Fennelly Signs Four To 2011-12 Basketball Class

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AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State women's basketball team and head coach Bill Fennelly announced Wednesday that four prep standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Cyclones starting in 2011-12. Fallon Ellis (Missouri City, Texas), Kileah Mays (Duncanville, Texas) and Nikki Moody (Euless, Texas) signed out of Texas, while Brynn Williamson (Kansas City, Mo.) will join the Cyclones from Missouri.

"The first thing we were looking to do was to fill some spots," Fennelly said. "With only 11 scholarships players this year and only one senior, we knew we needed some depth at every position. We weren't looking specifically for any one position. I think the players we are signing fill a variety of roles for us."

Ellis, a 5-11 wing, has tallied 1,425 points at nationally recognized Westbury Christian High School in Houston, Texas. The all-state performer scored 694 points and averaged 8.5 rebounds as a junior in helping the Wildcats post a 33-8 record.

Ellis, whose grandfather Tommy Watkins was a member of Iowa State's 1959 "Dirty Thirty" football team, started her prep career at Willowridge High School where she earned first-team all-district honors as a freshman and sophomore.

"Fallon was the first one to commit in this class," Fennelly said. "She can play a variety of positions. Her versatility and bloodlines and all those things go a long ways. We are very excited to have her."

Moody, a 5-9 guard, averaged 15.1 points and 4.4 assists per game during her junior campaign at Trinity High School in Euless, Texas. The crafty point guard earned a top-100 ranking from ESPN HoopGurlz, including a scout rating of 92. Moody was also ranked No. 92 by All-Star Girls Report and No. 54 in the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

Moody was named an all-state performer by Texas Basketball Magazine and was tabbed District 5-5A Offensive Player of the Year in 2009-10.

"Nikki is your classic Big 12 guard," Fennelly said. "She is very explosive off the bounce, I think she can play the one or the two. She has played at a very high level and against a lot of great guards in the state of Texas."

Mays, a 6-2 center, was a late bloomer, having taken up basketball in just seventh grade. Mays was named Duncanville's top post player and defensive player. She averaged 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a junior. She is an AAU teammate of fellow signee Nikki Moody with Liberty 360.

"Kileah is a true power player at Duncanville High School, which is one of the premier programs in the country," Fennelly said. "She is a true center in every sense of the word. She is a big, strong, physical kid that is just scratching the surface. She started playing basketball a few years ago and is someone we're very excited about."

The Texas' trio has been recognized by Premier Scouting Report for the state of Texas with Moody ranked the No. 19 player in the state, Ellis at No. 28 and Mays ranked No. 36.

Williamson, a 6-0 wing, averaged 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds en route to capturing all-state honors as a junior. She tallied 392 points while helping Staley High School to a district championship in 2009-10. Williamson was also an all-state selection as a junior.

"Brynn was probably the number one person we needed from the standpoint of how we perceived a position, versatility and losing Kelsey Bolte," Fennelly said. "She's got an outstanding personality and is someone that will add a lot to our team on and off the court. She can play a variety of positions and with Kelsey Bolte graduating we needed someone we could add immediately and Brynn was that person."

Click the "play" link in the photo above to get head coach Bill Fennelly's take on the 2010-11 recruiting class.

The 2010-11 Iowa State Women's Basketball Recruiting Class

Name	Hometown (High School)	Height/Position	Fennelly Says...
Elllis, Fallon	Missouri City, Texas (Westbury Christian)	5-11/Guard/Forward	Play Video
Mays, Kileah	Duncanville, Texas (Duncanville)	6-2/Center	Play Video
Moody, Nikki	Euless, Texas (Trinity)	5-9/Guard	Play Video
Williamson, Brynn	Kansas City, Mo. (Staley)	6-0/Guard/Forward	Play Video

Players Mentioned

Kelsey Bolte

Kelsey Bolte

Sponsors

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