Like clockwork, women’s basketball teams around the nation gear up for full-length practices in advance of the upcoming season. At Oregon, the team opened practices this week, which head coach Kelly Graves has named “Camp Guard ‘Em.”

This week, the team focused almost exclusively on defense. The Ducks — who finished 13-17 and tied ninth in the Pac-12 last year — hope the extra focus will help them make a leap forward during Graves’ second year in Eugene.

“I think the energy was good, and truly has been good all fall,” Graves said. “There’s competition at every spot, which is great. The numbers are good and we have more inside kids.”

Graves said the next few weeks will be important for the program, which is integrating six newcomers and two redshirts into its patchwork. He also said fans can expect a few changes offensively, as his new roster has players who fit his ideal system.

The Ducks return All-American Jillian Alleyne, who is 18 rebounds shy of tying Bev Smith’s career rebounding mark of 1,362 career boards. In her senior year, Alleyne will receive reinforcement down low from 6-foot-5 center Jactina Vandenberg, who had to sit out last season.

“I like our newcomers,” Graves said. “I think they’re ahead of where most newcomers are. They’re real smart.”