The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1178918
NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 55 2019-20 BASKETBALL PREVIEW "Prolific scorer," Barnes Arico noted. "A jersey girl like Katelyn [Flaherty], I call her 'Jersey strong.' She can really score the basketball and I think that's something we need, especially from the wing spot. "She works like crazy, she's in the gym all the time. We have to kick her out of the gym. She's a first player off the bench type, is definitely going to see minutes. She's going to impact our team." Varejao — the niece of longtime NBA player Anderson Varejao — was once a member of the U-18 Bra- zilian National Team and ranked as high as the No. 12 recruit in the land by All-Star Girls Report. "Holy cow, biggest surprise thus far," Barnes Arico exclaimed. "I knew that she was going to be a good player, but she could really be a spe- cial player for us. Her ability to score the basketball, to change the game with her length on the defensive end and also to pass the basketball has been incredible." Thanks to the incredible growth Barnes Arico's program has shown lately, it will also enjoy a higher vis- ibility this season, with three national showcase games on ESPN or ESPN2, in addition to participating in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase against Florida State Dec. 22 in Connecticut. "That [national television expo- sure] speaks volumes and shows to the rest of the world that 'Hey, Michigan's women's basketball is coming on and Michigan women's basketball is a team we want to see on national TV,'" Barnes Arico said. "That's really important because I think it plays into the NCAA Tourna- ment [selection process]." ❏ In all seven seasons under Barnes Arico, U‑M has won at least 20 games and reached the postseason. The team has gone 73‑31 overall (.702 win percentage) and 33‑17 in the Big Ten (.660) over the last three campaigns. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY 2019-20 Women's Basketball Roster No. Name Pos. Height Class 00 Naz Hillmon Forward 6-2 Sophomore Last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year (media) and Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year was also a consensus All-Big Ten first-team and All-Freshman team selection. She appeared in all 34 games, coming off the bench as the sixth player, and led the team in points per game (13.1), rebounds per game (7.0) and field goal percentage (62.8). She also posted eight double-doubles. 1 Amy Dilk Guard 6-0 Sophomore Established herself as the starting point guard position as a freshman, and finished first among Big Ten rookies in assists per game, with 137, the second-most ever for a Michigan freshman. She also scored in double figures seven times. 2 Priscilla Smeenge Guard 6-0 Junior Subbed off the bench for her quickness and as a defensive specialist, and scored a career-high 12 points in only 13 minutes against a tough Marquette team (Dec. 2), with two triples, shooting 5 of 7 from the floor. 3 Maddie Nolan Guard 5-9 Freshman Known for her shooting prowess, she's still recovering from major knee surgery. An Indiana All-Star performer who graduated from Zionsville (Ind.) High as their all-time leading scorer (1,361 points) despite missing much of her senior year. Chose Michigan after de-committing from Miami (Ohio). 5 Kayla Robbins Forward 6-1 Senior Had a breakout season displaying her athleticism off the bench. Appeared in all 34 games, averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Likely to fill a starter's role in 2019-20. Scored in double figures in both of Michigan's 2019 NCAA Tournament games. 12 Ariel Young Guard 6-1 Sophomore Appeared in 20 games off the bench, averaging 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds. Hit the score sheet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Kansas with two points. 14 Akienreh Johnson Guard 6-0 Senior A five-time starter, she appeared in 31 games, taking on an ever-increasingly im- portant role while the season progressed. She scored in double figures five time, aver- aging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game. A likely 2019-20 starter. 15 Hailey Brown Forward 6-1 Junior Scored in double figure 12 times, displaying a growing confidence in her outside shooting. Hit a career-high six triples against Penn State in a 20-point performance. Started in all 34 games, averaging 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds a contest. 23 Danielle Rauch Guard 5-8 Sophomore Appeared off the bench in 22 games, averaging 0.4 points and 0.3 rebounds in 4.6 minutes per game. Destined to fill a greater role as a backup in the backcourt. 24 Michelle Sidor Guard 5-8 Freshman Brings a reputation as a scorer with her as the second all-time scorer in New Jersey high school history with 3,268 points. She was named to the 2019 Naismith High School girls watch list for the nation's best high school player and was a McDonald's All-American Game nominee. 33 Emily Kiser Forward 6-3 Sophomore Played off the bench, appearing in 18 games and averaging just over five minutes per game, along with 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds. The former Indiana All-Star team member will likely see more playing time off the bench in 2019-20. 34 Izabel Varejao Center 6-4 Freshman The Brazilian native was a McDonald's All-America game nominee and averaged 14.1 points and 7.6 rebounds a game at Neuse Christian Academy in North Carolina. Will surprise with her basketball IQ and passing ability. — Bob Miller