Another Big 10 Change

I'm rather slow in posting this, but Northwestern University's coach, Beth Combs, has resigned:

Northwestern women's basketball coach Beth Combs resigned Wednesday after four years in Evanston to pursue other personal and professional opportunities.

''We want to thank coach Combs for her service to Northwestern and the effort she gave our women's basketball program,'' athletic director Jim Phillips said in a news release. ''We wish her and her family the very best.''

Combs compiled a 24-95 overall record and a 7-59 mark in Big Ten play. This past season, the Wildcats were 5-26 and 1-17 in the conference. She was hired by former NU athletic director Mark Murphy, who also had hired her at Colgate. A Decatur native, she played for one season as a walk-on at Illinois.

Tayler Hill (non) update

Bryce McNeal, Tayler Hill's boyfriend has committed to Michigan. If they are considering going to the same school, that obviously helps Michigan's chances (assuming they are anything other than zero). Charley Walters, a columnist for the Pioneer Press in Minnesota wrote a column saying Hill had narrowed her choices to Duke & Rutgers. A few days later, he corrected that column saying Hill was still open in her recruiting....

Any possibility of Hill coming to Michigan is, of course, speculation on my part.

More on the Basketball Practice Facility

According to Eric Lacy's blog in the Detroit News, Michigan would like the new facility ready by the 2010 season. They are also taking into account the women's team as well as the men's:

The architect has extensive experience in basketball venues and will keep the needs of men's coach John Beilein and women's coach Kevin Borseth in mind, Stevenson said. "Both coaches work a little differently," Stevenson said. "So we have to make sure that once it's built, it works and functions the way they want it."

Unfounded Speculation

Michigan apparently has a good shot at landing highly touted wide receiver prospect Bryce McNeal from Minnesota. Mgoblog even had post suggesting he might be ready to commit, based on the maize & blue theme on his myspace page.

So what does this have to do with the women's basketball team? Bryce McNeal's girlfriend is Tayler Hill, a very highly rated guard (#12 prospect overall at hoopgurlz.com). There has been some speculation they might try to attend the same school - so if Bryce McNeal commits to Michigan, then there would seem to be some small chance Tayler Hill would at least consider the maize & blue.

That being said, I've seen absolutely nothing to suggest she's considering Michigan or that Michigan is recruiting her.

New Basketabll Practice Facility

In this interview, Bill Martin indicates that plans are progressing for a basketball practice facility for Michigan. There has been talk about building one for years - this should help both the mens's and womens teams.

Here is a link to the first part of the interview.

Michigan to host NC State in Big Ten ACC Challenge

From mgoblue.com:

The Big Ten and Atlantic Coast conferences announced Thursday (May 1) the match-ups for the 2008 ACC/Big Ten Challenge for women's basketball, with the University of Michigan drawing a home contest against North Carolina State on Friday, Dec. 5.

...

It will mark the second meeting between U-M and NCSU. The Maize and Blue dropped an 81-64 decision to the Wolfpack in the second round of the 1990 NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, N.C. (March 17).

The Wolverines were victorious in their first-ever challenge game, as U-M put together a 29-5 run in the final 9:31 to come away with a 65-50 win over Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 19, 2007, in Coral Gables, Fla. Michigan's victory over the Hurricanes was one of three wins for the Big Ten in the inaugural 11-game event.