The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/201975
Head coach Kim Barnes Arico "We're going to be the hardest-working team in America, whether that's in the classroom or on the court. … If you don't have a drive and a passion to be excellent, Michigan is probably not the place for you." chance to spend some time with each other, it gave the coaches critical practice time and actual game experience with their new-look team — almost a de facto preseason. In the first game, a 102-34 trouncing of Marie de France, Thompson, 5-7, lit up the scoreboard with seven three-point makes and a team-high 23 points — a huge development, considering the loss of Kate Thompson, who set Michigan records for threepoint makes in a career (198) and a single season (110, in 2013). Despite her relatively small stature, Thompson also hauled in five rebounds, dished out three assists and tallied two steals. "Siera Thompson did a tremendous job," Barnes Arico said. "She's a littlebitty freshman, but she played very well. I don't care if there is no defense out there, you still have to make the shot, and it's not always easy to do. I challenged her a little bit after the game and said, 'Don't be a one-hit wonder.' I think she might be a little too young for that; she didn't really know what I meant. She responded and added six more threes in the next two games. "That was a pleasant surprise. Not only from the shooting perspective. She also did a tremendous job on the defensive end, pressuring the other team's point guard. She is really a scrappy player. She plays incredibly hard." Smith added a double-double (14 points, 13 assists and six steals), and she provided at least 10 points in all three games. The Wolverines won each game in blowout fashion, giving Barnes Arico the chance to play everyone and begin narrowing down a possible starting lineup. Coming Together Michigan's real season kicks off with an exhibition against Wayne State Nov. 1. Barnes Arico is still trying to secure an eight-player rotation before then, but after the summer workouts and trip to Europe, she is confident that a few players — including some new faces — will be on the floor at tipoff. For starters, though, it begins with Elmblad, who averaged 4.3 points and 5.4 rebounds a game last year. "We're not returning a lot of scoring, so I have been working on my offensive game," Elmblad said. "Knowing how to finish the ball a little better and finding better shots to take, considering I will be playing against some taller girls in the Big Ten. I have definitely been working on that." Elmblad, 5-11, will play on the pe-