The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2023 BY ANTHONY BROOME T he transfer portal in col- lege basketball has ex- ploded for both the men's and women's games and it has now extended to U-M on both ends of the spectrum. Shortly after the season, three players entered the portal in starting guard Mad- die Nolan and reserve guards Ari Wiggins and Michelle Sidor, with the latter already committing to DePaul. Nolan started 75 games in four seasons at Michigan, including all 33 games last season. She averaged 9.1 points per game in 32.7 min- utes per night, both career highs. Michigan honored her during Senior Night, and she is planning to use her extra COVID year elsewhere to finish out her eligibility. W i g g i n s p l aye d i n 37 games over the last two years. Sidor had a back in- jury this season that limited her to one regular season game, set- ting up a medical redshirt year. Both will have two years of eligibility remaining. Head coach Kim Barnes Arico also added talent through the portal, land- ing former Western Michigan forward Taylor Williams on April 1. Williams was named to the MAC All-Defense team and was an honorable mention all- conference player last season, averaging 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. She started 74 of 77 career games. "We are really excited to add Taylor to our program," Barnes Arico said. "It's great to have another Michigan kid, who has done exceptionally well both in the classroom and on the court at Western Michigan, come to Ann Arbor. "She is a great kid and an incredibly hard worker. She has tremendous length and such a high motor to the ball. She brings so much versatility to the court with her ability to play multiple posi- tions and impact both sides of the ball." The Wolverines have three scholarship spots remaining for the 2023-24 season. MOORE, DUNSTON RETURN TO U-M ON COACHING STAFF The changes in the program also spilled over into Barnes Arico's coach- ing staff. Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Erin Batth was hired away to be head coach at Providence on March 20 after spending one season in Ann Arbor. Joining Batth at Providence are Michigan assistant Valerie Nainima and graduate manager Reyna Frost. Both spent the last two seasons in Ann Arbor. "I am thrilled for Erin to have the op- portunity to lead her own program," Barnes Arico said in a statement to The Michigan Daily. "She had aspirations to be a head coach and spending a year at Michigan afforded her that. "It's a great opportunity for Val to be a recruiting coordinator and gain another experience of building a program. Reyna brought so much during her time at Michigan. … We wish them the best as they continue their careers with Erin." Barnes Arico turned to a pair of fa- miliar faces to help fill the coaching vacancies, starting with former assis- tant Melanie Moore returning to the U-M program March 30. She previously worked on Barnes Arico's staff from 2012-19 before spending the last four seasons at the head coach at Xavier. "I am so excited to bring Mel and her family back to Ann Arbor," Barnes Arico said. "She was so instrumental in help- ing elevate this program to the level it is at today. She helped recruit and develop one of the most successful classes in Michigan women's basketball history. Barnes Arico also added former Wol- verine star Jillian Dunston (2015-18) to her coaching staff on April 17 follow- ing her three seasons as an assistant at Drexel. "Jillian is one of the best to ever wear the Block M and embodies everything our program stands for," Barnes Arico said. "She is a rising star in this busi- ness, and her work ethic as a coach matches what she brought to the court every single day. I am so happy to have her energy and personality back with us in Ann Arbor." ❏ ❱ MICHIGAN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Offseason Kicks Off With Roster Shuffling U-M landed former Western Michigan forward Taylor Williams via the transfer portal on April 1. Williams aver- aged 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and was named to the MAC All-Defense team last season. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY U-M Signees Finish Strong Michigan signed a three-woman recruiting class in the 2023 cycle with guards Macy Brown and Katy Eidle, and forward Taylor Woodson. The three future Wolverines each had a strong finish to their prep careers. Brown was named Miss Michigan and Associated Press first-team all-state following a stellar senior season at East Grand Rapids (Mich.) High in which she averaged 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while finishing her career with 1,537 points. Eidle led her Arlington Heights (Ill.) Hersey High team to a fourth-place finish in the state class 4A playoffs, averaging 19.2 points as a senior. The four-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State selection (first team the past three seasons) finished with 2,223 career points and the school's career records in three- pointers (278) and steals (318). Woodson had an ankle injury early in the season but averaged 18.7 points and 7.5 rebounds in 17 games. She was first-team all-state and a class 4A all-tournament selection for Minnetonka (Minn.) Hopkins High, which lost by one point in the state title game.