Wolverines Sign Pair to National Letters of Intent
11/14/2018 9:44:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico announced the signing of Michelle Sidor and Izabel Varejão to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday (Nov. 14). The duo will join the Wolverines for the 2019-20 academic year.
"I am really excited about this class," Barnes Arico said. "I think that both Michelle and Izabel will complement the pieces we already have in our program. They are both incredible young women who come from outstanding families. They are going to fit right in with the culture we have established here. They both really value what Michigan has to offer, both academically and athletically. They understand what it takes to be at the greatest university in the world, and we are so happy that they are joining our program."
Sidor, a 5-foot-8 guard from Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, is ranked No. 69 by ESPN. She has averaged better than 26.0 points per game in each of her three high school seasons, going for 27.4 points per game as a freshman, 27.8 as a sophomore and 26.8 as a junior. Sidor has led Saddle River Day to three straight Bergen County championships and last season's Tournament of Champions semifinals. She has earned USA Today first-team honors in New Jersey in both 2017 and 2018. Sidor has a chance to become the first North Jersey player to surpass 3,000 career points, entering her senior season with 2,442 points. Her 2,442 points are already third all-time in Bergen County, and she can pass Anne Donovan's mark of 2,582 with just 140 more points. She played AAU for the New Jersey Sparks on the EYBL circuit and was just named to the 2019 Naismith High School girls watch list for the nation's best high school player.
"Michelle is a Jersey girl and another East Coast player who really understands the Michigan difference," Barnes Arico said. "She is just an incredible scorer who can really score the basketball in a variety of ways. When you lose a player like Katelynn Flaherty or a shooter like Nicole Munger, you are always looking to fill that void. We feel like Michelle can come in and really help us score. She is probably one of the most driven individuals that I have ever met. She is another young woman who wants to be great, wants to be the best to ever play the game, and wants to be great in the classroom. She is special, and I can't wait to watch her in her final high school season with the chance to reach 3,000 points."
"I picked Michigan because it felt like home from my first visit," Sidor said. "The entire coaching staff is so nice and easy to talk to. The team is a great group of girls. I want to compete against the best teams in the country and be challenged academically at the same time. Michigan is that place for me."
Varejão, a 6-4 center from Vitoria-Espirito Santo, Brazil, is the No. 12-ranked recruit by the All-Star Girls Report (ASGR). She averaged 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game as a junior at Neuse Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina. She helped her high school team to the National Christian School Athletic Association Division I championship and a runner-up finish in the 1A N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association as a sophomore, finishing with a 27-1 record. Varejão was a member of the U18 Brazilian National Team in 2016. Basketball runs in her family, as her uncle Anderson Varejão, played in the NBA for 13 seasons.
"Izabel has great size and great length," Barnes Arico said. "She has played for her national team in Brazil and comes from a family filled of basketball players, with her uncle playing in the NBA and her mom playing professionally as well. Her best basketball days are ahead of her. She is a player who is going to continue to grow and improve. She has tremendous size; when you think of losing someone like Hallie Thome, Izabel is a player who is capable of filling that void. She has the ability to score, she has great face-up skills and can knock down the three. On the defensive end, she can really block shots, rebound and get up and down the floor. She has great hands and a high basketball IQ. Izabel left her family in Brazil at the age of 14 to expand her game and have the opportunity to compete at the highest level here in the U.S. She did that with the goal of becoming the best basketball player she can be, and we are thrilled to have her coming into our program."
"Why not Michigan?" Varejão said. "The reason I chose Michigan was that I felt really loved, not only by the coaches but by everyone involved in the program. I love the family feel that the program has, which I consider really important because I left my home in Brazil at a very young age. Michigan just felt right as soon as I stepped on campus. Michigan is the place I feel I will be able to accomplish my dreams and find success both athletically and academically."
The Wolverines will lose four players to graduation following this season:Â Hallie Thome, Nicole Munger, Samantha Trammel and Taylor Rooks.
