The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 51 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL trials this past summer along with cur- rent U-M player Alyssa Crockett. "I chose Michigan because it goes far beyond my expectations both academi- cally and athletically," Eidle said. "The relationships I hold with the staff and players are very valuable to me. Michi- gan is a place that will help me succeed in my future, both as a basketball player and a person." Barnes Arico added: "Katy is such a dynamic scorer with a super high IQ. She really understands the game and makes everyone around her better, which is something we have really been after with our recruiting the last few years. She is such a gifted athlete, can be disrup- tive on the defensive end and can score in bunches. She is a fabulous passer and can play the point guard position if needed. She has had such a phenomenal high school career with her Gato- rade Player of the Year honor last year, and we are really excited about what she will bring to our program." Woodson, a 6-foot forward, has been on the varsity team at Hopkins High in Minnetonka, Minn., since she was a seventh grader and has been a part of two state champion- ships. She helped her team to the AAAA state title in 2022, averaging 14.8 points per game and scoring 16 points with 13 rebounds in the championship game. Woodson was ranked No. 59 in the nation and a four-star by ESPN. "I thought Taylor had a phe- nomenal last season of AAU [with North Tartan] and was one of my favorite players I saw all summer," Barnes Arico said. "The energy and toughness that she plays with is a staple of our program. She is such a high-energy player who can play and defend multiple positions. She is so dynamic off the bounce and can really rebound the ball. Both her AAU and high school programs have had so much success; she is a winner. She is a great teammate and is so multidimensional with her ability to switch screens and guard any spot on the floor. That is some- thing we love to have in our pro- gram and are thrilled she will wear the Maize and Blue." Woodson is another player with athletic roots in the Big Ten. Her fa- ther, Johnny Woodson, played football at Minnesota. "When you know, you know," Wood- son said. "The University of Michigan feels like it is the place for me to be. The coaches, as well as the players there, have created a culture which I want to be part of. There is an instant sense of community, a supportive, hardworking, and encouraging environment. Addi- tionally, their ability to hold themselves at the highest level of excellence in all aspects is admirable. Thus, the possi- bilities are endless. I am beyond grateful and excited to be joining this program." WOLVERINES JUMP OUT TO 2-0 START TO 2022-23 SEASON The current iteration of the women's hoops team is off to a quick and dominant 2-0 start to the 2022-23 campaign, head- lined by a pair of big-time performances from graduate forward Emily Kiser. Michigan opened the season Nov. 9 with an 83-30 win over Delaware State before following it up with a 91-36 vic- tory over St. Francis (Pa.) Nov. 11. Kiser had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the opener and came back with 25 points, a career high, in 23 minutes played in the second game. "[Kiser] had a career high [against St. Francis], I didn't even realize [at first]," Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico said. "She's so efficient. She's like a silent assassin, you don't even really know it and then you look at the box score and you're like, 'Oh my goodness, like what happened?'" U-M is relying on Kiser to replace a leadership void left behind from first- team All-American Naz Hillmon, but sophomore guard Laila Phelia is also helping to replace the produc- tion in a big way. She was named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll after a pair of 20-plus- point performances in the 2-0 start to the season. Against Dela- ware State, she scored 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting (4 of 6 from 3-point range), setting a career high in 3-pointers made (4) and blocks (3) while adding 3 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal. Phelia followed with a 21-point s h ow i n g o n 9 - o f-1 0 s h o o t i n g against St. Francis, which made her the 11th Wolverine in program history to shoot 90 percent or bet- ter from the floor on at least 8 at- tempts in a game. She also added 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in 22 minutes played. Phelia exited the first week of the season ranked second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.810) and leading the conference in 3-pointers made per game (3.5) and 3-point percent- age (.778). Next up for the Wolverines is a home game against Western Mich- igan Nov. 16 before a road tilt at Fairfield Nov. 20. U-M will then head to the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., on Thanksgiving weekend, starting with a game against Air Force Nov. 25. ❏ 2022-23 U-M WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE & RESULTS Date Opponent Time/Results TV Nov. 5 Daemen (Exhibition) W, 87-32 Nov. 9 Delaware State W, 83-30 Nov. 11 St. Francis (Pa.) W, 91-36 Nov. 16 Western Michigan 7 p.m. B1G+ Nov. 20 at Fairfield 2 p.m. Nov. 25 vs. Air Force^ 5 p.m. FloHoops Nov. 26 TBD^ TBA FloHoops Nov. 27 TBD^ TBA FloHoops Dec. 1 at Miami (Fla.)% 9 p.m. ACC Network Dec. 4 Northwestern 2 p.m. B1G+ Dec. 8 Toledo 7 p.m. B1G+ Dec. 17 Appalachian State 12 p.m. BTN Dec. 20 vs. North Carolina$ 7 p.m. Dec. 28 at Nebraska 7 p.m. BTN Dec. 31 at Ohio State 1 p.m. BTN Jan. 3 Penn State 1 p.m. B1G+ Jan. 7 Iowa 4:30 p.m. FOX Jan. 10 at Purdue 6:30 p.m. BTN Jan. 14 Michigan State 2 p.m. B1G+ Jan. 19 at Rutgers 8:30 p.m. BTN Jan. 23 Indiana TBA BTN Jan. 26 at Maryland 6:30 p.m. BTN Jan. 29 at Minnesota 2 p.m. B1G+ Feb. 2 Illinois 6:30 p.m. BTN Feb. 5 at Michigan State 3 p.m. B1G+ Feb. 12 Nebraska 1 p.m. B1G+ Feb. 16 at Indiana 8:30 p.m. BTN Feb. 20 Ohio State 7 p.m. FS1 Feb. 23 Rutgers 7 p.m. B1G+ Feb. 26 at Wisconsin 2 p.m. BTN or B1G+ Mar. 1-5 Big Ten Tournament* ^ Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. % ACC/Big Ten Challenge $ Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C. * Minneapolis