The Fennelly Five.

[Royalclone]

With his 25th season coming up next season, and Bill saying Bridget was one of his best players ever, I decided to look at just who would be the Fennelly Five. While I welcome all to share their Fav Fennelly Five, I put together this one based upon how individual players were ranked as far as AP All-Americans, and All-Big 12 Teams. I picked the AP as the AA team because it has been the one AA team that has been around for all 24 seasons. I used the All-Big 12 team members listed in the team history on cyclones.com.

I applied the following scoring system:

All-American: 1st team - 8 pts; 2nd team - 6 pts; 3rd team - 5 pts; Hon. Mention - 4 pts
All Big - 12: 1st team - 3 pts; 2nd team - 2 pts; Hon. Mention - 1 pts

*Note before 2003, the Big 12 named 3 teams, with only five on the 1st team. So a 2nd team honor prior to 2003 is scored as part of today's 10-player 1st team and 3rd team is considered today's 5-player second team.

The Cyclones have had nine players become All-Americans. One of them three times and four twice.

The Fennelly Five:
C - Angie Welle 25 pts (AA - HM, 3rd, 2nd; B12 - HM, 2nd*, 1st, 1st)
PG - Stacey Frese 19 pts (AA - HM, 2nd: B12 - 1st, 1st, 1st)
SG - Bridget Carleton 17 pts (AA - HM, 2nd; B12 - HM, 1st, 1st)
SF - Hallie Christofferson 14 pts (AA - HM, HM; B12 - 1st, 1st)
PF - Chelsea Poppens 14 pts (AA - HM; HM; B12 - 1st, 1st)

The next seven to round out a 12-women roster:
CG - Alison Lacy 10 pts (AA - HM; B12 - HM, 2nd, 1st)
PG - Lyndsey Medders 10 pts (AA - HM; B12 - 1st, 1st)
SF- Kelsey Bolte - 9 pts (AA - HM: B12 - HM, HM, 1st)
SF Megan Taylor 9 pts (B12 - HM, 3rd*, 2nd*, 1st)
CG - Anne O'Neil - 8 pts (AA - HM; B12 - HM, 1st)
PG - Lindsey Wilson 8 pts (B12 - 3rd*, 2nd*, 1st)
PF - Jayme Olson 7 pts (B8/12 - HM, HM, 3rd*, 1st)

Have at it.

 

[Acylum]

I understand using a point system to try to be fair, but certain years the conference and WBB could be extremely loaded or extremely weak at certain positions. So you have to use the eye test a little. That’s my clumsy way of saying Tracy Gahan was a stud. Almost have to have Desiree in there somewhere too I think.

 

[CYdTracked]

I'd have to think about it some more to round out my 5 but the first 3 that come to mind for me is Welle, Carlton, and Lacey. Taylor probably makes my top 5 too, hard to argue she doesn't belong there with her number retired. That's a strong list of players for sure to choose from.

 

[everyyard]

Diverse

 

[CySmurf]

Megan Taylor should be in the starting 5 IMO.

 

[JRE1975]

Big 12 Player of the year should get additional points

 

[NWICY]

Like your original 5 but maybe trade Hallie for Megan. This is strictly my personal preference. Probably affected by my memories of those teams.

What your list really shows is how lucky we've been to see so many good players, through quite a range of time.

I'll throw out a new part of your list Fan Favorite end of bench player : my nominee Sarah "Hoops and Scoops" Robinson (hope I spelled her last name right)

 

[Acylum]

Megan Taylor should be in the starting 5 IMO.

You could easily argue she’s our best ever, in terms of all-around game.

 

[NWICY]

You could easily argue she’s our best ever, in terms of all-around game.

I would have agreed with you until Bridget came along. But I'm certainly not going to go to war over your selection either.

 

[Acylum]

Diverse

Yeah...... guess I should take it easier on Fran.

 

[acoustimac]

With his 25th season coming up next season, and Bill saying Bridget was one of his best players ever, I decided to look at just who would be the Fennelly Five. While I welcome all to share their Fav Fennelly Five, I put together this one based upon how individual players were ranked as far as AP All-Americans, and All-Big 12 Teams. I picked the AP as the AA team because it has been the one AA team that has been around for all 24 seasons. I used the All-Big 12 team members listed in the team history on cyclones.com.

I applied the following scoring system:

All-American: 1st team - 8 pts; 2nd team - 6 pts; 3rd team - 5 pts; Hon. Mention - 4 pts
All Big - 12: 1st team - 3 pts; 2nd team - 2 pts; Hon. Mention - 1 pts

*Note before 2003, the Big 12 named 3 teams, with only five on the 1st team. So a 2nd team honor prior to 2003 is scored as part of today's 10-player 1st team and 3rd team is considered today's 5-player second team.

The Cyclones have had nine players become All-Americans. One of them three times and four twice.

The Fennelly Five:
C - Angie Welle 25 pts (AA - HM, 3rd, 2nd; B12 - HM, 2nd*, 1st, 1st)
PG - Stacey Frese 19 pts (AA - HM, 2nd: B12 - 1st, 1st, 1st)
SG - Bridget Carleton 17 pts (AA - HM, 2nd; B12 - HM, 1st, 1st)
SF - Hallie Christofferson 14 pts (AA - HM, HM; B12 - 1st, 1st)
PF - Chelsea Poppens 14 pts (AA - HM; HM; B12 - 1st, 1st)

The next seven to round out a 12-women roster:
CG - Alison Lacy 10 pts (AA - HM; B12 - HM, 2nd, 1st)
PG - Lyndsey Medders 10 pts (AA - HM; B12 - 1st, 1st)
SF- Kelsey Bolte - 9 pts (AA - HM: B12 - HM, HM, 1st)
SF Megan Taylor 9 pts (B12 - HM, 3rd*, 2nd*, 1st)
CG - Anne O'Neil - 8 pts (AA - HM; B12 - HM, 1st)
PG - Lindsey Wilson 8 pts (B12 - 3rd*, 2nd*, 1st)
PF - Jayme Olson 7 pts (B8/12 - HM, HM, 3rd*, 1st)

Have at it.

I enjoyed what you did here and it makes it tough to argue. BUT the one player that will always be in the top five (look at the record books) is Megan Taylor. Bridget was like the second coming of this woman. The type you build a team around. Otherwise I’d have to agree with everyone you picked. Who would I bump off for Megan? Pop. And that’s a very hard decision. I base that off of four years of high production from Megan. Pop's freshman year was a work in progress.

 

[acoustimac]

Like your original 5 but maybe trade Hallie for Megan. This is strictly my personal preference. Probably affected by my memories of those teams.

What your list really shows is how lucky we've been to see so many good players, through quite a range of time.

I'll throw out a new part of your list Fan Favorite end of bench player : my nominee Sarah "Hoops and Scoops" Robinson (hope I spelled her last name right)

That contest is over. I’ve never seen another player that the crowd would chant for. Sarah Robson! Sarah Robson!

 

[NWICY]

Diverse

I see your point but I can't see putting Nikki Moody ahead of any of those other point guards. I believe she still has the assist record but she never brought true team leadership to the team/floor IMO.

 

[acoustimac]

I see your point but I can't see putting Nikki Moody ahead of any of those other point guards. I believe she still has the assist record but she never brought true team leadership to the team/floor IMO.

I would say the exact opposite as far as what she brought to the team. Divisiveness.

 

[BoxsterCy]

You could easily argue she’s our best ever, in terms of all-around game.

Statistically that would be Bridget but she was on underperforming teams and Megan was on over performing teams.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Diverse

Come on, man, several are not even blond.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

Good list. Shame that list doesn't include Anna Prins. With her height and ability to score from inside and out she should have gone down with Angie as one of best centers at ISU. I know the list is built on awards, but if including players who became a fan favorite some where on my team would be Mary Fox. Her senior year was amazing.

 

[SayMyName]

I thought for sure this thread was going to feature the video of "The Fennelly Five" from Saturday's Cy's House of Trivia event. It's a spoof of the Saturday Night Live skit with Christopher Walkin and Will Ferrell that made "more cowbell" famous. Highly recommended viewing, if you can find a clip!

 

[everyyard]

I see your point but I can't see putting Nikki Moody ahead of any of those other point guards. I believe she still has the assist record but she never brought true team leadership to the team/floor IMO.

It was mostly an observation without any agenda behind it.

 

[Royalclone]

Moody just missed with 6 pts (HM, 2nd, 1st)
Seanna Johnson had 5 pts with (HM, 1st, HM)

My list was only intended to show how the players were viewed outside of Cycone Nation. We should have our own ideas of the five that have meant the most to the program. That's the conversation I intended to prime by outlining those with the top outside honors. Great discussion so far.

I do like the top five that came out, but Megan Taylor does seem slighted for what she did. With Frese and Welle getting high honors, I suspect voters had a hard time adding a third Cyclone. That seems to be reserved for the UConns, Stanfords, and Notre Dames.