role

The consensus on whether a trip to the state finals can be accomplished is mixed. All-Area point guard Lauren Hutton graduated, as well as off guard Leslie Bryan.

The solution will be to move Erica Humes to point guard. She played mostly small forward last season thanks in part to her older sister Lindsay tearing a ligament in her knee in the third game of the season. It turns out to be a familiar position for the junior.

“She played point guard in eighth grade,” said coach Greg Kirby, “She just wasn’t needed as point because of a pretty good guard in front of her. We’ve plugged Erica in where she could help us. Now she can help back at point guard.”

That’s no small task for any player, but Erica has been a starter since her freshman year with an unselfish attitude and a willingness to do whatever Kirby needs.

“I think Erica is ready to embrace the challenge,” Kirby added. “She’s a very competitive girl and takes a lot of pride in playing all of her sports well.”

Another loss to graduation was Breanne Gustke, who played admirably after being thrust into the starting role at power forward after Lindsay’s injury.

With Lindsay back, that takes pressure off her sister as well as Kerns, since the elder Humes sister led the team in scoring two years ago.

“We used to be called 'double-trouble’,” Kerns said. “I think it was really amazing how well everyone stepped up last year.”

Now some new players will have to step up for Kerns to experience that trip to the state finals before heading to a school that routinely makes trips to the NCAA finals.