University of Michigan Women's Hoops

Jim

Mlive.com/Ann Arbor News had a nice article on Sireece Bass and her battle with lupus. She's one tough young lady.

Last season as a freshman, Bass played in 26 games for the Wolverines and made eight starts.

She's now down to four pills a day and is rarely affected by her disease. She goes full speed in drills.

"Basketball means a lot to her,'' Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said. "She's on the court, she cares, she tries hard. I don't ever see her walking around feeling sorry for herself because she's got something.''

Bass will live with lupus the rest of her life, but doesn't allow it to define who she is or what she is capable of doing.

"She's still pushing and fighting - it's somewhat of an inspiration,'' Whitfield said. " So I can't complain too much because I look at how she handles what's she's had to deal with.''

Jim

Michigan had a big win today - after struggling in the first half (shooting under 30%) and trailing by 2 at half time, a big second half led to a 63-46 win. Balanced scoring (three players in double figured - Janelle Cooper, Krista Phillips (a double double) and Krista Clement) along with an assist/turnover ratio over 1 (17 assists/14 turnovers) were big reasons for the win.

The win was nice for several reasons - it extends their win streak to 4 games, they are still undefeated at home this year, the first time in six years they have opened the Big 10 season with a win, the first win against Iowa in a few years... Congratulations to Coach Borseth and the entire team.

Jim

Michigan opens the Big 10 season today against Iowa. The Hawkeyes are led by junior guard Kristi Smith (11.7 pts/game), sophomore forward Wendy Ausdemore (11.6 pts/game) and junior center Megan Skouby (9.1 pts/game).

Iowa is coming off a home victory against Penn State on Friday. It will be interesting to see if Michigan's relative long lay off (9 days) will help or if they're rusty...

A preview of the game from hawkcentral:

"Michigan is going to be another good challenge for us," Iowa senior Krista VandeVenter said. "I think (the Penn State) win gives us a lot of confidence."
The Wolverines seem to be playing much better than the team that finished last season 10-20 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten. Iowa beat Michigan 66-49 in their only meeting a year ago in Iowa City and owns an eight-game winning streak in the series.
"There's no doubt this is a different Michigan," Bluder said. "Michigan struggled scoring last year, and they are scoring very well now. And they've got some good wins.
"They are playing a lot looser and a lot more confident than they played last year."

Jim

Today's Detroit News has a profile on the team before they open the conference season on Sunday against Iowa:

Kevin Borseth has accomplished more in a couple of months than what Cheryl Burnett was able to in four seasons as Michigan's coach.

Borseth has solidified roles and built confidence, things Burnett failed to do during her run of 35-83.

Burnett constantly juggled the lineup, resulting in a lack of team chemistry and a lack of confidence in players. They never knew where they stood regarding
Borseth said before the season he wanted to find a starting five and then build confidence.

He has accomplished a winning attitude with the lineup of Krista Clement, Jessica Minnfield and Janelle Cooper in the backcourt and Carly Benson and Ta 'Shia Walker up front. Krista Phillips, a 6-foot-6 center. Stephany Skrba and Melinda Queen also have key roles off the bench.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a Big 10 preview, picking Michigan to finish 10th (which echoes many of the preseason polls & articles:

10. Michigan
First-year coach Kevin Borseth faces major rebuilding job, but has strong group of three-point shooters who will spring an upset or two.

I know I'm biased, but I think they'll finish higher than 10th. The team is playing with confidence and has done well with a tough non conference schedule. They still struggle on the road against good teams, but the Big 10 appears weaker this year. I'm not ready to pick them in the top 5 yet, but I could see them easily finishing anywhere from 6th to 8th.

Jim

Mgoblue has an account, as does Mlive and the Detroit Free Press.

Jim

Michigan had a big, come from behind win tonight 69-64. Michigan was down 38-30 at half time, but had a nice rally in the second half and held on to win. Jessica Minnfield led the way with 19 pts, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Carly Benson added 16 points and 7 rebounds while Ta'Shia Walker had 10 points & Krista Phillips 11.

In a turn about of sorts, Michigan won (in part) because they only gave up 12 turnovers while Ohio had 27. On the flip side, the Wolverines were badly outrebounded by a smaller team 40-20.

All in all an exciting game and Michigan winds up the non-conference with a 7-3 record.

Jim

Tonight Michigan hosts Ohio University at 7:00pm. Michigan should be favored in this game, because of their success against a tougher schedule, their height advantage and because it is a home game.

Ohio University is led by senior guard Lauren Kohn who is averaging 14.7 pts a game. They also have a 6'4" center Chandra Myers who is averaging 7 pts and 5.6 rebounds a game, but no one else on the roster is listed as taller than 6'1".

Jim

The Michigan Daily ran a nice article about her a couple of weeks ago that I neglected to link to at the time. It talks about her toughness & her dealing with lupus:

Some mornings, it's hard for sophomore point guard Sireece Bass to get out of bed and make it to class. Although this may be a common occurrence for any college student, Bass's struggles are caused by more than just laziness or a hangover.

Her joints throb with pain, fatigue easily takes hold and she sometimes struggles to breathe.

And on top of all that, Bass has to suit up for basketball practice in the afternoon.

But she just presses on.

Jim

From Mlive:

After playing a smaller role last season, Krista Clement is beginning to flourish as a senior for the University of Michigan women's basketball team.

In Cheryl Burnett's final season as coach, Clement never started, and averaged eight minutes per game and a team-low 1.4 points.

She has played a larger role in the team's best start since 2002-03, starting every game for new coach Kevin Borseth, averaging 34-plus minutes and 5.1 points per game for the Wolverines (6-3).

Jim

From mlive.com

Hot shooting lifted the University of Michigan women's basketball team to an 82-61 win over Southern California on Monday night at Crisler Arena and pushed the Wolverines (6-3) to their best start since the 2002-03 season.

Fueled by three 3-pointers, Michigan opened the game on an 11-0 run and staked a 48-28 lead at halftime. The Wolverines shot better than 50 percent from the field (28-for-55) and from behind the 3-point line (13-25) to win their third consecutive home contest.

Senior guard Krista Clement led Michigan's barrage from beyond the arc, hitting four of seven triples, and finished with 14 points.

Jim

A big win, 82-61. Lots of scoring, spread around among a number of players - four were in double figures. From the Daily:

The Wolverines opened the game on a tear, scoring the first 11 points. After a strong performance against Kentucky, senior Krista Clement continued her solid play, knocking down a couple early threes in a nine-point first-half effort.

"We executed our offense really well," junior Jessica Minnfield said. "We cut to the basket and set screens for each other, and that got our offense moving."

And from mgoblue.com:

On why the offense was so successful tonight... "We moved the ball. We had open looks and made them. Krista (Clement) hit a couple of deep ones. She practices a lot so it’s good to see that. When the ball is going into the basket, I am happy."
On the play of Carly Benson... "She played well. She has really struggled as of late but she got into a nice rhythm and played extremely well. I was happy for her because she has been working hard off the floor, trying to make something happen on the court. She took one to the basket, had a nice drive. She hit some nice shots in rhythm on the perimeter. I was happy she was able to string some things together because she works hard."

Jim

Michigan has another home game tonight, at 6:00 against the University of Southern California. USC isn't ranked, but they should be a tough test. While they are only 4-3, one of their losses was by 2 points against No. 8 Georgia. They also lost a close game against UCSB and by a bit larger margin against Nebraska. They are a balanced team with ten players averaging 15 minutes a game or more.

Jim

The Michigan Daily had a couple of articles about the game. The last few moments of the game:

Up two points with the clock winding down, Michigan center Krista Phillips blocked Kentucky guard Samantha Mahoney's layup attempt.

The ball landed in Clement's hands, and the guard was fouled with four seconds left.

Clement stepped to the charity stripe and calmly knocked down both free throws to seal the Wolverines' victory.

And this one talks about, among other things, the continuing battle with turnovers:

After a gritty 63-59 victory over Kentucky, Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said his team was lucky to pull out the win.

Looking at how Michigan has handled the ball recently, he might be onto something.

Five of the last six games, the Wolverines committed more turnovers than their opponents.

But this time around, Kentucky couldn't take advantage. The Wildcats translated 22 Michigan turnovers into just 10 points.

In each of their three losses this season, the Wolverines have allowed an average of 26 points off turnovers. And at 20 turnovers a game, Michigan is on pace to turn the ball over more than last season (19.1 per game). If the Wolverines don't cut this number down, good teams will pounce on their mistakes, which they learned many times last season.

Despite the sloppy play at both ends of the court Saturday, Michigan battled through the 14 ties, 17 lead changes and general sloppiness of the game on both ends of the court.

Jim

Michigan wins an exciting game,63-59. Balanced scoring for the Wolverines offset a big game by Kentucky's Samantha Mahoney (20pts).

Four Michigan players were in double figures (Walker 13, Clement 12, Cooper 10, Skrba 10) plus Phillips had 9 and Minnfield added 7. Krista Clement had a big night - 4-6 from the field, 2-3 from 3pt range and 9 rebounds. Stephanie Skrba had 10 board and 2 blocks, Phillips had 4 blocks as well.

The game was close all night, and neither team got a very big lead but Michgan had some big plays and were able to take and keep the lead at the end of the game.

Jim

This looks like a more even matchup than the last couple of games. Kentucky is 4-4, having beaten four smaller schools (Florida Atlantic, William & Mary, Lipscomb and South Carolina Upstate), but had trouble with ranked schools (losing to Texas and George Washington). They've also lost to Minnesota & Western Kentucky. They're led by guard Samantha Mahoney (17 ppg) and 6'6" center Sarah Elliot (12 ppg, 7 rpg). On the positive side for Michigan - this is at home after a six game road trip.

The Michigan Daily has more:

After giving up 59 points in its last two road games, it's hard to blame the Michigan women's basketball team for being happy to come home.

Michigan (4-3) returns to Crisler Arena tomorrow to face Kentucky after a six-game road trip. It has been nearly a month since the Wolverines last played a game in Ann Arbor.

"It feels so good," senior Krista Clement said. "It's going to be fun to play in Crisler, but more importantly, we've all been complaining a little bit about our school. We've just been on the road. It just wears on you."

The wear and tear of a six-game road trip that spanned five states was visible in the Wolverines' past two games.

Jim

From the Michigan Daily:

Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth has always emphasized the next play.

But after several slow starts, maybe the focus should shift to the first play.

And the first play is only as good as the starting lineup.

In Michigan's loss against Notre Dame Sunday, Borseth stared sophomore Krista Phillips in place of junior Carly Benson. He made the move to get more rebounds and scoring in the paint.

and

But once the five start playing together, Borseth is sure the Wolverines will get it.

"If we play five kids for the rest of the year, those five kids are going to figure it out," Borseth said. "And I guarantee you, I promise you, at the end of this year, you're going to see a different team."

Jim

This time to 22nd ranked Notre Dame, 77-46. Pretty much the same story - too many turnovers, poor shooting from the floor (27%) and out rebounded. "Official" recap at No.

Jim

A preview of the game from the South Bend Tribune:

That emphasizes the depth of the Irish, who face Michigan this afternoon at 2 at the Joyce Center.

The Wolverines (4-2) are coming off a 69-41 loss Thursday at Texas Tech. Prior to that trip, coach Kevin Borseth's club finished third in the Vanderbilt tournament, losing to Iowa State before beating Belmont.

Michigan has almost everybody back from last season and has balanced scoring, similar to Notre Dame.

Borseth emphasizes the passing game and wants the guards to post up. Michigan wants you to shoot jump shots. They had turnover trouble at Texas A&M, but A&M was the first team that put a lot of pressure on them.

A&M scored 38 points off 33 turnovers by Michigan. Janelle Cooper and Ta'Shia Walker led Michigan with nine points each.

Notre Dame has won the last two games in the series for an 8-6 lead.

Last season's victory at Ann Arbor was one of the more spectacular finishes in Irish program history as Notre Dame scored 10 points in the last 47 seconds for a 61-58 victory.

Allen hit a 3-pointer with 10.9 seconds left, Tulyah Gaines two free throws with three seconds left and Allen two free throws with 0.7 seconds to go.

Michigan also made couple of free throws during those final seconds.

Allen scored 15 and Ashley Barlow 14 in that game at Crisler Arena.

Borseth was named Michigan's head coach last April 10, replacing Cheryl Burnett. He has been a head coach at the Division I level for 20 seasons -- 11 at Michigan Tech and nine at Wisconsin-Green Bay -- and guided his team into the postseason in 19 of those 20 seasons.

Jim

Michigan lost 69-41 against 12th ranked Texas A&M. Lots of problems all the way around for the Wolverines - 33 turnovers versus only 5 assists, they shot 30.8% from the floor and only 11% from 3 point range, and Texas A&M shot 47.5%.

From the Michigan Daily:

"We threw the ball away 40 times," Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said. "We couldn't get to the basket. We really couldn't get much of anything going. That was really frustrating."

More from mgoblue.com and the Dallas News.

Jim

Tonight's game is another on the team's road swing, this time in College Station against Texas A&M. From the Michigan Daily:

"...the 15th-ranked Aggies' defense is what could give the Michigan women's basketball team the most trouble.

"They're all up in you," Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said. "They don't let you run what you want to run. They just make life very, very difficult for you."

The Aggies (4-1) return five impact players from last year's Big 12 Conference Championship team, four of whom started 20-plus games.

Texas A&M's physicality could give the Wolverines trouble. Though Michigan (4-1) can counter with center Krista Phillips, the Aggies are faster and more athletic than the Wolverines.

"We saw the things that they do on videotape," Borseth said. "We have to be able to play at a very elevated pace for an extended period of time against a very physical and mature team."

Jim

The Michigan Daily has a recap of the Iowa State loss:

"...the Wolverines will learn a lot from Friday's tournament-opening loss to Iowa State.
Michigan not only lost by 24 points, it set season lows in five major offensive categories - including field-goal percentage and points scored - and in rebounds and steals.

"Not hitting shots was a really big deal," sophomore Krista Phillips said of the team's 35.6 shooting percentage. "If we're not hitting shots, we really have to work hard in the post. We really didn't do either really well."

Another one of the Wolverines' problems was containing Cyclone guard Alison Lacey. The sophomore scored 35 points, shooting 13-for-20 from the field and 9-for-13 from behind the arc"

And the Detroit Free Press:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team saw its three-game winning streak come to an end Friday with a 67-43 loss to Iowa State in the opening round of the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament in Memorial Gymnasium. The Wolverines (3-1) fell victim to the three-point shot the entire game, as the Cyclones (3-0) drained 12 triples (12-of-32), compared to U-M's three (3-of-12).

The Daily on the Belmont game:

Junior Jessica Minnfield led Michigan against Belmont with 18 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor. But Minnfield had a poor game against the Cyclones, tallying no points and three rebounds. Michigan coach Kevin Borseth believed her improved play was the big difference between the two results.

"She got engaged a little bit better in the offense," Borseth said. "That allowed her to take some better shots."

Minnfield was not the only Wolverine to rebound from Michigan's defeat. Junior forward Carly Benson bounced back from a one-point performance on Friday to score 11 against Belmont.

"We had more rhythm," Borseth said. "We did screens very well, which was something we spent a little time on (Saturday). That was the difference offensively."

The Free Press:

Jessica Minnfield scored 18 to lead Michigan to an 80-43 victory over Belmont Sunday in the consolation game of the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament.
Stephany Skrba scored all 11 of her points in the first half, and Carly Benson posted season bests of 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Wolverines (4-1) exploded for a 19-0 run midway through the first half to extend their lead to 32-7 with 4:32 to play in the half. They controlled the pace for the remainder of the half and took a 38-14 lead into the locker room.

Jim

A lopsided win over an over matched opponent, 80-43. Everyone got playing time and ten players scored. The schedule gets tougher, with upcoming games against Texas A&M (road), Notre Dame (road), Kentucky (home) and Southern Cal (home).

Jim

First loss of the season. Iowa State jumped out to an early lead behind the three point shooting of Alison Lacey, who ended up with 35 points.

Michigan cut the lead to 10 at one point, but couldn't get any closer. Krista Phillips had a big game (21 points), but most of the rest of the team couldn't really get untracked. Poor shooting all around (53% from the free throw line, 25% from 3 point range and 35% overall) pretty much kept the Wolverines from having any chance to make up the early deficit.

Toss in being out rebounded 37-27 and you've got the ingredients for a tough night.

Jim

From the Des Moines Register:

Michigan, 10-20 last season, is 3-0 for the first time in five seasons. The Wolverines' new coach is Kevin Borseth, formerly of Wisconsin-Green Bay. They are led by forward-center Ta'Shia Walker, who averages 12 points per game. They receive 10.7 points per game from 6-foot 6-inch center Krista Phillips, who started last season but is a reserve in Borseth's system, which features more 3-point shooting.When Phillips plays, Iowa State could counter the Wolverines' height using centers Nicky Wieben and Jocelyn Anderson in a double post.

"We practice that every day," Fennelly said. "The problem is you have to be careful that you don't get too concerned about matching up size for size and it hurts you in other areas. We can go with a big lineup, but our ball-handling suffers. Sometimes you have to pick and choose."

Jim

Next up is Iowa State in the first round of a tournament hosted by Vanderbilt in Nashville. The Michigan Daily article mentioned below has a small preview:

Thanksgiving action: The Wolverines travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament. Michigan will first take on Iowa State Friday and either face Belmont or Vanderbilt Sunday.

Against the Cyclones, the Wolverines will need to find a way to stop junior Heather Ezell. The recently named Big 12 Player of the Week scored 32 points in 27 minutes in a dominating win over Sacramento State.

The winner of Friday's game will likely face No. 19 Vanderbilt for the tournament title. The Commodores boast a young, athletic team. Senior center Liz Sherwood posted a double-double in a win over Clemson. Vanderbilt has out-rebounded their opponents and shoots .525 from the field.

From the Iowas State web site:

Iowa State travels to Nashville, Tenn., for the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament this week. The Cyclones face Michigan in the first round of the tourney on Friday at 4 p.m. (CST) and will take on either 19th-ranked Vanderbilt or Belmont on Sunday at either 12 p.m. or 2 p.m.

Iowa State is 2-0 for the 14th time in school history. The Cyclones have started 3-0 just eight times in their 34-year history. ISU has won its last eight straight games at home, dating back to last season.

The Cyclones defeated Pepperdine in the season opener and took down Sacramento State, 99-45, on Sunday behind 17 three-pointers. Heather Ezell led the way with a school-record 10 threes and finished with a career-high 32 points.

Jim

Today's Michigan Daily has an article about the season so far, noting areas the team needs to work on (including rebounding and play in the second half) and areas the team has improved on (cutting personal fouls and more assists).

On Krista Clement:

Like Steve Nash: Senior Krista Clement is an assist machine.

In Michigan's past two games, Clement averaged seven assists and just 1.5 turnovers. She is the first Wolverine since March 2006 to put up more than five assists in two consecutive games. After coming off the bench last season, the now-starting guard has emerged as the Wolverines' top distributor.

Playing just 168 minutes in 21 games last year, Clement tallied 20 assist and 22 turnovers. The St. Ignace, Mich., native now takes the court for more than 30 minutes per game with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.0. While she hasn't exactly found her stroke - 3-for-16 on the year, all from behind the arc - the four-time captain has made her leadership present on the court.

Jim

Stories on the game can be found in the Michigan Daily, Detroit Free Press, the Miami Herald .

Mlive's article is now available.

Jim

Another win - 2 road wins already this season after only 3 all of last season. The offense has certainly improved. 3 point shooting and an improved turnover/assist ratio has really helped. "Official" recap can be found here.

Jim

Michigan's next game is tomorrow night at the University of Miami - part of the inaugural Women's Big Ten-ACC Challenge. Last year the two teams played in Ann Arbor and Michigan came out on top 60-55. Miami is 1-1, having beaten Florida Atlantic and lost to Jacksonville.

Miami was 11-19 last year, 2-12 in the ACC. This seems like a fairly even match up, a game Michigan should have a decent shot of winning if they play well.

A preview from the Miami sight can be found here.

Jim

A nice profile of Jamillya Hardley on mlive:

"I was recruited by Ball State, Indiana State and the (Mid-American Conference) schools, like Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan, but when I went to Michigan, they showed me a good time, and they are ready for my style of play," Hardley said. "Michigan fits my style of play. I'm a transition player. I get the ball and go with it."

Hardley, who is 5-foot-10, averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game last season.

"I think I have developed more of the mental part of the game," she said. "I had the physical game."

She plans to study sports medicine at Michigan and hopes to become an athletic trainer.

"They told me that if I go down there and work hard, I should get some playing time," Hardley said.

Hardley's game apparently developed significantly over the summer.

Jim

Today's Michigan Daily has an article about the team and their 2-0 start. It also has a bit about Krista Phillips:

Sophomore Krista Phillips has been playing better off the bench this season. Against Cincinnati, Phillips had what Bearcats coach Kelley Hall called a "monster game."

Cincinnati was the victim of Phillips's 17-point, six-rebound and four-block performance in 22 minutes. She was efficient from the field (7-for-10) and consistent from the charity stripe (3-for-3), as well as active on the defensive end, (four blocks).

"We put Krista (Phillips) in the game - she's obviously a natural post player," Borseth said. "We were able to get it to her for the score, which was the difference for us. She gave us an inside presence."

Jim

Today was the first day of the "early signing" period where recruits could make their commitments official. Carmen Reynolds, Jamillya Hardley and Courtney Boylan are officially Wolverines. More on mgoblue.com:

"Jamillya gives us depth at the perimeter position," said Borseth. "She's very strong, athletic and skilled in addition to having great knowledge of the game. We can use Jamillya at a couple different perimeter positions. She can handle the ball at the point or play at the No. 2 or No. 3 position. She's very multi-talented."

"Carmen is a kid who grew on me over the summer when I watched her," said Borseth. "If you had to pick a player that would best suit me as a coach, that player would be Carmen Reynolds. She can do it all. She can handle the ball, she can shoot it and she can post up. Carmen is a very skilled lefty who has a great understanding of the game."

"Courtney is a floor general, an elite guard who demands a lot of respect," said U-M head coach Kevin Borseth. "She's got a ton of skill and she makes the players around her better. Courtney is very driven, a real tough kid. We're extremely excited to have her."

Janell Smith is also a verbal commitment for Michigan, but will be a preferred walk-on, as she already has a scholarship. (Hat tip to mzonefan on umgoblue.com):

KALAMAZOO -- As a point guard, Janell Smith's job is to see the whole court, make sound decisions and attack the basket.

As a Loy Norrix High School senior with a bright future, Smith is taking it upon herself to see the big picture, make

informed choices and go after her goal -- to one day play major-conference

Division I basketball.

Smith is in line to do just that, after verbally committing to the University of Michigan, where she will be a preferred walk-on in the 2008-09 season.

Smith will not be on athletic scholarship, so she will not sign a national letter-of-intent. But she is a 100 percent qualifier for The Kalamazoo Promise, meaning her tuition will be covered at U-M.

Jim

Found here.

The Bearcats (0-1) led 34-31 when Michigan went on a tear by scoring its next 12 points on 3-pointers. Clement canned two of them to bookend a 12-5 run, and the Wolverines never trailed again.

For the game, the Wolverines sank 11 of 29 3-pointers, while the Bearcats shot just 3-of-20 from beyond the arc.

And the game was even mentioned in "The Diag" blog.

Jim

The Michigan Daily has a write up:

But Phillips provided a double remedy to Michigan's interior defense and post scoring. She shot 7-of-9 from the floor to finish with 17 points. Philips also picked up six rebounds and swiped three steals in just 20 minutes of play.

"She played a monster game," Cincinnati coach Kelley Hall said. "She gave them a defensive presence inside and altered some of our shots - if she didn't block them."

but there are still some issues on defense:

The Wolverines may have opened up the season with two wins, but Borseth doesn't think this team's mentality will change for a long time.

"We're getting caught so many times in the old mode, and they were getting lay-ups and wide open shots," Borseth said.

More in the Detroit Free Press.

Jim

Looks like strong three point shooting and reduced turnovers in the second half helped Michigan win their first road trip. Krista Phillips had a strong game off the bench (17 pts, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks). Janelle Cooper had 12 points. Mgoblue.com has an write up here.

Jim

Tonight is the first road game of the season, against the University of Cincinnati. Both teams have new coaches and there isn't too much to go on with the Bearcats:

The Bearcats were 12-4 at home last year and likely won't top that mark this season with a first-year head coach and second-team All-Big East guard Treasure Humphries' graduation. Shelly Bellman (10.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg in '06-'07) leads a Cincinnati squad that returns just three of six players who started at least 19 games last year.

Because of that, Michigan doesn't have much to work with for preparation.

"New coach, no videotape," Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said. "We don't know a lot about them other than the coach was at Lafayette last year, and maybe some of the stuff he did there will carry over to this game."

This is the first of six straight road games for the Wolverines.

Jim

I ended up not making it to the game after all. ("Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"). The michigandaily has two articles about the game (here and here) and mlive had a write up as well. The "official" page can be found at mgoblue.com with a boxscore and photos.

A win is always nice. The free throw shooting woes from the exhibition game seem gone and the field goal percentage (44%) is ok. Turnovers (19) are still a huge concern and 3pt shooting in the 2nd half (10%) obviously needs to be better. The rebounding margin (+3) against a smaller team is a worry as well.

Ta'Shia Walker (17 points and 9 rebounds) and Stephany Skrba had very good games (9 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks).

The big question is - will the team continue to improve? They'll need to play better as the schedule gets tougher.

Jim

I had hoped to do a bit of a preview for the Akron game tonight, but I have been beyond busy. I'm still planning on making it to the game. In the meantime, the Michigan Daily did do a preview article, which can be found here. This should be a bit tougher test than Lake Superior, but it is still a game that Michigan should win. Akron wasn't a very strong MAC team last year, and they lost a number of players to graduation and transfer. They do have sophomore Sarah Tokodi, who averaged 12.6 points a game as a freshman.

Michigan is bigger, more experienced and playing at home. Let's hope for a solid effort to start the season.

Jim

mgoblue.com has a added "mgoblogs" with entries for various sports. From a brief look around the site, I haven't seen any sort of general blog index or page. Todays entry is about the Women's Basketball Team and specifically the girls basketball clinics that they put on every year.

Jim

From "2-minute drill: Michigan":

Well, shoot
"There will be two things we're going to have to be able to do," Borseth said. "We're going to have to handle the ball and hit perimeter shots because teams will put pressure on us and we'll face a lot of zones. "If the Lake Superior victory is any indication, Janelle Cooper and Carly Benson are up to the challenge. Cooper (Detroit Renaissance) scored 19, making 7 of 12 shots, including 3-of-5 3-pointers. Benson had 15 points (6-for-7 shooting) and six rebounds.

Jim

An article in todays Detroit News profiles the four division one coaches in new positions - Kevin Borseth, Suzy Merchant(MUS), Sue Guevara (CMU) and AnnMarie Gilbert (EMU). On Coach Borseth:

Kevin Borseth, U-M
He's had a very busy summer and fall, one he'd love to discuss in detail if he could remember it all.
It's not that Borseth, 51, isn't a details person. But try house hunting and moving a young family of five children from Green Bay to Ann Arbor, hosting basketball camps, hitting the road to recruit and getting used to the politics of a new workplace.
And do it all in a few months.
"It's been intense, but everything I hoped it to be," said Borseth, who left Wisconsin-Green Bay to become Michigan's coach after Cheryl Burnett's retirement. "I'm not going to get bored."
Borseth understands the profile of Michigan basketball is down, thanks to a 35-83 record the past four years. He wants to establish a strong recruiting profile.
"I want to leave people with a different taste in the mouths about Michigan basketball," Borseth said. "I don't know what happened in the past, and frankly, I don't care. It's about us, now and into the future.
"There's enough talent in this state, and enough strong programs, that the top girls should stay here. That's my goal. We're going to keep our own here. I want to lock this state down."

Jim

According to michiganladyballers.com, Janell Smith from Kalamazoo has committed to Michigan. That gives the team four players in next years freshman class. Hat tip to bluex2 on the umgoblue.com women's basketball forum.

Jim

Season preview articles have been published on mlive.com and freep.com

Jim

Bad news for Michigan State - Aisha Jefferson is out for the season with a torn ACL It looks like it a bit of a rough start for Suzy Merchant, as Mia Johnson tore her ACL this summer and will be out for the first part of the season.

Jim

The article discusses her high school career (including her quadruple double) and her transition to playing college ball:

"I don't want to come here and just rush into things because I might not enjoy it as much or I might not do as well as I hope for," Hicks said. "Here I get to learn the other side of basketball and see it from a different perspective, and I think that's going to make me a whole, complete player as I get older. I think where I am right now is best for me."

Jim

Photos have been posted on mgoblue.com

Jim

Hannah Quilling, a point guard from Eau Claire Wisconsin has verballed to Wisconsin Green Bay. Apparently she was being recruited by Michigan as well:

Quilling was being looked at by former UWGB coach Kevin Borseth, who left the Phoenix after last season to be the coach at the University of Michigan. Along with the Wolverines, Utah had shown interest.

Jim

Articles can be found in the Michigan Daily here and here. Mlive has a summary here.

Jim

The details, including the box score and photos can be found on mgoblue.com. A few thoughts:

The rebounding margin, 41-28, was nice (but to be expected against a smaller team).

The shooting percentage (50.8% for the game) was very nice to see.

The free throw percentage (46.7%) wasn't pretty. Unless it becomes a regular problem, I'm going to chalk it up as a bit of a fluke.

The assist/turnover ration (7 /20) could be better.

Coach Borseth is at least as animated on the sidelines as Coach Burnett was....

Jim

I was only able to catch the second half & don't want to draw too many conclusions. Still, an 80-51 win is a nice way to start the season. (It has been four years since Michigan had an exhibition win by more than 20 points.)

It seemed like the players were more confident on offense - everyone looked willing to take the open shot, and quite a few seemed to fall.

The defense seemed strong - many steals and deflected passes that caused LSSU turnovers.

Katie Dierdorf played - good to see her back on the court. Let's hope for a healthy senior season for her.

Veronica Hicks looked ready to play at this level. Possibly her biggest problem will be finding much playing time this year.

Jim

Again from Girls Basketball Recruiting Blog:

Courtney Boylan 16, 10, 160.0, .700 her strong summer performance has carried over into the fall. poised, alert, good vision. Strong---a MW player grabbed her forearm as she went up for the shot. Boylan made it a three point play. Also out rebounded her taller teammates on the defensive end so she has a nose and knack for the ball. has good hang time and body control. can pen & pitch, or take it home. good leader

Jim

According to Girls Basketball Recruiting Blog, Courtney Boylan of Minnesota has verballed to Michigan:

BOYLAN VERBALS
Courtney Boylan, Chaska, has verballed Michigan. The 5-7 guard averaged 20.9 ppg last year for the 13-11 AAAA Hawks. Boylan was Coaches Association All State in 2007, AP Honorable mention All State the last two years, St. Paul Pioneer Press Honorable Mention All State in 2007, 3rd team All Metro Star Tribune in 2007, and All Lake Conference the last four four years.

Boylan played with Metro Stars Black this summer. She was named to gbbrecruit first team summer team, was player of the week three times and was named outstanding player in the Dakota Showcase.

She joins Jamillya Hardley and Carmen Reynolds in the incoming class of 2008.

Boylan is the 39th player in the Minnesota class of 2008 to verbal and the 19th to verbal a D1 school. She is the 4th player to verbal from Metro Stars Black.

Jim

Today's Michigan Daily had a nice profile on Krista Phillips.

At 6-foot-6, Krista Phillips is taller than more than half the men's basketball team, a rarity for a female hoops player.

The sophomore center used her height along with her talent to lead all Wolverine freshmen in games played (29), points (8.0), rebounds (4.3) and blocks (37) last season.

It sound like Coach Borseth has big plans for her in the future:

"I don't think we can drop the whole boat on her shoulders and say 'Ok, you go do it,'" Borseth said. "I don't know that Krista, at this point, is capable of doing that. But at some point in the coming years, I think she is going to have to be, and I think she's capable of doing that."

And some good news - it sounds like Phillips is healthy after off season knee surgery:

And this season, Phillips won't have to worry about the nagging cartilage injury that plagued her last year. She underwent surgery over the summer to fix the problem in her knee.

Jim

Ta'Shia Walker on Coach Borseth (from Mlive.com):

But senior Ta'Shia Walker isn't paying attention to the polls and believes the team and Borseth, who replaced the retired Cheryl Burnett, have clicked.
"He's one of the most amazing people I've ever met," Walker said. "He's a really straightforward kind of guy, but he's funny. The good thing about him is that he has a family, and he's approachable. He's very down to earth. He'll sit here and talk to everybody."

Coach Borseth (Detroit News):

Borseth knows it will take time to turn his team around -- the Michigan women's squad was 21-66 the last three seasons. What's encouraging is the group's attitude toward his strategy, which includes a motion offense, he said.
"I believe that what we do, the style we play and the system we have will allow players to play their best," he said. "What we need to do is first lock in on five kids (as starters) and then build from there."

Coach Borseth (Detroit Free Press):

"The building process that I've encountered (previously,) has taken us three-plus years to do it," said Borseth, who explained the coaching staff has remade the shooting touch of 13 of the 14 Wolverines. "Then everything had to be perfect. You can't have any injuries, you can't break (a bone), you can't blow knees out and have kids transfer or quit. Everything has to be perfect for three-plus years. But in the meantime, we have players we have to mold into a team."

Jim

From the Michigan Daily.

Coach Borseth in the Michigan Daily:

Borseth's brand of basketball also includes letting his players play at their abilities. Borseth has no doubt the Wolverines will be the most improved team of the Big Ten.

"It may not reflect in wins and losses, but all I know is that we're going to improve," Borseth said. "It's like your golf game. If you're golfing 60, it's easy to get to 50. But try and get to the 49, 48, 47 - that's when you start honing. We're going to get from 60 to 50. That's going to come in a hurry."

Ta'Shia Walker on Coach Borseth:

Not only can Michigan be a good team, but it can also gain a greater understanding of the game. Part of Borseth's philosophy isn't about just passing the ball, but learning why you do it.

"He gives you a reason," senior Ta'Shia Walker said. "He'll say, 'Swing it,' and ask, 'Why swing it?' And we'll be like, 'I don't know.' "

And Krista Clement:

Added senior Krista Clement: "It's a lot of learning about the game of basketball. In college, the defense is better, the people are bigger and you need to play smarter."

Jim

Was held on Sunday in Chicago. Both the coaches & the media pick Ohio State to win the big 10 and Michigan to finish 10th. I'm not familiar enough with all the teams to make a good argument against the 10th place prediction, but my guess is that it is based more on last years finish than anything else. With almost all the team back and a new coach I think they may surprise people a bit... More from the Michigan Daily, MLive/Ann Arbor News, Detroit Free Press and Detroit News.

Jim

Michigan's two verbal commitments for next year received mentions in the oldgoldfreepress update on Big 10 recruiting:

In a move certainly to make for interesting family conversation during the Ohio State/Michigan football matchups, longtime Ohio State fan, Carmen Reynolds, has committed to Michigan. Reynolds has an older brother who is a member of the Ohio State men's lacrosse team. The 6'0 forward from Hilliard Davidson, recruited to play small forward in college, averaged 14.1 points and 7.0 rebounds and was first-team all-conference selection as a junior. Reynolds chose Michigan over offers from Bowling Green, Toledo and Coastal Carolina.

Michigan's new head coach Kevin Borseth received his second commitment recently from 5'9 senior Jamillya Hardley of Grand Rapids Christian (MI). Hardley chose the Wolverines over offers from Central Michigan, Ball State, Indiana State and Oakland.

They also have a listing of all commits for the conference.

Jim

The Ironwood paper has an account of the alumni award present to Coach Borseth, which was originally noted here.

Jim

A nice article about Kalyn McPherson in the Michigan Daily today:

"...But the 5-foot-7 guard didn't light it up offensively for the Wolverines last year. She averaged just 3.3 points per game, yet her playing time was fairly consistent.

She did almost everything else well, seemingly doing all the little things right.

McPherson was one of just four players, and the lone freshman, to test out of Burnett's summer condition program before the season. In the process, she set the all-time team squat record with 361 pounds and benched 145 pounds (fifth all-time).

Beyond, she showed tremendous leadership."

Jim

Can be found here on mgoblue.com.

Jim

A nice profile of Coach Borseth in the Detroit News. One thing I did find a bit discouraging - it sounds like recruiting is proving a bit tougher than he thought it might:

"We've tried to get the top '08 kids in the state to come in and take a visit and they won't for whatever reason. I'm shocked. We're talking about Michigan here, the tradition for excellence in academics and athletics.
"Kids are all about instant gratification. They see facilities like at Michigan State and Maryland, unbelievable places, and want to go there. How about coming here and creating your own masterpiece. I think the university here recognizes the importance of basketball and they'll make a commitment."

Jim

Can be found here. Mostly quotes from media day. Coach Borseth seems to be pointing to big things for Krista Phillips down the road, though not quite yet:

“Krista Phillips is very talented,” Borseth said. “She’s a big girl and she’s talented. She’s got good feet and good hands. Obviously, her ability to run the floor and become more athletic is going to be very critical as she moves forward. We just have to walk her through the process. I don’t think we can drop the whole boat on her shoulders and say ‘Okay, you go do it.’ I don’t know that Krista, at this point, is capable of doing that. But at some point in the coming years, I think she is going to have to be, and I think she’s capable of doing that.”

Jim

It sounds like a combination of "Meet the Teams" and pep rally at Crisler, with both the Men's & Women's team being introduced. There will be photograph and autograph "opportunities" as well as prizes. Doors open at 6:30 and things get underway at 7:00pm. More information over at mgoblue.com.

Jim

Mlive has coverage of Suzy Merchant's first media day at MSU.

Jim

The registration deadline for the fourth annual University of MichigGirls Basketball Clinic (Oct 21st) is today at 5:00.

Jim

Kevin Borseth received the Shouldice Achievement Award from Lake Superior State and will be recognized (along with other alumni award winners) at the LSSU hockey game (against Western Ontario) on Saturday.

Jim

From mgoblue.com:

Quotes from Coach Borseth.
Quotes from the players.
Photos.

Jim

From the Ann Arbor News/mlive.

Jim

In the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News & Michigan Daily. There were several interesting things in the articles. There seems to be a shift in emphasis from conditioning to shooting - probably a positive, since the team struggled on offense last year and they have quite a bit of depth.

From the Free Press:

Unlike the previous years, there was not a big emphasis placed on how much weight the players could bench or squat or how fast they ran three miles. There was a lifting session, but no three-mile run.
"I'm not going to make them run around the block," Borseth said. "I want them to chase the ball on the court."
That is why the players spent more time in individual sessions with assistant Mike Williams or in team pickup games.
"We did a lot of skill development, individuals working with Coach Williams," Clement said. "We played pickup three days a week. We shot a lot. We got in 300 shots a day. We lifted and we ran on the court.

From the Michigan Daily:

"I think we are so talented and we are so deep," Skrba said. "I think we have the most talent in the Big Ten, and we can take it so far. Our mindset has completely changed this year. We are all stronger mentally, and that is going to push us so far."

I must say I like Srkba's optimism, though I suspect some people would disagree with her assessment.

Jim

Hat tip to mzonefan on umgoblue.com for finding this. Apparently one player considering Michigan is Samantha Arnold:

"(Samantha) Arnold, who plays for Lake Park High School, is interested in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Saint Louis and Wisconsin."

Not sure if she was one of the four players mentioned at one of the football games or not. In any case she sounds she'd be a great addition to the team - a 6'4" player w/an outside shot.

Jim

Eight games will be carried by the Big Ten Network and all will be on radio station WTKA (1050 AM in Ann Arbor) or WLBY (1290AM in Ann Arbor) in the case of a conflict. Despite the Big Ten Network/Comcast impasse, this is probably better exposure than a few games on Comcast Local that were on TV the past couple of years. Full schedule (with TV noted) can be found here.

Jim

From mgoblue.com:

October 1, 2007

Michigan to Host Basketball Clinic in Crisler Arena

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball program will host the fourth annual Girls Basketball Clinic on Sunday, Oct. 21, in Crisler Arena. The clinic -- open to all girls in Grades 3-8 -- will be conducted by all U-M women's basketball players and coaches.

Cost of the clinic will be $10. Each participant will receive a season ticket pass for all home games and a clinic T-shirt. They will also have an opportunity to get player autographs at the conclusion of the event.

The session for girls in Grades 3-5 will be held from 2:30-4 p.m., and the program for girls in Grades 6-8 from 4-5:30 p.m. All participants are asked to check in 45 minutes prior to their session.

To register, contact Katy Jackson at (734) 647-1261, e-mail katjacks@umich.edu or download and complete the form below and fax to (734) 615-1567. The deadline to register is Thursday, Oct. 18, at 5 p.m.

Jim

A nice photo of freshman Veronica Hicks. Since this is obviously a commercial site (they're selling reproductions of the photo), I'm just going to link to it and not put it up here.

Jim

The official team photo for 2007-8 has been posted on mgoblue.com.

Jim

Photos are posted on mgoblue.com from the Alumni Tailgate on September 8th.

Jim

Two items of NCAA news, both posted by Girls Basketball News & Recruiting Information. The first is that the NCAA is making a change to the Women's Tournament starting in 2009. They are moving to a "16 site, four team format" for the first two rounds. The current link on the blog is broken - here's one that works (at least for now).

The second item is that the NCAA is considering lowering the number of scholarships for Division 1 from 15 to 13, with the additional ones to be used for other women's sports. (Scroll to the bottom of the article - most of it is about 1-AA Football playoffs).

My guess is that if that change does come to pass, it will have little impact. Many schools (especially smaller schools) already don't use their full allotment of scholarships. (I can't recall the last time, if ever, that Michigan had 15 scholarship players on the roster - they currently have 14). It might help competitiveness a bit as the top programs won't be able to stockpile quite so many players.

Jim

Lots of info at mgoblue.com and a direct link to the page for ordering here. The general admission season ticket is only $20 for 13 home games - one great bargain.

Jim

From the Detroit Free Press:

First-year women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth had four recruits out for a visit Saturday. The football games are an invaluable part of the recruiting process of U-M athletic teams.

No mention of who the recruits might be. The atmosphere at the Notre Dame game must have been better than either Appalachian State or Oregon.

Jim

Here's an article about how Sue Guevara (former Michigan coach) has upgraded the non-conference schedule. It sounds like the Chippewas may have their hands full before the MAC season opens. (hat tip to Girlsbasketballrecruit blog).

Jim

Its the off season and there isn't much news out there related to the program. This was in the MLive:

- New Michigan women's coach Kevin Borseth and Mike Williams, one of his assistants, watched Tuesday's session and took notes.

Like I said - news is sparse right now...

Jim

Hat tip to mzonefan on umgoblue.com for noticing this. The prospectus includes a nice bio of Kevin Borseth as well as the roster, a summary of last seasons stats & other information. It appears that WTKA in Ann Arbor will once again carry the games on the radio.

Jim

Carly Benson was one of several recipients of the Big 10 Sportsmanship Award. Ta'Shia Walker and Krista Clement were Academic All Big 10 team.

Jim

From the alumni web site:

Women's Basketball Fall Event

September 8, 2007 Save the date!
All Michigan Women's Basketball Alumni, please mark your calendars now for Fall Football Tailgate!

Michigan Women's Basketball Alumni and guests are invited to the Fall Football Tailgate on Saturday, Sept. 8 at the outdoor tent located on the East side grass of Crisler Arena from 12:00-3:00 p.m. befor the start of the football game kickoff at 3:30 p.m. between Michigan vs. Oregon

More information will be sent to all Alumni, and please check the Alumni website for updates.

Hope to see you in September!

For more information, contact Lisa Savoury at 734-763-1443

Jim

The new roster is now posted on mgoblue.com. Veronica Hicks (the teams lone freshman) will wear number 3.

Jim

Hat tip to mzonefan and TruBlue on umgoblue.com. It appears Michigan has picked up two verbal commitments for next year: Jamillya Hardley of Grand Rapids Christian and Carmen Reynolds of Hilliard Davidson (in Ohio).

Hardley: (article posted 8/21/07)

http://www.michladyballers.com/today_s_news

Reynolds:

http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/080907/Hilliard/Sports/080907-Sports-399494.html

Jim

Posted here, on mgoblue.com. Most times are still TBA.

Jim

Link to schedule. So far, no times announced.

Jim

From Purdue's Student Newspaper:

Purdue University has been put on two years probation for minor and major violations made by the women’s basketball program, the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions announed today.

In addition to probation, the NCAA declared that the women’s basketball team will lose two scholarships and that former assistant coach Katrina Merriweather will face a three-year show-cause penalty.

In February 2006, Purdue officials suspended guard Cherelle George and Merriweather for possible NCAA violations. Almost two months later, George was declared permanently ineligible and Merriweather resigned. An internal investigation by Purdue found six possible violations.

Jim

The Michigan Daily has an article about the new men's and women's basketball coaches at Michigan. A nice quote from Carly Benson:

"My decision to (turn down Wisconsin-Green Bay to) go to Michigan had nothing to do with coach Borseth," Benson said. "He was the whole reason I originally wanted to go to Green Bay. Now I feel like I have the best of both worlds with him here as the coach."

Jim

From mgoblue.com. No times yet:

12/30/2007 W Basketball - vs. Iowa Ann Arbor
1/3/2008 W Basketball - at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio
1/6/2008 W Basketball - vs. Northwestern Ann Arbor
1/10/2008 W Basketball - at Purdue West Lafayette, Ind.
1/13/2008 W Basketball - vs. Michigan State Ann Arbor
1/17/2008 W Basketball - at Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
1/20/2008 W Basketball - at Penn State State College, Pa.
1/24/2008 W Basketball - vs. Indiana Ann Arbor
1/27/2008 W Basketball - at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa
1/31/2008 W Basketball - at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich.
2/4/2008 W Basketball - vs. Illinois Ann Arbor
2/7/2008 W Basketball - vs. Penn State Ann Arbor
2/14/2008 W Basketball - at Northwestern Evanston, Ill.
2/17/2008 W Basketball - at Indiana Bloomington, Ind.
2/21/2008 W Basketball - vs. Purdue Ann Arbor
2/24/2008 W Basketball - at Illinois Champaign, Ill.
2/28/2008 W Basketball - vs. Wisconsin Ann Arbor
3/2/2008 W Basketball - vs. Minnesota Ann Arbor
3/6/2008 W Basketball - First Round - Big Ten Tournament Indianapolis, Ind.
3/7/2008 W Basketball - Quarterfinals - Big Ten Tournament Indianapolis, Ind.
3/8/2008 W Basketball - Semifinals - Big Ten Tournament Indianapolis, Ind.
3/9/2008 W Basketball - Championship Game - Big Ten Tournament Indianapolis, Ind.

Jim

Two games at the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament have been added, so the non-conference schedule looks like:

11/3/2007 W Basketball - vs. Lake Superior State Ann Arbor 12:00 p.m.
11/10/2007 W Basketball - vs. Akron Ann Arbor TBA
11/13/2007 W Basketball - at Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio TBA
11/19/2007 W Basketball - at Miami (Fla.) Coral Gables, Fla. TBA
11/23/2007 W Basketball - vs Iowa State - Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament, Nashville, Tenn, TBA
11/25/2007 W Basketball - vs Vanderbilt or Belmont - Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament, Nashville, Tenn, TBA
11/29/2007 W Basketball - at Texas A&M College Station, Texas TBA
12/2/2007 W Basketball - at Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. TBA
12/8/2007 W Basketball - vs. Kentucky Ann Arbor 7:00 p.m.
12/10/2007 W Basketball - vs. Southern Cal Ann Arbor 7:00 p.m.
12/21/2007 W Basketball - vs. Ohio Ann Arbor 7:00 p.m.

Jim

Hat tip to mzonefan on umgoblue.com who found this information. A quick search today shows no new games - I would guess there will be a couple of additions to the non conference schedule.

11/3/2007 W Basketball - vs. Lake Superior State Ann Arbor 12:00 p.m.
11/10/2007 W Basketball - vs. Akron Ann Arbor TBA
11/13/2007 W Basketball - at Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio TBA
11/19/2007 W Basketball - at Miami (Fla.) Coral Gables, Fla. TBA
11/29/2007 W Basketball - at Texas A&M College Station, Texas TBA
12/2/2007 W Basketball - at Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. TBA
12/8/2007 W Basketball - vs. Kentucky Ann Arbor 7:00 p.m.
12/10/2007 W Basketball - vs. Southern Cal Ann Arbor 7:00 p.m.
12/21/2007 W Basketball - vs. Ohio Ann Arbor 7:00 p.m.

Jim

Ok, its the off season, and things are slow. From Women's Hoops Blog, a synopsis of a article in the premium section of scout.com:

In the pay-for-it section of Full Court, Sharon reflects on the new crop of Big Ten coaches. Her predictions: success at Penn State and Illinois, a good choice with some question marks at Michigan, and a serious disappointment for the only-recently-really-good Spartans. (But how can Kevin Borseth be "a jerk" if his players "love him"?)

Not having read the original article, I have no idea why Coach Borseth was labeled a jerk, nor why Suzy Merchant would be considered a disappointment (at least at this point).

Jim

The University of Wisconsin Women's Basketball team is heading to Australia and New Zealand for a four game tour. (Hat tip to Girls Basketball Recruiting Blog.) It should be a great experience for the players, and the extra practices (and games) should help the team.

Maybe Coach Borseth will be able to arrange a foreign tour for the Wolverines one of these upcoming summers.

Jim

Not really about women's basketball, but I noticed this in Jim Stefani's football recruiting blog. There will be an auction of sports memorabilia (much of it from U of M athletes) to benefit the Pat Maloy Cancer scholarship. take a look & bid if you can - it is a great cause.

Jim

A nice interview with the new Central Michigan (and former University of Michigan) coach.

Jim

One time 2008 verbal Alex Guyton has committed to Purdue. (Hat tip to mzonefan on umgoblue.com). Best of luck to her (save maybe when she's playing Michigan). While I had hoped she might be convinced to attend U of M, it is understandable she decided to look elsewhere given the coaching change.

Jim

From mgoblue.com:

University of Michigan Athletics is pleased to recognize the spirit, heritage and contributions of women athletes who competed in 1972 and before with a celebration of "Early Women in Athletics" on Friday and Saturday, September 7-8, 2007.

Follow the link for more information.

Jim

From the blog girlsbasketballrecruit.com: Eastern Michigan has hired two new assistant coaches, Leonard Drake and LaTonya Tate.

Jim

The Big Ten is second overall in women's basketball attendance, behind perennial leader the Big 12. Of course, Michigan's numbers aren't very good - let's hope they have some success (and higher attendance) with Kevin Borseth in charge.

(Hat tip to ooNDROCKS over on RebKell's Junkie Boards).

Jim

Lynette Robinson who was on Cheryl Burnett's staff at Michigan (and at Southwest Missouri State) has been named associate head coach at Missouri.

Jim

Nothing really new, but an article from the UM-Dearborn student paper:

Jim

From a post by mzonefan on umgoblue.com:

http://www.boilerstation.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070621/SPORTS02010202/706210340/1122/BOILER

It looks like Purdue is the front runner and Michigan is no longer under consideration. I was hoping Coach Borseth would be able to convince her to come to Ann Arbor, but it isn't surprising she'd be interested in Purdue. Best of luck to her wherever she ends up.

Jim

Sierrah Moore was the third player (along with Jessica Starling & Becky Flippin) from Cheryl Burnett's first recruiting class to leave. I'm not sure where or if she played last season - in 2005-6, she played for Cerritos College.

Jim

It looks like Jessica Starling will be playing at the University of South Alabama. She was one of seven in Cheryl Burnett's first recruiting class and left the team during her sophomore year. She isn't listed on last years roster at South Alabama, but I'm assuming that is due to sitting out a year after transferring.

Jim

As this article points out, with all the Big 10 coaching changes the past two years, Lisa Bluder is now the "Dean" of the conference in her eighth season. Jim Foster at Ohio State and Pam Borton at Minnesota are next with six years seniority.

Jim

Is heading to Xavier. That she was considering Michigan is a compliment to the hard work of Cheryl Burnett & her staff - I didn't expect her to end up in Ann Arbor, but as a fan I could always hope.

Jim

The ACC & Big 10 are adding a challenge series for Women's Basketball to go with the existing Men's series. This fall Michigan will travel to Miami on November 19th.

Jim

Eastern Michigan assistant coach Shane Clipfell (and acting coach during Suzy Merchant's maternity leave) withdrew his name from consideration for the open Eastern Michigan job and rejoined Merchant at Michigan State.

Also, former MSU assistant AnnMarie Gilbert who originally was staying at Michigan State will be announced as the new EMU coach this week.

Jim · Posted Friday, May 11, 2007

She was the associate head coach at Rutgers - coincidentally, the previous Illinois coach Theresa Gerentz was also hired from Rutgers. I believe this is the last of the BCS openings to be filled.
From the Chicago Daily Herald:

Law to coach Illini women’s team
Associated Press
Posted Friday, May 11, 2007

Jolette Law, the associate head coach at Rutgers, will become the women’s basketball coach at Illinois.
Law will replace Theresa Grentz, who left Illinois on April 17 after coaching there for 12 years. Illinois plans to announce the hiring today.
In 2006-07, Rutgers finished 27-9 and won the school’s first Big East tournament championship. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the NCAA championship game before falling to Tennessee 59-46.
Law joined Rutgers as an assistant in 1995 when coach C. Vivian Stringer was hired, and was promoted to associate head coach in 2003. Law will be the second straight coach from Rutgers to lead Illinois; Grentz led Rutgers for 19 seasons before heading to Illinois in 1995.

Jim

Cheryl Burnett's first recruiting included a point guard from Missouri, Becky Flippin. After her first year at Michigan, she transferred to be closer to home - she's currently playing for Drury University and will be starting her senior year in the fall.

Jim

Wisconsin Green-Bay named Matt Bollant to replace Kevin Borseth (we'll ignore the whole Aaron Johnston interlude). He comes from NAIA school Bryan, but he was an assistant coach under Kathi Bennett at Indiana and Evansville. Kathi Bennett is daughter of former UWGB coach Dick Bennett.

Jim

The Flint Journal has a short article about Tianna Kirkland, an assistant hired by Kevin Borseth. She previously was an assistant at Eastern Michigan under Suzy Merchant, at Butler (2004-6) and a graduate assistant at Central Michigan.

Jim

From the Ann Arbor News, with Jim Carty. A number of good things in there, but I found this quote interesting:

Q: Anything that's surprised you about Michigan in the first few weeks?

A: Michigan's a tough academic school. That's what I've learned. We're really trying to study and get our arms around the academic criteria, and this is a tough place. They mean business. But I worked at Michigan Tech for 11 years and academically, that was challenging. I get the feeling it'll be even more challenging here, but the support staff is remarkable, and that's part of what makes Michigan special.

Jim

From mgoblue.com:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball program announced Tuesday (May 1) the hiring of assistant coaches Tianna Kirkland and Mike Williams, as well as director of operations Lisa Savoury. The three will join head coach Kevin Borseth and associate head coach Dawn Plitzuweit in their first season on the Wolverine bench in 2007-08.

Also the article mentioned Mark Uitermarkt will remain as Administrative Assistant - he's been with the program the past three years.

A bit more info about the staff (and photos) can be found here.

Jim

Looks like it will be announced as soon as today.

Jim

On win 1000 at Michigan.

Jim

From the Detroit Free Press:

Eastern Michigan's Suzy Merchant is a candidate for the women's basketball coaching job at Michigan State.
"Michigan State called and asked for permission to talk to Suzy," Eastern Michigan athletic director Derrick Gragg said Friday. I spoke to Ron Mason today, and I gave him permission."
Mason is MSU's athletic director, and he is trying to replace the most successful coach in MSU history, Joanne P. McCallie, who accepted the Duke job last week.

I've seen Curt Miller and Melanie Balcomb's names mentioned as well - sounds a lot like Michigan's search.

Jim

Today's Ann Arbor News has a column by Jim Carty about former Michigan and new Central Michigan coach Sue Guevara. I don't know too much about the ins and outs of high school recruiting, but I found this interesting:

She began building her new coaching staff with one of the most respected high school coaches in the state, Kathy McGee, who won 599 games at Powers Catholic in Flint.

It will be interesting to see if the new coaching hires at U of M, MSU & CMU combined with the change in girls basketball seasons in Michigan will change the balance of power in the state.

Jim

Apparently SDSU's Aaron Johnston had a change of heart and decided to stay in South Dakota. Ironically, Kevin Borseth did something similar with the Colorado job a couple of years back.

Jim

They have named Aaron Johnston, coach of South Dakota State. (SDSU has been transitioning from NCAA Division II to Division I).

Jim

From the Grand Rapids Press:

ALLENDALE -- The wait to become the next women's basketball coach at Grand Valley State proved too long for Mike Williams.

Williams, who served the past five seasons at Grand Valley State as associate coach to Dawn Plitzuweit, has decided to join Plitzuweit on the new coaching staff at the University of Michigan as its top assistant.

Jim

Looks like it will be Coquese Washington, associate head coach at Notre Dame. Kentucky is supposed to name their new coach today as well. That leaves two Big Ten openings - Illinois & Michigan state. I think for now those are the only ones in BCS conferences, though a number of smaller schools are still looking.

Jim

Posting has started to slow down and will probably stay that way. Michigan has their new coach, and while there will be a few news items, not much is really expected to happen until shortly before the season starts. Michigan has only one open scholarship and unless a Ta'Shia Phillips or someone of that ilk decides to come to Ann Arbor, recruiting news ill probably be sparse as well.

There are still three Big 10 coaching openings (Penn State, Illinois, & Michigan State), so there will be a bit of news in the coming weeks.

Jim

This email was sent out yesterday. (A similar one was sent by Coach Beilein.)


M-Mail
University of Michigan Athletics

April 19, 2007



Dear Michigan Family and Friends:

I want to thank you for the gracious welcome and well wishes you gave Coach Beilein and me Tuesday night at the rally. I was thrilled to have an opportunity to meet each one of you and express how much it means to me to being wearing Maize and Blue and representing this fine institution. Dawn and I have been welcomed into the community with open arms, and both of us appreciate all the support that has been shown to us so far.

I'm excited to begin the task of taking our women's basketball program to the next level. These young women are so proud to wear the Block M, and, with your help, we look forward to turning the corner next season and making you proud to be a Michigan fan.

On behalf of our coaching staff and student-athletes, I invite all of you out to Crisler Arena next season to show your continued support of both programs. This is an exciting time for Michigan Basketball, and we're happy to share this experience with our loyal fans.

I look forward to seeing all of you at Crisler next season! Thank you again for your support, and have a safe and prosperous summer.

GO BLUE!

Kevin Borseth
Head Coach

Jim

Free, on rivals.com. "We have nowhere to go but up, and we're going."

Jim

The ceremony for all winter sports at U of M was held April 11th. If you click on the link to the Photo Gallery, you'll find in the slide show a group photo of the four women's players who earned their first letter - Sireece Bass, Kalyn McPherson, Krista Phillips & LeQuisha Whitfield.

Jim

In addition to being contacted by Michigan during their coaching search, apparently Vanderbilt's Melanie Balcomb apparently interviewed with Penn State, but then withdrew from consideration. I've seen her name mentioned (as speculation, nothing more) in relation to Duke, Illinois and Michigan State as well.

Jim

The change is for both Men's & Women's basketball. Sounds like it was motivated, in part, by troubles scheduling smaller schools:

What fueled the schedule change was the difficulty that Big Ten, and other major conference schools, faced each year filling out their nonconference schedules. UW assistant men's basketball coach Greg Gard said mid-majors demand an excessive amount of guaranteed money and hold out until they get it.
"You get into July and the high majors still have games available. At that point in time, they're pretty much at their mercy to pay at what the others are requesting to fill the schedule," he said

Jim

Photos and video from the event Tuesday night at Crisler welcoming Kevin Borseth and John Beilein. (Video requires Internet Explorer.) The Ann Arbor news has an article as well.

Jim

Despite her recent contract extension, she's leaving MSU and taking over at Duke.

Jim

Two more from yesterday - I hope this level of coverage continues when the season starts. One about recruiting, the other more about the new coach.

Jim

Michigan is hosting a welcome rally for both new basketball coaches, John Beilein and Kevin Borseth at Crisler arena. Admission is free.

Jim

The Michigan Daily had four articles today about the team. One was about Kevin Borseth, another about new associate head coach Dawn Plitzuweit.

A third article was about recruits, mentioning incoming frosh Veronica Hicks and primarily about Alex Guyton's reaction. (Mixed, to say the least - they're still open to Michigan but seem to be taking a "wait and see" approach.)

The Guytons haven't had a chance to really get to know Borseth, especially considering they had a two-year relationship with Burnett and her staff. There are obviously reservations from the recruit's end.

"It appears to me that Michigan made the same type of hire that they had before," Robin said. "He comes from a mid-major environment. The teams that they played against aren't, obviously, the Big Ten-level teams.

"If he were to offer again, I don't think we'd make a decision right away, at least until we have seen him coach and what he's able to do with what he has there at Michigan now."

But that doesn't mean Michigan is out of the running.

As a fan, I hope Guyton does end up committing to Michigan, but only if it is a good fit for her. Choosing the right college can involve any number of factors even if you aren't going to be playing varsity sports.

The final article was about the current teams reaction to their new coach - in general, quite positive.

Monday, December 31, 2007

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Kevin Borseth, U-M

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