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B1G Preview: Maryland, and Michigan, and Minnesota…..oh my!

By Jasmine Brown

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 04: Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Kenin McGuff holds up the Big Ten Championship trophy after defeating the Maryland Terrapins during the Big Ten Women's Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Maryland Terrapins on March 4, 2018, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Maryland Terrapins 79-69. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 04: Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Kenin McGuff holds up the Big Ten Championship trophy after defeating the Maryland Terrapins during the Big Ten Women's Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Maryland Terrapins on March 4, 2018, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Maryland Terrapins 79-69. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MI – FEBRUARY 08: Michigan Wolverines center Hallie Thome (30) drives to the basket against Northwestern Wildcats center Oceana Hamilton (34) during the first half of a regular season Big 10 Conference basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines on February 8, 2018 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan defeated Northwestern 84-63. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI – FEBRUARY 08: Michigan Wolverines center Hallie Thome (30) drives to the basket against Northwestern Wildcats center Oceana Hamilton (34) during the first half of a regular season Big 10 Conference basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines on February 8, 2018 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan defeated Northwestern 84-63. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Predicted finish: 2nd

Last year’s record: 22-9. 10-6 B1G 

Key returners:

G- Nicole Munger- 6.5 PPG, 43% FG, 19.7 MPG

C- Hallie Thome- 16.0 PPG, 62% FG, 28.7 MPG

Newcomers:

F- Taylor Rooks 6’0 (Bridgewater, New Jersey) Grad. Trns. 

F- Naz Hilllmon 6’2 (Cleveland, Ohio) Fr. (no. 58 on ESPN’s Hoopgurlz)

G- Amy Dilk 6’0 (Carmel, Indiana) Fr. (no. 40 on ESPN’s Hoopgurlz)

G- Ariel Young 6’1 (Tallahassee, Florida) Fr. (no. 92 on ESPN’s Hoopgurlz)

G- Emily Kiser 6’3 (Noblesville, Indiana) Fr. (no. 78 on ESPN’s Hoopgurlz)

F- Danielle Rauch 5’8 (Syracuse, NY) Fr. 

Key non-conference games: 

11/29: NC State

12/2: Marquette

Head coach: Kim Barnes Arico-7th season

Kim Barnes Arico enters her seventh season as the head coach in 2018-19 and like Bluder for Iowa, Barnes Arico is the winningest coach in her program’s history. To add to her accomplishments, she is the only coach in program history to have six 20-win seasons. She has led the Wolverines to at least 20 wins in each of her six seasons. Under her, Michigan went to two NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2017 WNIT championship [Editor’s note: they were an inexcusable omission from the 2017 NCAA field]. Barnes Arico also eclipsed 400 wins for her career during the 2017-18 season, making her the seventh active Big Ten coach to reach the mark.

Outlook: 

Out of all of the B1G teams, Michigan has the most ranked incoming freshmen with four. Without Katelynn Flaherty however, it raises questions to how they can play without her with so many newcomers coming in. However, the Wolverines still have Hallie Thome, a unanimous preseason pick in the 2017-2018 season. Thome averaged 16 PPG and made 62 percent of her field goals, and you can expect her to expand her role even further.

Best case scenario: Michigan holds its own without Katelynn Flaherty and all four incoming freshman mature quickly.

Worst case scenario: Too much freshman inconsistency limits Thome’s ceiling and Michigan struggles in the post-Flaherty era.

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