Iowa State guard Alison Lacey picks her team

College or country?

Ames or Australia?

Iowa State guard Alison Lacey chose to stay on campus instead of spending the better part of her summer at home training and playing in the World University Games. It was no small sacrifice, but one the Cyclone senior said she needed to make for the good of what now is her team.

“I was going to go, but the more I thought about it, it didn't feel right. I felt guilty that I wouldn't be here,” Lacey said Tuesday at ISU's media day. “It would be great to play for Australia, but this is my team. That wasn't.”

The Cyclones are replacing five seniors from last year's 27-9 Elite Eight team. They'll have an all-new front line from four players who this week will go through their first official Division I practice.

Lacey, a three-year starter and all-Big 12 Conference honoree, wanted ISU's five newcomers to be as prepared as possible. Coaches are allowed only two hours a week with players during the summer.

“It was crucial that our freshmen felt engaged, and I thought it was my role to make sure they were happy and they knew their stuff,” said Lacey, the top returning scorer at 11.2 points a game.

Coach Bill Fennelly hoped Lacey was ready to assume a leadership position. The decision to stay in the U.S. this summer made it very clear. Now back at the point after a year at shooting guard, Lacey will be the guiding hand for the Cyclones.

“This is her team,” Fennelly said. “There's no doubt who the leader is. ... She's ready for that. She wanted that.”

She'll earn her stripes with this team, almost half of which is new.

Gone is the scoring, rebounding, experience, toughness and moxie from players like Heather Ezell, Nicky Wieben and Amanda Nisleit. Career reserve Genesis Lightbourne is the only returning post player, and that amounts to a total of 43 games and zero starts.

Fennelly is looking for more production from guards Kelsey Bolte and Whitney Williams, but a lot of the burden will fall on a talented freshman class built around center Anna Prins.

Prins has grown an inch since arriving on campus and at 6-foot-7 is believed to be the tallest women's player in school history.

“It's not going to be about whether they have the skills to play at this level,” Fennelly said of the program's additions. “They are good enough. Can they do it in front of 10,000 people? Can they do it against the competition they are going to have to play against?”

ISU has reached the postseason in 12 of Fennelly's 14 seasons. A 13th trip would be special - and cost efficient. Hilton Coliseum will host first- and second-round NCAA tournament games in March.

“Our goal is to be here at the end of the season playing at Hilton,” said Lacey, who has battled injury and illness throughout her career.

She says she's healthy now. Fennelly is crossing his fingers his star's body stays that way.

“If that happens this year then I think you'll see a very special player,” he said.