Michigan 2017-18

[Ignatius L Hoops]

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/041317aaa.html

Michigan adds Priscilla Smeenge to recruiting class.

University of Michigan women's basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico announced Thursday (April 13) that Priscilla Smeenge will join the Wolverines for the 2017-18 academic year.

Smeenge, a 6-foot wing, is a three-star recruit according to ESPN HoopGurlz. Smeenge started her high school career at Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, where she averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals as a junior. She was named to the all-district first team in each of her three seasons at Southlake Carroll and earned a spot on the all-state second team as a junior.

She moved to Celebration, Florida, for her senior season and attended Celebration High School. As a senior, she was named to the Orlando Sentinel all-area team after nearly averaging a double-double of 21.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Her father, Joel Smeenge, played 11 seasons in the NFL after playing football at Western Michigan.

Smeenge joins Deja Church and Hailey Brown in the incoming freshman class for the Maize and Blue.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

http://www.mgoblue.com/news/2017/8/...vu-for-wolverines-headed-to-italy-greece.aspx

A couple of Michigan notes, one about former Gopher commit Deja Church and the other about Katelynn Flahererty, before they head to Italy.


Barnes Arico glanced across her office to the wall with a framed photo mural from the last team trip to Europe in 2013, when record-setting point guard Siera Thompson was a true freshman. She ended up taking the reins on the team early, and now Church is taking her place as a true freshman and heading to Italy and then Greece for 11 days and three games beginning Monday (Aug. 21).

"I think we're going to have a freshman come in and play some point," said Barnes Arico. "We had a four-year starter who the first time she put on the Michigan uniform was on our Europe trip, and Siera Thompson ended up being one of the best point guards we've had in our program.

"So, Deja Church will do the same. Yeah, I can see the headline: ' 'Déjà vu, Deja Church.' The opportunity for them all to do it in an environment where there isn't any pressure, I think is exciting."...


...Flaherty, who should become Michigan's career scoring leader early in the season and is the second Wolverine to surpass 2,000 points, will miss the trip because of an injury.

"Katelynn got hurt about a month ago," said Barnes Arico. "So, it has been limited for her and she's doing rehab. I think Katelynn's worried about that, but it's going to be OK because it's making other people have to step up and other players being put in situations they wouldn't be in if Katelynn were playing her normal minutes.

"And Katelynn is going to come back stronger than ever."

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...michigan-womens-basketball-preview/777645001/

Former Gopher commit, Deja Church expected to play a role:

Point guard is one of two starting spots Michigan must fill. And while Flaherty will see time there, Deja Church — a freshman from Southfield — will be called upon early.

On Wednesday, Church drew comparisons to last year’s starting point guard, Siera Thompson, for her defense. Thompson, though, averaged 7.9 points per game last year; Church may be a different type of threat on offense.

“She can score from the outside, she can score going to the basket,” Barnes Arico said. “She’s probably going to get to the free-throw line more than anyone on our team and that’s an area we really haven’t taken advantage of.

While Michigan returns last season’s top two leading scorers, it still has to replace the output of Kysre Gondrezick, who averaged 14.3 points per game as a freshman before transferring, and Thompson. Now, Nicole Munger and Jillian Dunston, fifth and sixth last year in scoring, have earned bigger roles on offense.

“(Munger’s) an incredible scorer, and we saw that in bits and pieces last year,” Barnes Arico said. “Now is her time to be more consistent with that.”

Added Thome: “I think (Dunston’s) going to be a big scoring threat, and I don’t think teams are going to be ready for it. Her ability to attack the basket and to knock down a jump-shot has really improved.”

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

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