In the months between the end of last season and the beginning of summer break, Alison Lacey had a very important decision to make. And ultimately, the senior sacrificed a individual opportunity to stay with her team and help acclimate four freshmen that were just arriving to Ames.

Lacey, a native of Canberra, Australia, had the chance to leave Iowa for the summer when she received an invitation to play for Australia in the World University Games. Instead, Lacey took it upon herself to welcome a group of players that will be vital to success for a young Cyclone squad this season.

“I thought about it for a long time,” Lacey said. “I was going to go, but the more I thought about it I didn’t feel right, I felt guilty that I wouldn’t be here. It would be great to play for Australia, but this is my team, and that wasn’t my team. I knew it was crucial that our freshmen felt engaged, and I felt it was my role to make sure they were happy, so it was an easy decision in the end.”

Since the Cyclones return just 28 points per game from last season, it’s no secret they are in need of players to step up. The talent of the highly touted recruiting class is well publicized; however, translating that talent to the college level is never a given. But with the help of Lacey and the other seniors, the transition period started a little early.

“The upperclassmen really helped us adapt to the change early on,” said freshman Chelsea Poppens. “They were very welcoming and told us if we ever needed anything or had questions to let them know.”

Despite losing three starters and two significant contributors from last season, the Cyclones appear to be in good hands with the impressive crop of talent brought in by Bill Fennelly and his coaching staff.

The freshman class, plus one junior college transfer, includes two in-state players along with others from Colorado, Michigan and Texas.

“We have five new players, and that’s about half our roster,” Fennelly said. “They’re all very talented kids. The challenge will be how quickly they figure out what it takes to play here. It won’t be a question of their abilities, it will be teaching them the day-to-day things that go with being a college athlete for the first time.”

Perhaps the most recognizable name for Cyclone fans is Amanda Zimmerman, who grew up just 10 miles down U.S. Highway 69 in Huxley. Zimmerman’s decorated high school career ended by leading Ballard High School to a 26–1 record and the 3A Iowa State Championship in 2009, along with being named Iowa’s Miss Basketball.

She also earned her third straight 3A Player of the Year award and was an Iowa Newspaper Association All-State Basketball Class 3A First-Team honoree all four seasons of her high school career.

It’s always a big moment when a lifelong dream of being a college athlete is fulfilled, but for the 6-foot-1-inch Zimmerman, a long time ISU women’s basketball fan, it meant just a little more.

“I am so excited to be here,” Zimmerman said. “Just to put on the jersey for the first time is shocking. I have been waiting years for this. It’s been a great experience so far and I can’t wait to finally play the first game.”

Joining Zimmerman from the state of Iowa is Poppens, who earned All-State First-Team honors during her junior and senior years at Aplington-Parkersburg. The 6-foot-2-inch forward averaged 20.7 points and 15.8 rebounds per game as a senior for the Falcons.

After losing every starter from the post last season, the Cyclones will get a big boost from 6-foot-7-inch Anna Prins, who was the 2009 Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year and was also the named the state’s Miss Basketball. In four years at Broomfield High School, she accumulated a record of 106–4 and won three consecutive state championships.

The freshman class is rounded out by Jessica Schroll, a 5-foot-11-inch guard from Midland, Mich. Schroll averaged 14.7 points per game her senior season and was named to the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan All-State First-Team.

Fennelly also reached into the junior college ranks to pull sophomore guard Chassidy Cole from Howard College in Big Spring, Texas. The transfer averaged eight points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game for the Hawks last season.

While each player in the recruiting class racked up phenomenal numbers on the basketball court in high school, all four freshmen showcased all-around athleticism with significant success in other sports as well. Zimmerman (golf, softball), Poppens (volleyball), Prins (volleyball) and Schroll (track) were each named to the all-conference or all-state team for another sport while in high school.

But now that it’s been established that this group of five women has shown they have what it takes thus far, it’s now time for them to show what they can do on the biggest stage in women’s collegiate basketball.

“It’s not about whether they have the skills or athleticism; they’re good enough,” Fennelly said. “But it’s a question of can they do it in front of 10,000 people, can they do it against the competition they have to play and can they do it continually over time.”