Wolverines Analyze Road Ahead as it Winds Toward Big Ten Play

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The way a team navigates its early-season, non-conference games helps determine the course it takes when Big Ten play begins. And while wins during that time are good, improvement is even better.

The University of Michigan women's basketball team has played four teams ranked No. 22 or higher nationally, and has gone 1-3.

The Wolverines (6-3) defeated No. 21 Missouri, 70-54, in a Florida tournament before experiencing a 17-point loss the next day to No. 10 Texas. Then there were 11-point losses on the road to No. 13 North Carolina State last week and No. 22 Marquette on Sunday (Dec.2).

Michigan survived that gauntlet with some highs and lows, and Wolverines head coach Kim Barnes Arico said she scheduled that by design for long-term benefits.

Thursday night's (Dec. 6) 83-38 win over Long Island University Brooklyn began a stretch of four games against unranked opponents leading up to the Wolverines' Dec. 28 conference opener at Nebraska. The score was 27-1 after the first quarter, and the mismatch provided Barnes Arico an opportunity to give 12 players each 12 minutes or more on the court.

So, the players who had to play a lot of minutes in those recent challenges, can now catch their breath a bit before the most important part of the season begins.

Naz Hillmon, a highly-recruited, 6-foot-3 freshman forward from Cleveland, Ohio, had 24 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench against the Blackbirds. She missed one shot from the floor and one from the line in a highly-efficient performance and is now Michigan's second-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game while sharing the rebound lead at 6.2.

"We call her 'Nahzilla,'" joked center Hallie Thome, the team's top scorer (13.8) who also averages 6.2 boards. "To be this dominant as a freshman is exciting to see."

Seniors Thome and Nicole Munger (11.9 points with 25 three-pointers) are back along with a pair of sophomore starters in versatile big guard Deja Church and talented forward Hailey Brown. Freshman point guard Amy Dilk from Carmel, Indiana, now runs the show with Katelynn Flaherty gone, and is a natural in that role.

Dilk

Flaherty's 2,776 points over four seasons leave not only big shoes, but nets to be filled by others. There isn't going to be a 20-point scorer this season. Though, Thome, who averaged 17.4 last year and has been first team All-Big Ten for two consecutive seasons, could come close.

The bruises and cuts on her arms are indications of how physical play has been, but Barnes Arico had a plan in mind when scheduling five consecutive Power 5 opponents (Michigan also won, 80-73, over Washington in the Gulf Coast Showcase) in three different states.

"It was really mentally challenging – the level of competition that we played," said Barnes Arico. "But it was also the travel and being on the road. I think that if we had some of those contests at home, they probably would've gone in a different direction. If we had more time to prepare for some of those opponents, I think it would've gone in a different direction.

"But I wanted them to be in that situation because come March, we could be in a similar situation. I want to use it as an example of, 'Hey, we've done this before. We're prepared for this. We did this in the non-league (games) when most teams in the country and our league didn't do it. So, we've put ourselves in a position to be ready come Big Ten Tournament play."

What have the Wolverines gained most from these first nine games?

Thome said: "I think we all learned that no matter who we face, if we play Michigan basketball and don't shy away from the things that have been successful in the past, then we'll be successful in the future. So, whether that's making sure our post (players) are getting touches, boxing out or rebounding, it's a lot of the little things."

Hillmon added: "We definitely learned a lot about ourselves. We found some of our strengths, but also some of our weaknesses, and we've been trying to build off that. … We learned that we have to focus on ourselves as much as our opponent."

What are the biggest needs for improvement in the three weeks before Big Ten play begins?

"There are definitely a few things," said Barnes Arico. "We learned a lot in the last couple weeks playing against some of the best programs in the country. Any time you challenge yourself like that, you can really find out your weaknesses.

"We need to become better at rebounding, and it's amazing to say that because you look at the stats here (U-M 60 rebounds, LIU Brooklyn 30). But we just have to make sure we're consistently blocking out and only giving opponents one shot instead of multiple shots. A goal of ours is to be a better defensive rebounding team. We have a lot of kids who are great offensive rebounders, because they get the ball and then they can score.

"The other thing is offensive movement, shot selection, transition versus executing in the half court, and really figuring out what's the best shot each possession. We're trying to get better at not turning the basketball over, and definitely working on being a better defensive team."

Rauch

The players both saw defense as the greatest need.

"Defensive transition," said Thome. "So, definitely getting back on defense just all-around, making sure we're locked in on the opponents, and not letting them get easy baskets in transition. Knowing where our players are and how to help each other on defense is going to be important."

Hillmon added that the top need for improvement "definitely is defensive intensity" and added "we have to figure out how to play all 40 minutes" at top speed.

LIU Brooklyn is 0-8 and didn't offer much of a challenge, but did give Michigan an opportunity to get back to basics while, as Thome noted, singing 'The Victors' after losing three of four games.

"I just wanted us to get our confidence back," said Barnes Arico. "We've had a really tough stretch against some of the best teams in the country, and we celebrated the opportunity to be back home. We showed a lot of confidence tonight, and we hustled for loose balls and took a lot of charges."

"If we say, 'Hardest-working team in America,' what does that look like? Tonight, everyone in the stands got an opportunity to see that. We were diving on the floor. We were taking charges. We were winning the hustle battle."

Junior forward Brown took a charge on the Blackbirds' first possession and the bench exploded. Munger took a charge with a 24-point lead. Freshman guard Danielle Rauch dove to get a loose ball with a 30-point lead and sophomore guard Priscilla Smeenge took a charge with an 81-34 lead. The Wolverines whooped it up after each of those plays.

"That was a key focus for us tonight," said Barnes Arico. "The kids really need to buy into that, and there has to be constant reminders that we celebrate that. Hailey Brown had never taken one before and she was the first one tonight, and our team went crazy. We really pride ourselves on doing the intangibles and the little things regardless of what the scoreboard says.

"That really connects our team, and everyone buys into that culture."

Barnes Arico knows the toughest games are ahead, with three top-16 teams in the Big Ten in Maryland, Minnesota and Iowa. She realizes the Big Ten tourney results have not turned out the way the Wolverines would like. And she also very much wants to repeat a coveted NCAA Tournament berth.

So, the hope is that the rocky road just traveled will keep the Wolverines dancing as long as possible come March.