Site Map | Archives

Home › Sports › LoboZone

Women's basketball: Incoming Lobos share senior season lessons

By Iliana Limón
Thursday, April 12, 2007

They are the future.

Five University of New Mexico women's basketball recruits are poised to hit campus in June. The Lobos will be especially young next season and several of the rookies need to make an immediate impact on the program.

"I love that we have a big class with a great player at every position," said Amanda Best, a 5-foot-11 guard from Snohomish, Wash. "I hope we can all push each other and get better together. I think we can do some really special things right away, and we all could be starters our senior year. I think we can push New Mexico to the next level and help a great program keep taking steps forward."

Here's what the freshmen-to-be said they learned during their final high school seasons and how they are preparing for life as Lobos.

Kelsey Ansley

Ansley is a Texas recruit who averaged a double-double her senior season.

Ansley, a 6-2 center, led Marble Falls (Texas) High School to a 32-7 record. She averaged about 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game.

"We made it all the way to the state semifinals for the first time in Marble Falls history, and it felt pretty awesome to be a part of that," Ansley said.

Ansley was named Class 4A All-State by several groups, including the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, and was a McDonald's All-American nominee.

"I think it was good for our school that I was able to get so much recognition because it raises the expectations of our team in the future," Ansley said.

She said the greatest accomplishment of her high school career was signing with UNM.

"I'm not sad my senior year is over with because I know I'm getting ready to join something really special," Ansley said. "I know it will be a hard transition and I have a lot to learn, but I'm excited about getting started."

Ansley said she has been working to improve her 3-point accuracy to make her a more potent scoring threat.

"I feel like I have improved my quickness, my confidence and my leadership, but I also know I can get better in every area," she said.

Ansley will play with the Lubbock Lady Hawks club team in a North Carolina tournament later this month, then will focus on joining the Lobos in June.

Amanda Best

Best has taken on the most rigorous schedule to prepare for the big transition from high school to college.

She works out seven days a week with three different trainers, driving 40 minutes to an hour per workout. One trainer works on speed and agility, another trainer emphasizes weight training and a third trainer focuses on basketball skills.

"It's a lot of work, but I love basketball and I want to do whatever it takes to get better," Best said.

She led Woodinville Washington High to a 14-8 record, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.

"I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this season because our team was going to be pretty weak, so I'm really proud of how we finished," she said. "We worked hard for every win and played better than anyone expected."

Best said she developed into a stronger rebounder and adapted to guard much bigger players, including several athletes who were 5 inches taller.

"I think I also learned a lot about being a leader," she said.

Best said she enjoyed cheering on the Lobos during the year, tracking their progress via the Internet and catching the team every time they appeared on national television.

She said watching UNM beat BYU in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship was especially inspiring.

"It was really exciting to watch them take on a much bigger team and just outplay them," Best said. "I've always been really proud of the decision I made and been excited about going to New Mexico, but it was great seeing my future team win that championship. They did such a great job playing as a team."

Jessica Kielpinski

No Lobo has ever hauled in as many high school awards as Jessica Kielpinski, a 6-1 forward.

She led North Dakota's Mandan High to five consecutive state titles, starting on four of the squads and coming off the bench her eighth-grade season.

Her senior season was especially dominant, earning her North Dakota Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year honors. She was nominated to be a McDonald's All-American, voted senior athlete of the year by the North Dakota Coaches Association and named first-team All-State.

Her older sister, Rebecca, also earned Miss Basketball honors.

"I think it was really special because were the first sisters in North Dakota history to win Miss Basketball," Jessica Kielpinski said. "She has set the bar really high, and I've tried to be just as strong a player."

Greg Amundson, Kielpinski's coach at Mandan High, said: "She really pushes herself and continues to grow as a player. New Mexico is getting a great competitor with a tremendous work ethic."

Kielpinski averaged 20 points and more than 10 rebounds per game, making 60 percent from the field her senior season. She scored more than 1,500 points during her high school career.

Her team plays in the largest North Dakota class and posted a 94-6 record her past four years as a starter. Mandan went 24-1 and ended the 2006-07 season ranked No. 23 nationally.

Playing for such a powerhouse taught Kielpinski how to thrive with a target on her back, an experience that should continue with the Lobos.

"It was always us against the world," she said.

Nikki Nelson

Nikki Nelson has seen the rich and poor worlds of high school basketball.

Nelson, a 5-5 point guard from Chewelah, Wash., played part of her high school career in the Spokane area on a team flush with talent.

She played her senior season in the suburbs, leading the Chewelah Cougars in scoring but compensating for a serious drop in talent. The Cougars went 12-7, exceeding expectations.

Nelson averaged 17 points per game. She set a school record for steals, grabbing 10 in a single game and 138 in 26 games. She also racked up 61 assists

"Instead of getting really frustrated, she really made her teammates much better," said Kyra Rolstad, Nelson's coach. "She used her tremendous quickness and court vision as an advantage. She's a great player and a great person."

Despite a modest team finish, Nelson was named most valuable player of her district and was invited to play in the Spokane area all-star game.

"I think I got much better as a leader and as a player because I was asked to do a lot of different things," Nelson sad.

Nelson continues to hone her ball-handling skill, a talent that has earned her national attention.

Nelson began practicing dribbling routines in the third grade and started performing in middle school.

She performed at halftime of a Gonzaga men's basketball game on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and once faced NBA star Shaquille O'Neal in a one-on-one duel.

"It started out as something I just did for fun, but it has been really cool and opened a lot of doors for me," Nelson said of her dribbling.

While she will focus on whatever basketball skills UNM coaches want her to learn, Nelson said she hopes to continue the dribbling exhibitions.

"It's been part of my life for so long, I hope I don't have to give it up," she said.

Porche Torrance

Porche Torrance already has earned comparisons to Chelsea Grear, a former UNM star who also hailed from Texas.

Torrance averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game at Colleyville Heritage High in the Fort Worth area.

Torrance was named the most valuable player in her district as Colleyville went 29-7, reaching the regional tournament in Texas' Class 5A playoffs. Torrance also earned All-State and All-Region honors.

"She developed into a better shot-blocker and better rebounder on top of being a strong scorer," said coach Dianna Sager, who coached Torrance at Colleyville.

It was a whirlwind year for Torrance, who was named homecoming queen in the fall and turned heads on the basketball court in the winter.

"I had a really good experience and am really proud that our team had the best finish in school history," Torrance said.

Torrance said she has worked on her perimeter game, knowing she will likely play more at small forward for the Lobos.

"I still work out even though the season is over and can't wait to get to New Mexico in June," she said. "I'm ready to step up to a whole new level."