With less fear than she was feeling a year ago, when she did not know what to expect as a freshman, the 19-year-old point guard is excited about her upcoming sophomore season at Troy University in Alabama.

The Newcastle Hunters junior and former Newcastle High School student exceeded her expectations by starting all but her first game for the Trojans, averaging 37 minutes and posting 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-high 2.7 assists a game.

"This time last year I was absolutely crapping myself, but I'm really looking forward to going back this time and seeing all my teammates and friends," Kleeman said.

"Last season I took on more of a leadership role and had to run the team but we've lost two of our leading scorers, Brittnie Davis and Alyce Shearing, so they still want me to run the point but I've got to be more of an offensive threat."

Playing in the Sun Belt Conference of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, Troy won 10 of their first 15 games last season in one of the best starts in college history but lost 10 of their last 12.

Kleeman returned to Newcastle in May and has spent the past three months catching up with family and friends and training on her own. Much to her disappointment, strict rules governing her scholarship to maintain her amateur status meant she was not allowed to play or train with the Hunters in the Waratah Australian Basketball League while she was at home.

"I think it varies from college to college but because Troy are a division one NCAA college, I wasn't allowed to play [in the WABL] if some players in that league get paid," she said. "Everything had to be by myself, so I've tried to spend a lot of time in the gym keeping fit by doing lots of running, lots of weights and shooting by myself."

Kleeman overdid the running last week, tearing a hip flexor doing a sprint drill, which will restrict her training when she begins pre-season camp next week.

"My coach [Michael Murphy] isn't too happy because I can't do any running for six weeks, but I'll keep my fitness up doing lots of cardio work and everything else I can," she said. "We don't start playing until November so hopefully I won't be too far behind when we start."