AP FILE PHOTO - Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly directs his team during the second half of a women’s college basketball game against Iowa on Dec. 5, 2018, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

For the first time since the Big 12 Women’s basketball tournament was canceled in early March and Iowa State’s season came to an end, coach Bill Fennelly spoke to the media Thursday afternoon via teleconference. In the meeting, he discussed the empty Iowa State basketball facility, his newfound knowledge of technology and a marquee matchup already on the table for the 2020-21 season.

To open his presser he referenced his team’s premature end to 2019-20 season and said he focuses on the Baylor upset as a positive end to the season.

“I think this team really accomplished a lot and fought through a lot of things,” Fennelly said.

Social Distancing

Fennelly said he’s found it difficult with the inability to have in-person meetings with his staff and players, but the staff has been divided up into small groups — with Fennelly handling large-group meetings over Google Hangout.

He said he still goes into his office sometimes, but often there’s nobody at the Sukup Basketball Complex — at a time when players would normally be getting up shots after the season is over and preparing for the next season.

“The best part of coaching is interacting on a daily basis with your players,” Fennelly said. “The idea of not seeing them around, it’s very hard. I think that’s the part you miss the most.”

Fennelly made it no secret that he was learning a lot about technology and various video-conferencing apps during this time of self-isolation and social distancing. He had “zero” knowledge of sites like Zoom and Google Hangout beforehand, with his son Billy and other members of the staff helping him out. He mentioned that it could be useful to know about the teleconferencing and video-conferencing apps for recruiting in the coming months

The whole team had a meeting recently for the first time since their season was ended in Kansas City, and Fennelly said it was important to check in and see where the players were, if they were being safe and if they had access to a hoop.

“My staff does a great job of organizing those [meetings],” Fennelly said. “It’s the only way we can see [our players] face-to-face.”

Big Matchup

As of now, Iowa State is scheduled to take on No. 1-ranked South Carolina in the Big 12-SEC Showdown in 2020-21, Fennelly said in response to a question about scheduling details — where he confirmed the Cyclones will continue to play in-state rivals UNI, Iowa and Drake.

The Gamecocks, coached by Dawn Staley, have been a powerhouse in the SEC for over a decade and won the national title in 2017.

Fennelly said he hoped to get the Cyclones into a Florida tournament early in the season, as well.

“Everyone’s kind of in the same boat, not knowing exactly what they want to do,” Fennelly said. “Every school’s a little different. Originally, we had plans to play certain places and go certain places, and some of those things haven’t worked out. But it will be very, very good.”