Wolverines Sign Trio to National Letters of Intent
11/11/2020 1:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico announced the signing of Taylor Gibson, Laila Phelia and Ari Wiggins to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday (Nov. 11) to join the Wolverines in 2021-22 as part of National Signing Day. The class is ranked No. 16 nationally by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and No. 17 by ESPN.
"We are really excited about this signing class," Barnes Arico said. "We have three tremendous players who come from incredible high school and AAU programs with winning tradition. A priority for me since I got here nine seasons ago was to recruit players who are winners, who strive for competitive greatness and come from winning programs with that 'refuse to lose' mentality. These three young women are the epitome of that."
"They are going to give us another level of athleticism, speed and rebounding ability that we need to help us get to the next level. That is something we have talked about as we head into this season and while recruiting this class. Where can we get better? Let's be specific as to what our needs are and where we can get better. When I first got here, generally, we were just trying to recruit the best players. With this class, we had an opportunity to be really specific with what we needed to make our program better."
Taylor Gibson
Gibson, a 6-foot-2 forward from Upper Marlboro, Md., helped Bishop McNamara to a 27-5 overall record in 2019-20 and its first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship since 2008. As a junior starter, she averaged nearly 10 points and seven rebounds per game for the Mustangs, a powerhouse program in the 'DMV' that featured nine Division I players. Gibson had highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds last season as Bishop McNamara earned a No. 1 final ranking from the Washington Post, while ranking seventh nationally by MaxPreps and ESPN. The team also won titles at the Boo Williams Holiday Invitational and Title IX Holiday Invitational. She played AAU for the prestigious Boo Williams organization.
"Taylor is going to provide us another strong, physical presence inside," Barnes Arico said. "She can be another Naz Hillmon-type, with her ability to rebound the basketball. She has the ability to shoot the three, rebounds the ball well, can face up and play with her back to the basket to give us another option inside. Taylor comes from a great high school program coached by Frank Oliver and her AAU program Boo Williams is one of the best, year-in and year-out. She has ties to the state of Michigan, where her dad grew up. That is really important as well, she is coming home and her family will be able to be involved when she is here."
"I selected Michigan because of what it represents to me and the relationships I built with the coaching staff during the recruiting process," Gibson said. "I am originally from Detroit and have a lot of family in the area. My family has been big Michigan fans ever since I can remember, and I feel blessed to be part of something so amazing."
Laila Phelia
Phelia, a 6-foot guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, is ranked No. 28 by ESPN, No. 31 from Blue Star, No. 54 by ASGR and No. 57 by Prospects Nation. As a junior, she helped Mount Notre Dame to a perfect 28-0 record, regional championship and a No. 3 national ranking from ESPN before the season was cut short. She averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.1 assists per game as a junior after going for 8.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore when the Cougars won the 2019 Division I state championship. Phelia nearly turned in a double-double with 10 points and seven rebounds in that championship game as the Cougars won their seventh state title in program history. She is a three-time Girls Greater Catholic League first-team selection and was named honorable mention all-district following her junior campaign. Phelia was named to the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith Girls Trophy Watch List earlier this week. She played AAU with the Cincinnati Angels.
"Laila is a player who can affect the game in so many ways," Barnes Arico said. "She is a 6-foot wing player who is fast as lightning, can rebound the ball on both ends, can score the ball in multiple ways, can shoot the three, can beat you off the bounce, can get to the rim and has an uncanny ability to draw fouls. She has tremendous length to go with her speed, allowing her to do so much on both sides of the ball. She has such a high motor and loves the game of basketball. She is a sponge who is in the gym all the time trying to get better. She has been coached by some of the best in her high school coach Scott Rogers and her AAU coach Dante Harlan. She has a chance to have a tremendous career for us."
"The reason I chose the University of Michigan was not only because of its excellent education but also because of the family feel that I experienced from the coaching staff and team," Phelia said. "I am a big family-oriented person, so having that feeling of connection was very important for me since this will be my new family away from home."
Ari Wiggins
Wiggins, a 5-foot-8 point guard from Indianapolis, Ind., is ranked No. 25 by Prospects Nation, No. 35 by the All-Star Girls Report, No. 38 by Blue Star and No. 68 by ESPN. As a junior at Heritage Christian under head coach Rick Risinger, she averaged 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game as the Eagles won their 16th straight City tournament title and advanced to the regional championship of the state tournament. Wiggins was a core six member Indiana Junior All-Star team in 2020 and is a three-time selection to the MCCGSA all-city, all-city tournament and all-conference teams. She is a two-time IBCA Underclass Supreme 15 all-state selection (2019, 2020) and a top contender for the 2021 Indiana Miss Basketball award. Over the first two games of her senior season with new head coach Cassie Wiseman, she is averaging 28.0 points per game after going for 35 in her last game against East Central High School. Wiggins was named to the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith Girls Trophy Watch List earlier this week. She played AAU for Danny Riego of the Indy Gym Rats.
"Ari is a lefty point guard who is probably one of the fastest kids in the country," Barnes Arico said. "She comes from a super-athletic family. She can just impact the game in so many different ways, both offensively and defensively. She and I have talked about how disruptive she can be on the defensive end. She can pick up the other team's point guard 94 feet, can get tips and deflections, and can get steals in the backcourt. Her speed is incredible, allowing her to get the ball up the court in record-breaking time. She has a sweet lefty pull-up, with the ability to also knock down the three. She is so dynamic and will have a major impact for us. It will be beneficial for us to add another point guard to our team who has a different style of play."
"My decision to attend the University of Michigan was driven by its world-class education and my desire to excel both in the classroom and in my career," Wiggins said. "Additionally, I connected personally with Coach Arico and the women's basketball program. I feel like I'm joining a family that is committed to excellence and winning both on and off of the court. I am excited to be a Wolverine!"
