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Women's Basketball
Women's Hoops Hello: Kysre Gondrezick
Kim Barnes Arico wrapped up her 2016 recruiting class in a big way by getting an in-state commitment from Kysre Gondrezick, a 5-9 combo guard out of Benton Harbor HS who's a consensus top 100 player. She picked the Wolverines over Baylor, Texas A&M, and Penn State. She's ranked #30 by Blue Star, #43 by ASGR, and #70 by espnW. Her espnW page includes this scouting report from July:
Smooth lead-guard with consistent offensive game; handles and distributes in transition game; mid-range game creator delivers in traffic; developing deep threat consistency; among the stock risers in the 2016 class.
Here's another recent eval from Blue Star:
College ready game…understands how to create space and get shot off while defended…ballhandling is proficient with both hands…can get to any spot on the floor and make a play.
This commitment is also important in another way: Gondrezick is the first in-state player that Coach Arico has landed during her time at Michigan. And this will also ratchet up the Michigan-MSU rivalry in women's hoops a bit more, as Kysre's sister Kalabrya is a freshman guard for the Spartans.
MBSB: Michigan Volleyball upsets #17 Ohio State
Not a jam-packed day in Michigan Athletics, but a very nice one.
Michigan Volleyball (12-14, 7-9 B1G) pulled out a great upset win over #17 Ohio State at Cliff Keen Arena. They won a close set one, 25-23. In the second set, they blew OSU away winning 25-14. The Buckeyes took the third in a back-and-forth set 3. And in set 4, Michigan pulled out a thriller, winning it 25-23 and taking the match.
Frustrating set 4. Michigan was up 24-17 and nearly lost their sure-thing victory as OSU rallied and pulled the score to 24-23. The star of the match, Caroline Knop, ended OSU's comeback hopes with a kill that sealed the upset.
Knop had a team-high 14 kills and 12 digs with 1 ace while Lexi Dannemiller led Michigan with 5 blocks.
NCAA Tournament hopes look very slim. But this is a good start if they are going to pull off a miracle run. The team has been rocked by injuries this season, causing the disappointing record. Their schedule does not get any easier as they will host the dynasty, Penn State, at Cliff Keen Arena for their next match.
#8 Michigan Wrestling (1-1, 0-0 B1G) went 1-1 today at the EMU Duals in Ypsilanti. They dismantled #24 Ohio University by the score of 28-3 in the first dual of the day with Michigan claiming two upset victories in the 174 and 197 matches-
| Class | Result |
| 125 | #20 Youtsey (U-M) def. Powell (OU) via major decision, 9-1 |
| 133 | #9 Bruno (U-M) def. Squire (OU) via decision, 4-1 |
| 141 | #4 Dutton (U-M) def. Forrider (OU) via decision, 3-0 |
| 149 | #12 Claxton (OU) def. Pantaleo (U-M) via decision, 4-3 |
| 157 | #10 Murphy (U-M) def. #19 Chino (OU) via tiebreaker, 5-4 |
| 165 | #10 Massa (U-M) def. #17 Hightower (OU) via decision, 7-5 |
| 174 | Mahomes (U-M) def. #9 Walters (OU) via decision, 5-3 |
| 184 | Olapo (U-M) def. Conner (OU) via decision, 12-6 |
| 197 | #17 Huntley (U-M) def. #8 Wellington (OU) via decision, 7-1 |
| Hvy. | #4 Coon (U-M) def. Webb (OU) via decision 8-3 |
A much tougher test came against #14 Edinboro. Michigan was down 20-0 at one point and could not make the early deficit up as Edinboro clinched the dual victory with their win in the 184 match.
| Class | Result |
| 125 | Mines (EDIN) def. #20 Youtsey (U-M) via decision, 6-3 |
| 133 | #1 Schopp (EDIN) def. #9 Bruno (U-M) via major decision, 15-0 |
| 141 | #2 Port (EDIN) def. #4 Dutton (U-M) via decision, 5-2 |
| 149 | #5 Habat (EDIN) def. Pantaleo (U-M) via pinfall |
| 157 | #13 Matthews (EDIN) def. #10 Murphy (U-M) via decision, 8-6 |
| 165 | #10 Massa (U-M) def. Hartless (EDIN) via pinfall |
| 174 | Mahomes (U-M) def. Jennings (EDIN) via decision, 3-1 |
| 184 | #12 Avery (EDIN) def. Olapo (U-M) via decision, 13-6 |
| 197 | #17 Huntley (U-M) def. Pickett (EDIN) via major decision, 19-5 |
| Hvy. | #4 Coon (U-M) def. Bosch (EDIN) via decision 8-3 |
Future WWE Champion Adam Coon starts his season 2-0. Next up, the Wolverines will face Central Michigan on 11/25 which will be their final dual meet until B1G competition begins in January.
#8 Women's Cross Country and #12 Men's Cross Country both received at-large bids for the NCAA Championships which will be held next Saturday in Terre Haute, IN.
I was in attendance at the MBB game, the Volleyball match and Hockey's game. I'm glad I typed this in between MBB and VB in my car because I'm exhausted.
Only one sport is in action tomorrow...
W Basketball: vs Bucknell (2pm/BTN Plus)
Michigan WBB scores 50 in 2nd half for comeback win
Michigan Women's Basketball opened their 2014-15 season at Crisler Center earlier this evening.
They faced Detroit, an annual opponent who they have faced 11 times since 1998-99 and every year since 2009-10. Detroit did well early and took a 37-26 lead into halftime.
What happened next was the ultimate halftime adjustment. Michigan went on a 21-2 run to take the lead, 43-39, and never looked back. Michigan outscored Detroit 50-20 in the second half to take the season opener, 76-57.
Star Cyesha Goree and captain Nicole Elmblad had point-rebound double doubles and SIX (Goree, Flaherty, Elmblad, Smith, Dunston and Thompson) Wolverines were in double figures. The highly ranked freshman PG Katelynn Flaherty was the one who started the comeback.
Michigan is now 26-16 all-time in season openers and has won 8 of its last 9 season openers. Next up, they'll take on Bucknell at Crisler Center on Sunday.
#8 Women's Cross Country took 4th place today with 137 points at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Madison, WI. It looks as if they will be without the all-world sophomore Erin Finn for the rest of the season due to her foot injury. A real shame. This team was the undisputed #1 team in the nation at one point during the season.
#12 Men's Cross Country finished in 3rd place today with 94 points at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional which was also held in Madison. Top-10 finishes by Mason Ferlic and Ben Flanagan helped Michigan to their 3rd place spot.
Ferlic, Flanagan and August Pappas received All-Great Lakes Regional honors. A good showing for first year head coach Kevin Sullivan. Somewhat disappointing since Michigan took the regional championship last year, though.
Both Cross Country programs will finish their seasons next weekend at the NCAA Championships which will be held in Terre Haute, IN. It looks like these two teams will be the only two fall sports that will reach the postseason. Yeah. That doesn't sit very well with me.
A potential Football win against Maryland is the only thing keeping the fall sports season from being over by the first week of December. This has probably been the most disasterous fall sports season.....maybe ever? I literally do not know the last time none of the fall sports that have tournament-style championships did not qualify.
Regardless, I will be doing a fall sports wrap-up post (when the time comes) and will talk about why this fall has been a disaster across the board (barring Football or Volleyball suddenly pulling off incredible upsets).
Here's the slate for the rest of the weekend in Michigan Athletics...
Tomorrow, Saturday, 11/15
#8 Wrestling: #24 Ohio University -- EMU Duals in Ypsilanti (10:30am)
#8 Wrestling: #14 Edinboro -- EMU Duals in Ypsilanti (Noon)
#24 M Basketball: vs Hillsdale (2pm/ESPN3)
Volleyball: vs #17 Ohio State (5pm)
Hockey: vs American International (7:35pm/BTN Plus)
Sunday, 11/16
W Basketball: vs Bucknell (2pm/BTN Plus)
Video: Dave Brandon takes Ice Bucket Challenge, nominates Hoke, Beilein, Berenson
Pretty cool.
http://www.mgoblue.com/allaccess/?media=461264
He also nominated Michigan WBB head coach, Kim Barnes Arico, who accepted the challenge and posted a video of it. She then nominated Bacari Alexander, Brian Wiseman and her assistant coach Melanie Moore.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=850919534920996&set=vb.148838328462457&type=2&theater
Women's Hoops Hello: Hallie Thome
Kim Barnes Arico and the Michigan women's basketball program rounded out their terrific 2015 recruiting class with a verbal commitment today from Hallie Thome, a 6-5 center from Chagrin Falls, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland). Two major ranking services have her in their top 100 for 2015: Blue Star has her at #63 and ASGR at #82 (the latter may be out of date as it's from an October 2013 posting, but it's the most recent public ranking that I know of).
I don't have a recent scouting report to post, mainly because Thome suffered a torn ACL last December and missed the rest of her junior season at Chagrin Falls. During the seven games she played before getting hurt, she averaged 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks. She's now back with her AAU team, SMAC, playing with them during last week's evaluation period.
Here's a brief scouting report from Blue Star from back in 2012:
This 6-4 center from Chagrin Falls is becoming one of the best interior players in this class. She can post up and score with a variety of moves including the step thru. The ability is there to use her left and right hand equally well inside. She can rebound and is very mobile. Thome plays physically and can defend her position well.
Thome took her official visit to Michigan back in May. The last I heard she had narrowed it down to U-M, Michigan State, and Louisville, taking official visits to each. There were a bunch of other high-major programs who had pursued her, including Kentucky, Ohio State, Purdue, and Vanderbilt. (EDIT: The News-Herald article linked in a reply includes Kentucky among her finalists, so she likely took an official there as well.)
The Michigan staff has now essentially assembled a full squad in the 2015 class:
- PG: Lauren "Boogie" Brozoski (Hello post)
- SG: Nicole Munger (Hello post)
- W: Naomi Davenport (Hello post)
- F: Sam Trammel (Hello post)
- P: Hallie Thome
All five players are ranked in the top 100 by at least one of the major recruiting services. Blue Star has four of the five in their top 100—Davenport #27, Munger #52, Thome #63, and Brozoski #67—with Trammel at #163. Michigan's 2014 class was consensus top 25; the 2015 class will certainly be ranked even higher. The combination of the two should have Michigan competing for Big Ten titles and advancing further in the NCAA tourney than they ever have.
WBB beats Illinois, 70-63; Cyesha Goree scores 30 points
For the 5th straight time, the Women of Basketball defeat Illinois, 70-63.
Cyesha Goree had an incredible 30 points and 19 rebounds. She is only the second Wolverine ever to score 30 points in a game, per @umichwbball.
This is a key stretch for Michigan as the regular season winds down if they want to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Right now in current bracketology, Michigan isn't even listed as a next four out team.
They will most likely have to win out in the regular season and make some noise in the B1G Tournament. Or they could just win the whole B1G Tournament.
The problem with winning out in the regular season is what waits for them in the finale--#11 penn state.
Remaining schedule-
- 2/19 at Indiana | 7pm/MGoBlueTV
- 2/22 vs Iowa | 1:30pm/BTN
- 3/1 at Penn State | 3:30pm/BTN
