Despite Michigan’s best efforts, UCLA is still undefeated in Big Ten conference play. The Bruins edged out a 69-66 win behind strong performances from seniors Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice Gabriela Jaquez, and Gianna Kneepkens. Michigan, meanwhile, survived on contributions from four sophomores. Olivia Olsen, Syla Swords, Mila Holloway, and Te’Yala Delfosse are all just in their second seasons of college basketball. They will only continue to get better.
And that is the biggest takeaway from this game. If Michigan can hang with three of the best teams in the country now—they also lost close games to UConn and Vanderbilt—just imagine what the Wolverines will be able to do in a year or two. They could quickly dominate the Big Ten.
Despite only getting major contributions from one senior—Brooke Quarles Daniels—and relying heavily on young players to contribute at a high level, Michigan has been a top-ranked team all season long. Michigan came in 13th in the preseason rankings. In Week 2, the Wolverines were 14th. Just a week later, they had climbed all the way to sixth. They stayed there for several weeks before falling a few spots. In Week 14, they are eighth, trailing only UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, LSU, Louisville, and Vanderbilt.
That success came as a bit of a surprise to head coach Kim Barnes Arico.
“We didn’t think we would be a top-ten team all season and a net of six,” Barnes Arico said after the game against UCLA. “So, I think, where we are right now is a little bit ahead of schedule.”
The Big Ten will experience a lot of changes after this season
UCLA is the Big Ten’s powerhouse right now. That will very likely change soon. The Bruins’ six top contributors will all leave for the pro level, creating an opening for Michigan and Ohio State to battle for the top spot in the conference. The Iowa Hawkeyes will also lose a lot of talent.
Much like Michigan, Ohio State has a ton of young talent. Three of the team’s top five scorers are sophomores or freshmen, including Jaloni Cambridge, who ranks seventh in scoring in the nation. Both teams have also already played some signature games this season. Ohio State beat Maryland and TCU and only lost to UCLA by seven points. Michigan lost to UConn, Vanderbilt, and UCLA by three points and beat Michigan State in overtime.
The only thing that could stop Michigan and Ohio State from soaring to the top of the Big Ten is the transfer portal. However, given the two teams’ success this season, the young core players should have little reason to leave.