After a first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament last year, the Iowa State women’s basketball team has a lot to live up to, and Coach Bill Fennelly is confident his team will do just that.

One of the things Fennelly is most excited about is the depth added to the team by two point guards, sophomore Stacy Frese and true freshman Erica Haugen.

Senior forwards Jayme Olson and Janel Grimm are enthusiastic about having point guards who can distribute the ball to the open player and can control the floor. Grimm said the two women are special players because they look at the court differently.

Olson, a first-team All-Big 12 performer last season, said improvements in the point guard position “adds a security to the team that wasn’t there. It adds so much depth.”

Fennelly said Frese is a “true point guard” who can shoot the ball, thrives in competition, and loves basketball. He said he believes Frese will contribute immensely to the team’s overall play.

Haugen is an athletic guard of whom much is expected even though it is her first Cyclone season, Fennelly said.

After coming straight out of a large high school program and into a Division I team, Haugen said she is glad to have many opportunities.

Still, Haugen is getting used to the way things work in athletics at the land-grant university of opportunities.

She said the biggest difference so far between high school and college basketball is in the practices. At ISU, practices are much longer and more intense, Haugen said, which is fine with her because she loves playing.

Personally, Haugen said her goals are to “try my hardest and not let my teammates down.” She is also looking to shoot 50 percent from the three-point line.

Fennelly said Texas Tech is favored in the highly-competitive Big 12 Conference. ISU’s goal is to pick up at least eight conference wins.

Many people, including Fennelly, expect this Cyclone team to return to the NCAA Tournament. He said there is no reason it can’t happen again.

Olson said she is not feeling added pressure to repeat the post-season berth. “Athletics is pressure in itself,” she said.

She said this year, with the many younger players, will be a learning experience, and their main concern will be to keep pushing forward.

Olson said one of the best things about this team is that “we think a lot alike.” She said even in practice they know what the other players are going to do.

Olson said this flow, timing and decision making will be crucial in the final minutes of a close ballgame. She pointed out that narrow losses were a problem in years past, and this year the team must improve in this area.

She also said the team will call for strong leadership, communication and players who will step up to help win the close games.

Grimm, who hooked third-team all-conference honors last season, said the team “should be gaining respect, but we have to go out and prove ourselves each year. We need to set our expectations high and look to be successful.”

In terms of offense, Grimm said the team is going to have to “mentally stay with it because we are young.”

The team will look inside to optimize the scoring punch of Olsen and Grimm, but also will look to play at an up-tempo game pace.

“We are going to have to use our height the best we can and run a lot,” she said.

Grimm also touted the young team as “new and exciting to watch,” and Fennelly said his team is going to be a joy watch this season.

In terms of recruiting, he said going to the NCAA last year helped quite a bit in bringing in a strong 1997 class.

“All good players want to play on good teams, and to be a good team, you need good players,” Fennelly said.

Fennelly also said that next year he is looking to sign five or six players to early commitment.

The Cyclones will be looking for three post position players, two wings and a good all-around athlete.

The Cyclones begin the season with an exhibition game against the Hungarian National Team on Nov. 9. The Big 12 season begins on Jan. 7 against Missouri.