The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL game, while Arnold is grabbing 1.3 a game through Nov. 30. But they're making a huge impact in that area of the game, by boxing out and allowing others to come in and scoop up the ball. The Wolverines rank fourth in the Big Ten in defensive rebounding percentage, getting 69.2 percent of the boards on that side of the court. They're averaging 36.2 boards per game. Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth attributes the team's early success to their increased rebounding ability. "I've been really impressed with their ability to rebound," said ju- nior guard Jenny Ryan, who posted a double-double in Michigan's win over Marquette (13 points and 10 re- bounds). "They're the ones boxing out, and that might not show up on the stat sheet, but they're the ones get- ting the bigs out of the way for us little guards to come in and get the ball. That's been a big difference maker in a lot of games. "We work on rebounding every day. And they're getting better at clearing out. It's them sacrificing their stats for the better of the team. It's he approach we've taken, and they do a phenom- enal job of using their bodies to make up for the size they're giving up." Borseth said Sheffer's and Arnold's abilities on the glass have improved because the team's "point of emphasis has changed." The Wolverines work on blocking out every day in practice, something that wasn't as big a focus last season. Offensively, Ryan has seen Sheffer and Arnold grow, too. "Compared to last year, their con- fidence is irreplaceable," Ryan said. "They're confident. They want the ball. They know they can score. They're just deadly down there." Through eight games, Sheffer's of- fensive numbers are a little better than her 2010 production. She is averaging 11.9 point per game, up from 11.0 in 2010. However, Borseth said there are still ways to make her more effective. "There are a couple things we need to look at Rachel scored better last year than she's doing right now," he said. "It's a matter of where her shoul- ders and feet are, more than it is to whether she can or not. It's difficult for her sometimes because she's giv- ing up four inches in height and six 84 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2011 Michigan Women's Basketball Rewind Record: 7-1 National Ranking: NR, received 11 votes in Associated Press poll and received 15 votes in ESPN/USA Today coaches poll as of Nov. 28. Best Win — Paradise Jam Tournament Title: The Wolverines went into the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands with the expectation of taking home the title. Senior point guard Courtney Boylan went as far to say it would have been a disap- pointment if they didn't win the whole thing. But even she was surprised when Michigan outscored its three opponents, Prairie View A&M, Washington State and Marquette 199-143 in three wins. In the two games immediately leading into the tournament, the Wolverines offense had stalled out, shooting just 29.8 percent from the field and never hitting more than nine field goals in a single half in wins over Utah and Seton Hall. On the islands, Michigan shot 43.4 percent from the field and won its last two games by at least 20 points. Worst Loss — Maryland 74, Michigan 65: There's not much to choose from here, especially considering Michigan's lone loss so far came on the road versus the No. 7 scoring offense in the country (85.7 points per game). The Terrapins are winning games by nearly 30 points a game this season. The Wolverines have had a surprising start to the season, but Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth has some work to do before they're ready to compete with the Marylands or Connecticuts of the women's basketball world. MVP — Courtney Boylan: The Wolverines rank 148th in the country in scoring offense at 64.0 points per game, so Boylan's 15.3 points per game have been ab- solutely critical to the team's early success while Borseth tries to find a lineup that will maximize the team's offensive potential. Borseth has increasingly trusted her with the ball in her hands at the end of the shot clock. Impact Freshman — Nicole Elmblad: The rookie guard, who was originally committed to Wis- consin, was the last member of the 2011 class, but she's the first one to crack the starting lineup, having started the Wolverines' first eight games. She's averaging 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes per game. Game To Watch — at Michigan State, Jan. 2: In order to take the next step as a growing program, the Wolverines must perform in the Big Ten. Last year, Michigan took strides with a 10-6 confer- ence campaign, but it wasn't enough to reach the NCAA Tour- nament. If the Wolverines can grab a road win in their second conference game — against an in- state rival who has dominated the series in recent years, no less — it will lend a lot of momentum into the meat of the conference slate. The Spartans have stumbled a bit in the early going, losing games to Villanova and Florida Gulf Coast. — Andy Reid Freshman guard Nicole Elmblad started each of Michigan's first eight games while posting aver- ages of 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN in length. We haven't focused on her scoring in practice as much as we're going to need to." For Sheffer's backup, Arnold, Bors- eth had high praise. "Sam's done a lot better this year in every aspect of her game," he said. "She's a very smart kid. She's a big, strong kid. She's done better with her sense of urgency around the basket." Arnold is averaging 2.9 points in 13.3 minutes per game. ❑