She spent last season terrorizing Big Ten defenses on her way to earning the conference’s Player of the Year honors. Leading Michigan from the frontcourt is none other than Hillmon. A guard with her length is an oddity in the college game, and she could develop into an elite defender given more time to grow. Hobbes was not as highly ranked as Phelia or Wiggins, but she is an intriguing young player. She’s lightning fast, and this could provide a change of pace for the Wolverines if needed. Wiggins, meanwhile, brings a new speed to the Wolverines. This winning mindset will fall in line nicely with this year’s seniors, who are hunting for a Big Ten Championship. Phelia is a winner, having won two Ohio State Championships in high school.

The three incoming freshmen guards might not see the floor often this year, but they all bring useful tools to the table.

“We have one of those players in Danielle Rauch”. “You need great pieces, and you need players that are unselfish and want to do anything that they can to help the team be successful,” Barnes Arico said. Rauch brings a level-head and leadership to the table as one of the most experienced players on the roster. After making three of her four attempts against Grand Valley, she should surpass her efficiency last season 一 a meager 27.6% from behind the arc. Sidor brings 3-point scoring to the lineup. Rounding out the guards on the roster are senior Danielle Rauch and junior Michelle Sidor, as well as freshmen Laila Phelia, Ari Wiggins and Jordan Hobbes. She doesn’t need the ball in her hands to be effective on offense, and this could allow her to fit well alongside Dilk, Hillmon and Brown. Nolan is a tenacious and aggressive defender, as seen by her 21 steals last season, but she’s also an effective shooter, shooting 36.2% from behind the arc last year. Junior Maddie Nolan is the most suitable replacement for the void that Johnson’s departure leaves in the Wolverine backcourt. Brown will have to carry a substantial portion of the scoring load for Michigan to succeed. Despite missing a large chunk of the season due to COVID-19, Brown proved to be a dynamic scorer last season, averaging 18.2 points per game while shooting 52.3% from the field. Leigha Brown is expected to return to her starting role as well. She looked aggressive and confident against Grand Valley State in an exhibition game last Thursday, though, so if this confidence continues into the regular season, Dilk can take a major step forward. She averaged a team-high 3.9 assists last season, but her numbers regressed slightly from the year prior. With the Wolverines facing a loaded Big Ten conference and what could possibly be the toughest non-conference schedule in program history, they will rely heavily on the experience prevalent on this year’s roster.ĭilk is a lock to start at the point guard position. Their presences will be missed, but Michigan has a strong supporting class returning and four new freshmen joining the team as well. Brown led the team in blocks (19) by a wide margin, and Johnson averaged just under a steal a game. Johnson and Brown were both major contributors on the defensive end as well. After graduating Akienreh Johnson and Hailey Brown 一 who averaged a combined 18.9 points per game last season 一 the Wolverines have gaps in both the frontcourt and the backcourt that must be filled. This leaves two starting spots that need to be filled. Coach Kim Barnes Arico will be returning three of last season’s starters for their senior campaigns: forward Naz Hillmon, wing Leigha Brown and guard Amy Dilk. After Michigan’s third-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance - and its first Sweet Sixteen appearance ever - the 11th-ranked Wolverines seem poised for another successful campaign.

Michigan basketball roster 2021