The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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definitely be able to compete at a high level in our league." The most coveted recruit of the group, Flaherty, can fill it up. She was ranked as high as the No. 19 prospect in the country by the All-Star Girls Report and was a McDonald's High School All-America nominee out of New Jersey. Flaherty scored more than 2,000 points in her prep career and averaged 30.7 per game during her junior season. Barnes Arico is ex- cited about what she can bring to the team. "Katelynn was a top-25 kid coming out of high school, but she is a little thing and makes me look tall," she said with a laugh. "She is maybe 5-7, but she is a flat-out scorer. She shoots the ball really well. She does a great job of going off the bounce, too. "Her dad was a college basketball player, her mom was a college bas- ketball player, so she has been trained her whole life to play at the highest level." All the way from Los Angeles, guard Emoni Jackson comes in as the No. 85 prospect according to the All-Star Girls Report. She missed her junior season with a knee in- jury, but bounced back as a senior and helped her team win a state championship in the top division. Barnes Arico has seen some good things out of Jackson, but thinks she'll need some developing. "Emoni is a work in progress," she stated. "She is getting there, though." Center Terra Stapleton became the most physically imposing player on the roster upon joining the team. Sta- pleton will need some time to get into college shape, but Barnes Arico loves her drive and work ethic thus far. "Terra is a 6-4 freshman from Ohio who has lost at least 25 pounds since she got on campus," Barnes Arico stated. "She has really bought into what we are trying to do. She is work- ing out really hard. "She has great hands and a great touch, similar to Val Driscoll. She is a work in progress." With expectations growing each year, the freshman class will get a chance to be a big part of the direction of women's basketball at Michigan. "The freshmen are an exciting class and that says a lot about the future of our program," she said. "The biggest thing for them is that they will learn from a tremendous group of seniors." PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Blending a senior-laden starting lineup with a talented group of fresh- men is easier said than done. The coaches have to figure out how prac- tices should run and how to put all of the moving parts together. Goree is coming off of an All-Big Ten junior season and believes this team has all of the right pieces in place to do those things successfully. "I am very excited," Goree said. "We have a really special group of girls who I believe can do something really great. This is the year, I think, to go somewhere and establish what we want Michigan to be about. "We have such a good blend of ex- perience and, with the freshmen, we have a lot of depth." That good blend of experience, young talent and depth has many