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At first glance, the Michigan women’s basketball roster is confusing. The program returns just four players from a team of 13, with senior guard Jordan Hobbs the only returning starter.
The Wolverines lost a lot. Six of their top seven scorers, eight of their top nine rebounders and five of their top six assist getters — all of which include first team All-Big Ten guard Laila Phelia — either graduated or hit the transfer portal following the team’s first-round NCAA Tournament exit.
But following all the loss came an infusion of fresh talent, as Michigan boasts its highest-rated recruiting class in program history, ranking No. 8 overall by ESPN.
Its eight newcomers — five freshmen and three transfers — represent a substantial roster turnover from last season, with each player brand new to both the Big Ten and the Wolverines’ brand of basketball.
“We have non-negotiables in our program, things that are staples of our program that we stand by every year,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said at Big Ten Media Day Oct. 2. “We always say we’re going to be the hardest-working team in America, which means we’re going to do all the intangible things. We’re going to take charges, get on the floor for loose balls, rebound, try to out-rebound all of our opponents.”
The Wolverines track some of those “intangibles” using a sticker system, where each time a player dives and secures a loose ball or takes a charge, they get another sticker to adorn their locker, slowly filling up the outline of a block ‘M’. Those ‘sticker plays’ help the coaching staff identify which players earn additional in-game minutes, particularly those outside the starting lineup, to fill in crucial roles off the bench.
Last year, the team implemented the ‘Practice Points Queen,’ gifting a decorated pinnie and tiara to the player with the most sticker points during each week of practice. Already bought into the Michigan mentality of hard work and hustle, freshman wing Olivia Olson earned the first two ‘Practice Points Queen’ titles of the season, according to the Wolverines’ Instagram.
“(The freshmen) are competitors,” Barnes Arico said. “They want to compete every single day in practice. They’re out there leading some of the stuff in practice. I’ve never seen people work as hard, and I’ve coached some of the greatest, greatest kids. I mean, they just compete at every single thing that they do.”
Olson and freshman guard Syla Swords — the No. 20 and No. 4 overall recruits in the 2024 class, respectively — headline the incoming class of five. With the freshmen outnumbering the returners, Hobbs and senior guard Greta Kampschroeder may appear to have their work cut out for them from a leadership perspective.
However, the freshmen enter with a level of composure and talent seemingly beyond their years.
“They’re very, very mature players,” Hobbs said at Big Ten Media Day. “I’ve never seen freshmen play like they do and make the passes that they do. Typically when freshmen come in, the game is super fast and they’re not getting the reads that juniors and seniors can make. But they can see those passes, and I just think they’re very mature in their skill set and making the right shots or taking the right shots and making the right passes to people.”
Typically, there is a steep learning curve with each jump to a new level. But with experience playing at a high level already — Swords played in the Paris Olympics and both Swords and Olson competed in the McDonald’s All-American game — the freshmen are adjusting smoother and faster than anticipated.
The freshmen five also have a unique opportunity to transform the Wolverines’ program: They’re the new blood infusing Michigan with an increased drive and hunger to win and build something special.
“Despite all the talent that they have, I think they’re hungry to get better and keep learning,” Kampschroeder said. “So they’re always asking questions, whether it’s to (me and Hobbs) or to the coaches. So they’re just ready to take their game to the next level, which is going to be great for them in the long run. And I think they’re setting a standard for everyone else in the program as well.”
Immediately coming in and setting a new standard, the freshmen are ready to dive in and make an immediate impact. With just four remaining players from last year’s roster, they can change the direction of Michigan’s trajectory.
With so many unknowns, it’s a waiting game to see which direction that will lead.
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