[ad_1]
For the past few years, the Michigan women’s basketball team operated without a true center. They made do with a series of strong forwards, but rarely had a height advantage in the paint.
That is, until now.
Hailing from Rostov-on-Don, Russia, transfer junior Yulia Grabovskaia has taken Michigan’s long-vacant center position after spending her sophomore season at Middle Tennessee State. During her time with the Blue Raiders, she played in 34 of their 35 games, averaging 3.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. Now, she’s looking to build upon that foundation with the Wolverines.
“I feel pretty good about practices, and I’m so excited about the game,” Grabovskaia said Tuesday at Michigan Media Day. “The last time I was the most reliable center player was a couple of years ago before I came to the United States. I miss that.”
Indeed, before playing for Middle Tennessee State, Grabovskaia was a key player on the Russian National team in 2021 at the FIBA U20 Women’s European Challengers. In the five games she played in, Grabovskaia averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.8 minutes per game.
This notably greater playing time and production compared to her time with the Blue Raiders indicates that Grabovskaia has the potential to make a significant impact on the stat sheet. And with many gaps to fill, that’s exactly what the Wolverines need her to do.
“One thing we’ve been harping on a lot is rebounding,” senior guard Greta Kampschroeder said Tuesday. “We lost a lot of big rebounders from last year, so just making sure that everyone’s doing their role in those things.”
While the Wolverines lacked a true center in the past, they still possessed many power forwards on the court. These notable names include former forwards Naz Hillmon, Emily Kiser and recently departed Cameron Williams. In addition to being one of the team’s top point scorers, Williams’ main contribution to last year’s team was her rebounding ability. Her proficiency at the net culminated in a team-best 158 rebounds on the season, correlating with 4.6 per game.
But Williams is long gone, and Michigan is now turning to Grabovskaia.
“(Grabovskaia) provides us great size inside (as) a 6-foot-5 post player who is off to a good start,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said Tuesday.
Certainly, Grabovskaia’s height provides the Wolverines with some much-needed size on the court that could give them a leg up for rebounding. But Michigan will need much more than that this season — specifically interior scoring to space the floor for its shooters. Thankfully, Grabovskaia’s already been preparing for that.
“Rim running (has been) a big part of my game and our team’s game,” Grabovskaia said. “I worked on engaging defenders to be in contact with them full time to give an advantage.”
After losing former guard and leading scorer Laila Phelia to the transfer portal, the Wolverines will need to create opportunities in the paint now more than ever. Grabovskaia’s 6-foot-5 frame could certainly help create those chances, particularly as Michigan’s primary rim-runner in transition, a skill that aligns with the Wolverines’ fast-paced focus this season.
Though her playing time at Middle Tennessee State was limited, Grabovskaia’s time with her national team offers a glimpse at the impact she could make this season. As she steps into her newfound and distinct role as the only true big on the court, Grabovskaia can help Michigan rebound from its personnel losses.
Related articles
[ad_2]
Source link
