Facing expectations it has never seen before, the Iowa State women’s basketball team heads into this season with the feeling that this is the year.

Picked overwhelmingly by the Big 12 coaches to win the conference, the Cyclones are coming off a season which saw them reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament before losing to Georgia.

Coach Bill Fennelly, whose success is unrivaled in Iowa State history, knows his team will have to live up to a high standard.

“These kids and I hear about the Final Four all the time. Whenever I am around town, I hear three things: One, Are you going to the Final Four? Two, I bought season tickets this year, and three, I better get my money’s worth,” Fennelly said.

The team returns each and every key player from a year ago, including point guard Stacy Frese. The point guard generously listed as 5-8 is coming off a spectacular season in which she averaged a team-high 17.2 points per game and shot an amazing 46 percent from behind the three-point line.

Frese, tabbed as preseason player of the year by Big 12 coaches, figures this year to be a big one for the team.

“I think we have the potential to be great. I know a lot of people expect that, but I really don’t think there is too much pressure on us to go out there and win every game,” Frese said.

She will be joined in the backcourt by Megan Taylor, who followed up a year in which she was named Freshman of the Year in the conference with another solid season.

Taylor, who at 5-10 plays much larger than her height, averaged 15.2 points per game and added a team high 8.2 rebounds as well.

She noticed some definite changes in the way she was guarded last year as opposed to her initial campaign.

“Teams paid a lot more attention to me. They knew that I could play, and I saw a lot more double-teams. This year, I know if they concentrate on me or Stacy or both of us, the rest of our team will kill them,” Taylor said.

The frontcourt remains intact and solid as a rock as well.

Sophomore Tracy Gahan is coming off a freshman year in which she showed flashes of brilliance and the ability to come up big in clutch situations.

The 6-0 forward from McKinney, Texas, averaged 7.7 points and 5.4 rebounds on the year, and averaged 11 points and nine rebounds in the NCAA tournament.

She also had an excellent summer, touring with the rest of the team, excluding Taylor and Frese. Gahan led the squad in scoring. Fennelly also pointed out her improvement in another area.

“We just maxed out on the bench, and believe it or not, Tracy Gahan is the strongest player on this team,” Fennelly said.

Rounding out the starting five are sophomore center Angie Welle and senior forward Monica Huelman.

Welle came in and did a very admirable job playing one of the most difficult positions in one of the strongest conferences in the nation.

“I was very impressed with Angie last year. I think at one point we played six teams in a row that had senior centers, and she held up very well,” Fennelly said.

Huelman, a rock of stability in her first three years at ISU, will be out for the first couple of weeks with minor knee surgery.

Coming off the bench will be Desir‚e Francis, who last year was one of the top bench players in the Big 12. Francis averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds and really seemed to excel against the top teams.

That being said, she also had a penchant for not being at her best at all times.

“We need Des to show up every single night. She had games last year where she just was not ready to play, and we need to get that corrected. She is a great person to be around, and a fun one to coach, but sometimes she can be really frustrating,” Fennelly said.

Erica Haugen will also contribute off the bench. The junior from Osseo, Minn., was very solid in averaging almost five points per game and providing help at the point guard when Frese was injured or tired.

The Cyclones will also feature several newcomers.

Most likely to contribute is Gintar‚ Cipinyte, a 6-5 junior college transfer rated by some as the top JC recruit in the country.

Fennelly compares the native of Lithuania to Welle.

“They have a very similar style. They are both left-handed, and both have a nice touch around the basket. ‘G’ is a bit more strong. Once she gets set down there, you aren’t going to move her,” Fennelly said.

Lindsey Wilson, a freshman from Seattle, is another highly regarded recruit who can shoot the ball.

Holly Bordewyk, a 6-1 forward from Rapid City, S.D., received one vote from the coaches as Freshman of the Year, and Fennelly compares her to Gahan.

Erica Junod, a 5-7 point guard from Ankeny, is a pure shooter who may be redshirted this season.

The Cyclones will most certainly be ranked anywhere from fifth to tenth in the first AP poll of the year.

Only time will tell if this team is destined for greatness.